#1 on the List is Paul McCartney's Hofner Bass. Sorry to disapoint the guitar players out there but this has to be by far the most valuable electric guitar. This bass has been used by this icon almost through his entire career. I would say that this instrument should be considered "priceless" I would think that this instrument would break all records if brought to auction. Not only was this bass used on many of the beatles first albums but it was also brought on tour.
17 comments:
If Ringo"s drum # 1 ( only the 3 piece, no snare) was almost sold for $2 Millions. This iconic bass, with the fact that it's been used also in the later years on tour, as well as in the early recordings and live shows of the Beatles....Would probably reach the $3 and a half Millions......
Not so!! Paul has not used the original Hofner Bass he played with The Beatles..since he left the group...he has it stored away in a safe along with his DGT.Peppers uniform...he played a Rickenbacker in The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour..and Played a Rickenbacker Bass when he was with Wings...he plays a violin Hofner Bass on tour now ..but is not the Original..in fact he has 5 or 6..various Hofner Basses he uses on tour.
Good to know ....But as I remember when he toured in 1989, then he started to use the same Hofner he used in the Beatles years. He also showed it and it still had the set list from their shows stocked on it.... Maybe he his using another one ( He can afford it...lolll) But mostly Hofner gives him the bass he wants, no question asked...loll.......I know the one he is using has been modified, 1rst for the balance of the instrument and the fact that it stays in tune. IN the studio in the 60's I've seen pictures of Paul with a Rickenbacker as early as 1965, then like you said On different albums and videos mostly the Sgt Pepper session you can hear the difference in tones, the rickenbacker being his tool.....In the Wings period again the Rickenbacker that was his most of the seventies I also seen pictures of him with a fender bass as early as the Abbey road sessions, and wings studio sessions IN the 80's he went through changes. He used Yamaha basses , the Wall 5 strings, but also went back to the Hofner. ON vidéos he talk about this Hofner as being the ONE, showing the set list stuck on it...Did he put it aside then used another one of his HOfnerssssss....ON early show with the Beatles you can see the two Hofners but one is the version called the Cavern club the two pick-ups are close to each other as a spare bass, either on top of the amp or on the side....And he had the one we all seen on him.....So you may be right, but only Paul and his roadie/bodyguard John Hammel knows the truth.....lollll.... THanks for sharing.....
By the way just one last thing. In the book 'The Beatles Gear' by Andy Babiuk ( a nice guy that I met few years ago) Who also wrote 'The Rolling Stones gear' Both book being bibles of the bands for what they used in live shows as well as in the studio ( he also spent time with the most direct person knowing about his ( like either the Beatles or Stones themselves or their roadies and families ) Andy mention in the book about the bass that it was the one and only bass Paul used in most of the shows in the sixties and now a day.....For me it is clear....These books are consider as bibles on the subject. If you have the chance and you are a Beatles or a Stones fan it is worth the price......Nice pics as well as comments by the stars.......
Priceless is the word for it, I think perhaps 6 to 10 million would be a fare price for it if one could afford to spend that much, the estimate of 3 to 3 and a half million is way too low, this is the most iconic bass guitar in the world which puts it out of the reach of most mortals! It would more than likely end up in some millionaires air conditioned glass case in Japan should it ever become available! I am luckier than most, I cannot afford it but I have played it at abbey road! and it was his original, the ones he uses on tour, and there are many are faithful reproductions of the original but every now and then you do see it.
Bassman you are one of the luckiest person I know. I think that Will Lee had that chance too on the concert for New-York city.....But I can't be certain, I know he had his own Hofner.....
for his band the Fab Faux.....Again probably only a handfull of people have touch this iconic bass.....When you think that Paul, only used it for few years in the studio, he replaced it by The Rickenbacker for it's sound and the way it kept in tune. He was still using the Hofner for the shows and the vidéos.....It came back when they filmed Let it be, and stayed in the vault until Elvis Costello suggested to use it AGAIN for it's tone, on Flower in the dirt, and his own album Spike.....
You may be right, ( I know copyright for Billy Joel) for the average price of that bass on the market. BUt I was amazed when I heard for how much Ringo's Ludwig kit got sold for without a snare drum........So the sky's the limit.....I think that like the Beatles it would break records.......
Yes people will pay crazy money for certain things! I think if Paul had not resurrected it it may have been the Rickenbacker that would have been the iconic bass! Elvis Costello has a lot to answer for! and I do remember him saying that and Paul's reply that it did not hold it's tuning very well, I guess it's worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it at the end of the day and people will pay crazy money for gear, I was lucky to able to handle it and play it even though I am right handed! but there were lots of eyes on me! I am wondering if he still has the gold plated one from Hofner?
Not many people can get away with the sound of a Hofner but I love them for there woody sound and it's great for play Jazz, I'm considering going back to one if I can sell my Fender Jazz, but I want a lot of money for it as it's a one off by fender.
He used it last night (7/7/17) at the AA Arena in Miami to kick off his tour. I was there! He held it up and let everyone know.
OK, this is an old post but I had to comment. Paul McCartney in this video explains it himself. The Hofner violin bass he uses today is one of two originals. The other got stolen. So there you have it from the man himself. Watch the vid. He explains it at 13:45 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pf19jV1NYw
The bass you see him play and have seen him play since 1963 is the original. Whilst there are "back up" basses, there is no exact copy of the 63 instrument. It is often quoted that the 63 is in a bank vault. This is simply not so. People state this as a fact without any actual information. How do I know he plays the original? I'm the electric guitar manager from Höfner, and one of the few people in this world to have actually worked on Paul's bass. I know an original when I see one.
The hofner he plays now is one of the originals as the other one was stolen! and no one knows where it is, many theory's of course and claims but no proof, Paul's words not mine. If you are really what you say then I would suggest you need glasses! I have played the one he uses now and it still has part of the Beatles set list on it! or did then!
He also has many 500/1's but none seem to sound like that one! and the gold plated one is a follows.
In exchange for the use of promotional hang tags featuring The Beatles’ bass player, Selmer paid a small royalty to Brian Epstein’s company, and Hofner supplied a one-off custom-made Hofner bass for McCartney himself.
The bass guitar was presented to McCartney in 1964 and was displayed at the London music trade show at the Russell Hotel. In mid-1965, it was then sold by a Bedfordshire music store to a young bassist. It eventually resurfaced years later in 1994 when it was purchased by an English guitar dealer, who, after extensive research, discovered that the bass was indeed the one bass made especially for McCartney in 1964.
The guitar was taken to Hofner in Germany to verify its authenticity, which was confirmed by Christian Benker of Hofner Musikinstrumente. Additionally, Alby Paynter, who worked for Selmer & Co. in London between 1954 and 1967, also examined the guitar and confirmed this was the bass with which he was personally involved clearing through customs in 1964. Also, Dave Wilkinson, another Selmer employee at the time, remembered the instrument being on show at its central London shop.
McCartney himself discussed the guitar in an interview that appeared in the July 1967 issue of Beat Instrumental Monthly. McCartney was quoted as saying, “I have had a Hofner Violin bass ever since I started. I’ve got three or four models but the ancient one is still my favourite … The only difference in any of they can be seen on the one Selmers [sic] had made for me, that has gold pickups.”
This historical instrument is one of only three basses made by Hofner for McCartney during The Beatles’ lifetime.
Considering that McCartney still plays his cherished 1963 model on stage nowadays and that his first violin bass purchased in Hamburg in 1961 has long been lost, this unique bass is the only one that is available to purchase with a direct link to McCartney.
Ah, ithought you guys would never find it..
Yes the real one is still missing. lost somewhere around 1969..
Value should indeed be around 10 million. No less.
I have known about this for a very long time! Other people did not catch on though! There has been so much speculation as too where the other bass is too, some claim to know where it is, others claim to have it! but as yet no definitive proof that it even still exists, maybe one day someone will have balls big enough to say, Hey, I got it and here it is with the serial no' and pics! but until it happens, this is a lost cause, personally I don't think it will ever be found.
He uses the same Hofner now that he used on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964.
There is no way that bass guitar would ever be sold. It would most likely end up in storage along with the royal jewels. But if it were to go on the auction block it would probab;ly start at 15 millions dollars and top 35 million.
If this bass was ever for sale, it would be a "Billionaires Only" auction "Bragging rights" alone, would send this bass price way into the millions. It is THE most valuable instrument in the world. I would dare to speculate that a billionaire might go to 500 million if that is what it too.
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