“I think Sgt Pepper was a ‘prize period’ when I was playing my best bass”: Paul McCartney’s 10 best basslines with The Beatles By Nick Wells published 2 March 24 Paul McCartney is, to state the obvious, a bass guitar legend – and these are his 10 best basslines
The history of Paul McCartney and the Höfner 500/1 bass guitar By Nick Wass last updated 16 February 24 What made the violin bass Macca's number one through the Beatles years and beyond – and how he was reunited with his original Höfner, over 50 years after it disappeared
“Paul wants it to be fixed up, so he can play it… He was excited as a school boy”: Paul McCartney’s long-lost Höfner violin bass has been found after 50 years By Nick Wells published 16 February 24 Paul McCartney has been reunited with “the most important bass guitar in history”, which vanished after the Beatles split up – and was unearthed in an English attic
“We didn’t realize we were breaking up as it was happening”: The Beatles intended to go back to their roots on Let It Be – instead, they documented the collapse of their magical creative partnership By Alan di Perna published 19 January 24 A mix of rootsy, spirited rockers, stunning ballads, and unfocused jams, Let It Be captured the Fab Four looking to find their footing as a group again
“I’m actually surprised we’re that well-remembered. I’m just a normal musician who doesn’t really think about the fame side of it”: In his final interview, Denny Laine looks back on the breakthrough success and enduring legacy of Paul McCartney and Wings By Bill DeMain last updated 6 December 23 1973 was the year Paul McCartney’s ragtag group, Wings, first scored Beatles-sized success. As late guitarist Denny Laine recalled, they were no overnight success
Denny Laine, Paul McCartney & Wings, Moody Blues guitarist, dies at 79 By Jackson Maxwell published 5 December 23 Aside from Paul and Linda McCartney, Laine was Wings' only constant member
“McCartney was fantastic. Mind you, I tried one of those Hofner basses and I thought it was crap”: Judas Priest’s heavy metal veteran Ian Hill picks his top 5 bass albums By Joel McIver published 5 December 23 From the Beatles to the Bluesbreakers, we asked Ian Hill to name five albums that helped him along the righteous path to metal glory with Judas Priest
“Paul McCartney was one of my favorite bass players. I didn’t do him justice”: Paying tribute to the Beatles turned out to be a humbling experience for Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn By Nick Wells published 4 December 23 As a member of Booker T. and the MGs, Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn cut an instrumental version of the Beatles’ Abbey Road. But the experience wasn't all that satisfying...
Paul McCartney’s “Paul McCartney Woz Here!” Hofner bass and a ’62 Strat played by the Beatles are headed to the auction block – and big money bids are forecasted By Jonathan Horsley published 27 November 23 Elvis’ “Loving You” Gibson LG-1 acoustic has left the building, too – a little less conversation, a little more auction…
When Stanley Clarke met Paul McCartney: “Paul asked me to show him how to slap!” By Nick Wells published 16 November 23 Stanley Clarke made a key assist on Paul McCartney's early-80s albums Tug of War and Pipes of Peace
“There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional. And we all play on it – it’s a genuine Beatles recording”: The final Beatles song, Now and Then, has been released at last – but is it any good? By Jackson Maxwell published 2 November 23 Built from a John Lennon demo, Now and Then features newly recorded contributions from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, with additional guitar work from the late George Harrison
“It was complete carnage... Keith and Ronnie were on their feet. The roof left the building”: Andrew Watt gifted Paul McCartney a ‘64 Höfner with a built-in Univox Super Fuzz circuit – and the Beatle used it on the new Rolling Stones album By Matt Owen published 17 October 23 Once McCartney released the full potential of his new Höfner, “his eyes widened, and he just started ripping on it”
Is this the world’s most expensive guitar string? An Epiphone string Paul McCartney used to record the Beatles’ Rubber Soul is expected to fetch over $5,000 at auction By Jonathan Horsley published 14 September 23 We often talk about the over-heated vintage guitar market, but the madness has come for secondhand strings now Macca’s is headed to the auction block
“I tell Bob Marley, this is the bass player I’m bringing up – let him play”: How Robbie Shakespeare wound up playing bass on The Wailers’ Concrete Jungle By Nick Wells published 12 September 23 Concrete Jungle is one of the only Bob Marley tracks not to feature Aston 'Family Man' Barrett
“You know, I've never played slide before, but it just started doing things on its own – I didn’t even have to try”: That time Paul McCartney channeled his inner bluesman – with the help of Nirvana, and a wild 4-string cigar box guitar By Jackson Maxwell published 6 September 23 Matty Baratto's guitars have been played by Slash, Keith Richards, Zakk Wylde, Prince, Josh Homme, Joe Perry, and countless others. Seeing the Beatle use one of his four-string creations live with Nirvana, though, was a truly "surreal" moment for the luthier
“Someone somewhere knows what happened to this bass and where it is now”: The Lost Bass Project aims to reunite Paul McCartney with his missing Höfner 500/1 violin bass By Matt Parker published 5 September 23 The organizers, including GW contributor and Höfner expert Nick Wass, say they have already received hundreds of emails about the iconic instrument
“Rocco Prestia could have held that 16th-note pattern in his sleep – it’s airtight” Halestorm bassist Josh Smith picks his top 5 bass albums By Nick Wells published 31 August 23 From Tower Of Power to The Beatles, Josh Smith reveals the influences that helped shape his heavy-riffing bass style with Halestorm
“I don’t think George was too pleased with what I did with the bassline; I mean, I had to sell it to him!” Did Paul McCartney overplay on this Beatles’ Abbey Road hit? By Nick Wells last updated 30 June 23 Listen to the isolated bassline on one of the most covered songs in the Beatles catalogue
Paul McCartney says the “final Beatles record” is nearing release – and it’s been created using AI By Matt Owen published 14 June 23 McCartney called upon a process that was used to make Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary to complete the song
Paul Weller: “People should check out some of my bass playing on that first solo album” By Nick Wells published 7 June 23 The former Jam frontman lifts the lid on his bass playing career saying: “I’ve written some great bass parts”