Beautiful left-handed sunburst-finish Hofner ‘violin’ or ‘Cavern’ B-Bass HI-Series bass guitar, beautifully signed on the pearloid pickguard in black felt tip. In very fine condition. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from noted Beatles expert Frank Caiazzo, in which he writes, ‘This signature was obtained in person in 2010.’ In 1961, the Beatles’ original bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe (who had used a Hofner bass), left the band to resume his art studies. The Beatles were without a bass player and none of them wanted to start playing one, but the job fell to McCartney, who had been playing rhythm guitar and piano; Harrison had already been settled on as lead guitarist and Lennon had just bought a new guitar and refused to switch. In the British vernacular of the day, McCartney found himself ‘lumbered’ with the job. Sutcliffe initially lent his Hofner to McCartney, who had seen another guitarist using a violin-shaped bass; when he saw a similar instrument in the window of a Hamburg music store, he investigated. Because of the instrument’s symmetricality, McCartney could play left-handed without the bass, as he put it, ‘looking daft.’ It was also inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to play melodic lines on, yet had a deep, warm tone. McCartney bought the bass he saw in the window, and used it for years both in live performance and in the studio. Pre-certified Roger Epperson/REAL and RR Auction COA.
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