Sunday, October 18, 2009

All About The Bass Guitar

By Miles Stoppard

Many think that music would be incomplete without the addition of the bass guitar to their rhythm sections. The modern bass guitar was designed by musical geniuses who wanted something different, something to fix the problems that they were having in their bands. The bass guitar has improved issues with not being able to hear someone with a low voice or not being able to hear the guitar over piano and brass sections.

When Audiovox Manufacturing Company in Seattle, WA introduced the general public to the first electric bass in 1935, it was widely sought after. Paul H. Tutmarc was really onto something when he designed this first bass guitar. The guitar was a bit awkward, heavy and solid in frame, but it still made life much easier for musicians. The acoustic bass had far too many issues and this new bass guitar would be a trailblazer in the music world before long.

There are some other important factors that play into the history and timeline of the evolution of the bass guitar between 1935 and today. In 1951, Leo Fender showed the world his precision bass guitar. In 1960, a second type of bass guitar was introduced. The jazz model was identified by two pickups, unlike the precision which has split pickup. The jazz model also had a sleeker finish and presentation.

There have been many breakthroughs in technology where music is concerned. You can find some great innovations in bass guitars that have blown away the old styles. In 1959, Danelectro produced the first six string bass. This was a huge leap in technology that now seems almost null and void.

Once Fender introduced these models, it seemed that things began to roll in the music world. There were new models being introduced and designed frequently and in 1959, the first six stringed bass was featured by Danelectro. Just after this, a similar model by Fender and Gibson were introduced. Fender had a fretless five string model that was released in 1964 and Bass Aubi had one in 1965, followed by the eight string model that Hagstroem introduced in 1968.

These days, notable musicians like Bill Wyman use bass guitars as their musical instrument of choice. There are advantages to playing a fretless guitar, including the ability to slide between notes, create shorter notes and a smooth sound that was not possible with the older model of bass. For those more advanced players, there are extended range bass guitars, as well.

Famous musicians like Bill Wyman, who adapted his very own guitar once upon a time and made it fretless, as well, have made bass guitars as popular as they are today. Advanced players love the extended range basses. Today's popular music has brought the popularity of bass guitars full circle. Bass guitar players are now seen as music superstars and these players have a huge following, across all musical genres.

About the Author:

0 comments:

Post a Comment