Paul McCartney's Hoffner 500/1 basses

#3
warnergt said:
This Beatles gear chronology website indicates that Paul McCartney went from a "Hofner 500/1 3/4 scale 'violin' bass" to a "1963 Hofner 500/1 bass" in 1963. That kind of implies that he went from a short scale bass to a virtually identical full scale bass but did he? It may be a simple omission on the website.
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McCartney had two Hofners, one had a unique pickup arrangement and was stolen I believe. The other he still plays. As far as I know the only difference between the two is the pickup configuration.

http://www.geocities.com/joelcrowservo/HofnerBass.html
 
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#4
In 1961, the Beatles' original bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe -- who had used a Höfner 500/5 bass (similar to the later 'President') -- left the band, and lent the bass to McCartney (who switched from guitar, and got "lumbered" with the bass job).

Not long after, he bought the Hofner 500/1 (the "violin" bass) at a pawnshop for about $125. He liked it because it sounded good, was cheap, and symmetrical (Paul is a lefty). It was easy to switch from a righty. Other sources says it was "custom ordered" from Hofner as a lefty.

In 1963, Hofner gave McC a second bass, which he uses to this day. They also gave him the first of the reissue "Cavern" series in 2006. You can always spot the old original in photos and film, though, because the pickups are very close together. But that first Hofner (the '61 model) was last seen in the "Let It Be" film (1969), and was apparently stolen during the making of the movie.
 
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#5
Paul did not buy his 1961 "Cavern bass" Hofner from a pawn shop and it was purchased new from a large piano store (Stienway) in GERMANY as a factory built left hand violin bass. Both the 1961 and the 63 which he still plays were the same short scale. The "CAVERN BASS" was refinished and repaired by Hofner when they gave him the 1963 before their first ED SULLIVAN shop appearance. The 1961 Cavern bass was used during the filming of "LET IT BE" along with the 1963 which he used on the rooftop performance after someone stole the 1961 from the studios. The filming was done at two different studios with Phil Spector picking the first because it was so much larger than Abby Road making much additional space for the film crews, but in all the mayhem, some of equipment was stolen and the Beatles then moved all to Abby Road studios which is where they always recorded while in London, England.
 
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#6
jimtone said:
Paul did not buy his 1961 "Cavern bass" Hofner from a pawn shop and it was purchased new from a large piano store (Stienway) in GERMANY as a factory built left hand violin bass. Both the 1961 and the 63 which he still plays were the same short scale. The "CAVERN BASS" was refinished and repaired by Hofner when they gave him the 1963 before their first ED SULLIVAN shop appearance. The 1961 Cavern bass was used during the filming of "LET IT BE" along with the 1963 which he used on the rooftop performance after someone stole the 1961 from the studios. The filming was done at two different studios with Phil Spector picking the first because it was so much larger than Abby Road making much additional space for the film crews, but in all the mayhem, some of equipment was stolen and the Beatles then moved all to Abby Road studios which is where they always recorded while in London, England.
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Almost.

The "Cavern" bass was last photographed at Apple Studios in April 1969, three months after filming of Let It Be concluded. He used both Hofners during these sessions (and briefly his Ric).

Phil Spector was not involved in the Let It Be movie in anyway, including choosing the filming location. He was brought in months after the fact to do something with the soundtrack after the band had lost interest.

Abbey Road studios 1 and 2 are each more than big enough to hold a band and a film crew. The Beatles had filmed in these very studios before.

Let It Be was filmed at Twickenham Film Studios, a movie sound stage, until moving to Apple Studios (not Abbey Road), a much smaller room.
 
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#7
I know Abey Road studio is technically large enough to film the band because it's where the remainder of the film was shot, but very cramped, Phil Spector used the first larger studio because of the extra space. I can't remember the name of the studio, but the filming definitely started there and the band did not like it and switched to Abey Road for the remainder of the LET It BE movie filming. I'm certain the Cavern 1961 bass was stolen before the switch to Abey Road happened because it wasn't the only instrument to disappear before moving. I just watched Let it be on DVD last night and the cavern 1961 bass isn't used at Abey Road studio or the rooftop seen. I read an interview with Paul where he described everything I'm saying as he claimed the Cavern bass was "nicked".
 
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#8
jimtone said:
I know Abey Road studio is technically large enough to film the band because it's where the remainder of the film was shot, but very cramped, Phil Spector used the first larger studio because of the extra space. I can't remember the name of the studio, but the filming definitely started there and the band did not like it and switched to Abey Road for the remainder of the LET It BE movie filming. I'm certain the Cavern 1961 bass was stolen before the switch to Abey Road happened because it wasn't the only instrument to disappear before moving. I just watched Let it be on DVD last night and the cavern 1961 bass isn't used at Abey Road studio or the rooftop seen. I read an interview with Paul where he described everything I'm saying as he claimed the Cavern bass was "nicked".
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Phil Spector was not involved in the Let It Be/Get Back films in any way. You will not see his name in the credits. He wasn't there.

The first location seen in Get Back was Twickenham Film Studios. The second location, including the rooftop concert, was Apple Studios, not Abbey Road.

The Cavern bass was photographed in Apple Studios in April 1969, three months after the movie was filmed.
 
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#9
My mistake on Abbey Road when I meant Apple? You do understand that I was trying to verify that Macca didn't by a righthand Hofner at a pawn shop used but did by the factory lefthand "Cavern Bass" in Germany. Twickenham was picked for filming space and Macca said they haited it, later switching to Apple to finish recording and filming.
 
#10
jimtone said:
My mistake on Abbey Road when I meant Apple? You do understand that I was trying to verify that Macca didn't by a righthand Hofner at a pawn shop used but did by the factory lefthand "Cavern Bass" in Germany. Twickenham was picked for filming space and Macca said they haited it, later switching to Apple to finish recording and filming.
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I've never seen it claimed he bought it at a pawn shop or used. He ordered his first bass, which was made for him - Hofner's first lefty. They likely were so willing to make it for him because the design didn't require retooling to make a lefthanded version.
 
#12
Skokiaan said:
I've never seen it claimed he bought it at a pawn shop or used. He ordered his first bass, which was made for him - Hofner's first lefty. They likely were so willing to make it for him because the design didn't require retooling to make a lefthanded version.
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If you'd read post #4, you'll see what and HOW I was talking to? I think I must have stepped in something or struck a nerve?? Macca didn't "order his 1961, but walked into Steinway and saw it new for sale. I guess the net is filled with goofy twisted stories but I hear Macca describe his "Cavern bass" purchase in an interview. Perhaps Macca needs to be corrected?
 
#15
jimtone said:
If you'd read post #4, you'll see what and HOW I was talking to? I think I must have stepped in something or struck a nerve?? Macca didn't "order his 1961, but walked into Steinway and saw it new for sale. I guess the net is filled with goofy twisted stories but I hear Macca describe his "Cavern bass" purchase in an interview. Perhaps Macca needs to be corrected?
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Paul often needs to be corrected. He often perpetuates myths or just plain doesn't know certain details as well as fans/scholars do. (How could he?). His stories about his first Hofner make it sound like he flipped over a right handed bass. We know this is false.

Paul's bass was purchased new at Steinway Musikhaus - a Hofner dealer. This is known.

There is no record of Hofner having made a left handed bass before Paul's. There was no demand for it. Therefore Paul must have ordered his. There is no surviving documentation of this, but it's the only possible conclusion.
 
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#17
jimi55lp said:
Not only Paul, but George also said Paul found the bass new in Steinway.
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See post #11 above and included link: in all likelihood, Paul didn't simply "find" "it" at the Hamburg Steinway store.
He spent some time with a 500/1 there, decided to get it, and ended up custom-ordering a left-handed one from the Höfner factory, but through the shop.

Or so the author Nick Wass, very convincingly, claims, casting doubt on both the plausibility of a reversal of an originally right-handed instrument, and that of the existence of a (theretofore unmarketed, unmentioned, never since surfaced) stock left-handed version, ready for purchase in Hamburg.
His Guitar Player colleague Christopher Scapelliti agrees and simply tells of a custom order having taken place, without comment.

In interviews, McCartney does simply mention "finding" it there (describing the store, at least in one of them, as "this guitar shop") :
https://www.talkbass.com/posts/28196562/
 
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#18
Well it's verified that the only right-hand Hofner reversed for left hand use was Stu's Club loaned to Paul when he quit the band . Paul bought the 61 "Cavern Bass" from Steinway Music in Germany NEW.
 
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