Rickenbacker 4001S

The Rickenbacker 4001S-LH was Paul McCartney's main bass from 1965 to c. 1989. After The Beatles disbanded in 1970, he continued to use it as his main choice of bass with Wings and in his solo career.

With The Beatles

 * Rubber Soul
 * Revolver
 * Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (album)
 * The Beatles (album)
 * Yellow Submarine (album)
 * Abbey Road (album)
 * Magical Mystery Tour (album)
 * Past Masters

Solo

 * McCartney
 * Ram
 * Wild Life
 * Red Rose Speedway
 * Band on the Run (album)
 * Venus and Mars (album)
 * Wings at the Speed of Sound
 * London Town (album)
 * Back to the Egg
 * McCartney II
 * Tug of War (album)
 * Pipes of Peace (album)
 * Give My Regards to Broad Street
 * Press to Play
 * Flowers in the Dirt

Songs that use this instrument

 * Drive My Car
 * You Won't See Me
 * Nowhere Man
 * Think for Yourself (2 basslines)
 * The Word
 * Michelle
 * Girl
 * I'm Looking Through You
 * In My Life
 * Taxman
 * I'm Only Sleeping
 * Here There and Everywhere
 * Yellow Submarine
 * She Said She Said (Ryohei Kanayama's Karaoke Cover)
 * Good Day Sunshine (Played by George)
 * And Your Bird Can Sing
 * For No One
 * Doctor Robert
 * I Want to Tell You
 * Got to Get You Into My Life
 * Tomorrow Never Knows
 * Paperback Writer
 * Rain
 * Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
 * With a Little Help From My Friends
 * A Day in the Life
 * Strawberry Fields Forever
 * Penny Lane
 * I Am The Walrus
 * All You Need is Love
 * Lady Madonna
 * Here Comes the Sun
 * I Want You (She's So Heavy)
 * The End
 * Band On the Run

Trivia

 * Paul used this bass from 1965 until the late 1980s, when Elvis Costello convinced him to go back to the Hofner, though he still occasionally uses it in the studio.
 * In 1967 he gave his 4001S a home-made psychedelic paintjob.
 * In early 1969 he sanded it down to the bare maple wood, later (c. 1972) sanding it further to round off the 'horns' of the body.
 * Prior to the Wings Over America tour, the bass was sent back to the Rickenbacker factory to get some work done to it, including replacing the old horseshoe bridge pickup which had stopped working.
 * It has serial number DA23, made in January 1964.
 * He has been photographed with other Rickenbacker basses other than DA23, (including a mapleglo 4001FL fretless and a custom jetglo 4001-5 5-string version with a black pickguard and nameplate and no fretboard inlays) but it is unclear how many he owns.