Expert: sarah - 2/20/2011

Question
What kind of bass amps did Paul McCartney use in his years of being in the Beatles?

Answer
Dear Robert,

Paul used to plug his bass into a Vox T-60 amplifier, and played through a Fender Bassman amplifier during Let It Be, which gave the sound a slightly raunchy, barely distorted sound he did not get at any other time.  The best example of this is probably heard on Don't Let Me Down.  

As for the Basses, the first Bass Paul used in the Beatles is the famous Hofner Bass, model 500/1, better known as the "violin bass" because of its shape. He used it from 1962 to 1970, the year the Beatles Broke up.
During the session of Rubber Soul he introduced another Bass, which was the Rickenbaker mod 4001. According to the people at Rickenbacker the Bass of Paul's 4001S is only one of two lefties made in 1964, the year he bought it. George Harrison has said that Paul played his 4001S on the song 'Think For Yourself'. The first time a real presence of the Ric bass is felt is during the recording of "Paperback Writer" and "Rain", the first two songs recorded for their upcoming album "Revolver".