The Beatles: Rock Band / 09.09.09

It’s near-impossible to see a Höfner violin bass without flashing into Beatles mode, so closely is that instrument associated with Paul McCartney. In fact, many people just call it the “Beatle bass.” Paul bought his first Höfner in Hamburg in 1961, in time to play it onstage with The Beatles during the black-leather days. The instrument’s sound proved “round” and rich, with its hollow body giving a prominent midrange. Not only did he like the look and sound of the bass, Paul appreciated that it was easy to play left-handed. The Höfner most associated with Paul is his second one – the 1963 model, which he would play for most of The Beatles’ career. Similar to the first, it differs in the script in Höfner’s logo, and in the placement of the pickups – one near the neck and the other near the bridge (rather than both in the neck as the ’61 model). Paul played this bass for the first time in public in a September 1963 taping of the British TV show “Ready Steady Go.” Höfner still produces the 1963 model bass featuring a two-piece neck design, German spruce top, and antique-brown sunburst finish – and, for you gearheads, it has distinctive strip machine heads. In 2006, Höfner produced an “anniversary” bass in honor of the violin bass’ 50^th birthday; just 150 of these were made and number one was presented to Paul.