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 Home > Learning Center > Bass guitars

Bass guitars

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Electric bass guitars have been a staple of popular music for over six decades. Originally invented in the 1930’s, they came to prominence during the early rock ‘n roll era of the 1950’s. Since that time, the instrument has become much more widely used than its predecessor, the upright double bass.

The first widely available bass guitars were made by the Fender Electric Instrument Company, founded by legendary guitar maker Leo Fender. The Fender Precision Bass (or P-bass, as it’s commonly referred too) was first introduced in the early 1950’s. This was the first mass-produced electric bass, and quickly became a favorite with musicians from all genres. It also became the standard by which all other electric basses would be judged.

The popularity of Fender’s P-bass made other guitar manufacturers take note. Soon after its introduction, companies such as Gibson, Rickenbacker and Hofner began making their own electric basses. Each manufacturer added their own unique features, both in components and aesthetics. Variations in the design and placement of the pick-ups were an important part of each manufacturer’s line of bass guitars. The Fender P-bass originally used a single coil pick-up; however, Gibson preferred the use of a humbucker design, which uses two coils wired in series. Whereas a single coil pick-up creates a somewhat bright tone, humbuckers give the sound a much “fatter” presence and warmth.

Bass guitars with “active” pick-ups were first produced during the 1970’s. Previous to this time, pick-ups were all “passive”, meaning that they generated sound without the need for an external power source. However, passive versions had somewhat low sound output. Active pick-ups, on the other hand, utilize an electrical power source to amplify the signal. An active system can offer many advantages that passive cannot, including active equalization for more precise shaping of sound. However, because they require an external power source, batteries are needed in order for an active pick-up to operate properly.

The 1970’s also saw the introduction of custom and high end bass guitars. These instruments utilized innovative construction techniques such as neck-through-body designs and incorporated on-board electronics and pre-amplification. They could be custom made for the needs of the individual musician and were made by extremely competent luthiers. This period of time also saw the introduction of five and six string basses.

Over the last two decades, many manufacturers have experimented with different building materials, electronics and design options. The Steinberger headless bass became popular due to its lack of a traditional headstock and its use of graphite as a building material. Other companies experimented with rubber strings and short-scaled necks. Many bass manufacturers started upgrading the electronics to those previously reserved for the high-end “boutique” basses, but were able to make them much less expensive, thereby making them more affordable for the average musician.

Bass guitars today can be found at virtually any local music store. Classic designs such as the Fender P-bass are still extremely popular with musicians of all genres, but custom basses have also become much more prevalent. Digital modeling technology has given rise to many instruments that are capable of duplicating the sound of many classic bass designs. Many people consider these the future of bass guitars.

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