The bass guitar, electric bass, or simply bass, is the lowestpitched member of the guitar family. Fender guitars have long been the instruments of choice for artists such as jeff beck, eric clapton, jimi hendrix and stevie ray vaughan. Jul 01, 2008 the bass guitar is one of the most significant new musical instruments to have appeared in the 20th century, and the bass book is the first to study its complete and fascinating story, with the full story of the most important bass players and bass makers. The gibson bass book an illustrated tribute by rob van.
It made the fender company worth millions and made leo an icon in the music world. This is a book that on the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the precision bass pays homage to the american heritage of leo fender s innovations, and to be fair, is welcome. The fender bass an illustrated history hal leonard online. With over 100 bass lines covering a multitude of musical styles and techniques, bass line encyclopedia is the perfect resource for the modern bassist. It was renamed the jazz bass as fender felt that its redesigned necknarrower and more rounded than that of the precision basswould appeal more to jazz musicians. Teach yourself to play bass guitar at your own pace. It can lead to a deeper understanding of the art form of jazz and the ways in which it is observed and appreciated, while at the same time focusing on the role of the electric bass.
This book just reinforces my love and interest in fender pbasses. Stored for years in a climatecontrolled, smokefree environment. Jazz bowing techniques for the improvising bassist book cd todd johnson walking bass line module system, volume 2. This book by the founding editor and former publisher of bass player magazine not only celebrates the 50year history of fender s revolutionary precision bass, it also for the first time illuminates the full scope of its profound impact on music and society. Bassists today need to be familiar with all styles of music in order to increase their versatility and become indemand players.
Since the solidbody electric bass guitar was largely a previously nonexistent form of instrument. The 1960s was the decade in which the precision cemented its reputation as the workhorse bass guitar. The book goes into great detail on everything from what features changed from year to year. The 2001 edition of the definitive guide of the history of fender bass guitars. First introduced in 1960 as the deluxe model, it borrowed design elements from the jazzmaster guitar. Using hundreds of photographs, this exciting release chronicles the evolution of that instrument from 1951 to 2001, providing background, history and highly researched facts vital to understanding everything about this. While we can trace the origins of the double bass back to early string instruments from the 15 th century, the bass guitar as we know it today didnt come into being until the 1930s.
The history of the fender precision bass fender basses. Its certainly true that the innovative electric guitars introduced by fender throughout the 1950sthe telecaster 1951 and the stratocaster 1954, plus the jazzmaster 1958 and some student modelschanged the way music was created and experienced. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items. The potential benefits of an academic paper on this subject are significant. Hal leonard the fender bass an illustrated history book.
If you are a bass guitar buff, a player, or just interested in the instrument, this book will enlighten you to the different kinds of basses there are out there. This book by the founding editor and former publisher of bass player magazine not only celebrates the 50year history of fenders revolutionary. A great book on the beginning of the electric bass in popular music. Aug 14, 2012 the electric bass guitar is a staple of modern music but where did it the bass begin. Black and albert molinaro 2001, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Paul tutmarc, a musician from seattle, was the first to present an electronic bass in current form. Fender literally wrote the book on electric basses, laying the foundation for musical innovation and evolution. An illustrated history paperback october 1, 2001 by j. Drum and bass began as a musical paradigm shift of the united kingdom breakbeat hardcore and rave scene of the mid 1990s.
In mid1962, with the instrumental rock and roll blooming into surf and becoming hip in california and elsewhere, fender introduced the jaguar model. Players began using the double bass in jazz in the 1890s to supply the lowpitched walking basslines that outlined the chord progressions of the songs. Comprising its complete scientific and life history, together with a practical treatise on angling and fly fishing and a full description of tools, tackle and implements by james a henshall and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Since it was first published in 1995, the bestselling bass book has become the standard text for anyone searching for a complete history of bass guitars. If youre working through the lessons, you should definitely pick up a few of these so you can practice some of the songs and get the most out of the lessons.
Let down only by the cheap paper its printed on and the very grainy black and white pics of classic basses. Fender published the fender frontline magazine as a source of product, artist and technical data for the companys customers. Autumn leaves scott lafaro, cjam blues ray brown, chasing the bird paul chambers, giant steps paul chambers, inner urge bob cranshaw, killer joe ray brown, poinciana song of the tree chuck israels, seven steps to heaven. This book chronicles the fender bass 57 years of history along with most of the major players fender or not in a manner not seen in any other publication. These pages are dedicated to the greatest amplifiers ever made. This is our short history video of the fender precision bass. Leo needed an amp to run it through though, so he built the bassman amp.
As i chronicled in my book how the fender bass changed the world backbeathal. This lavishly produced volume large format and hardcover is a wondrous celebration of the instrument, including its origins and history, and the weird and wonderful shapes it has taken. The first half featured interviews and articles about the guitars and the stars who played them, and the second half was a catalog section. The fender bass book starts with original 1951 precision and follows its development, and the development of the many fender bass models, over the first half century of its existence. Brands featured in the book include alembic, danelectro, epiphone, fender, fodera, gibson, hofner, ibanez, lakland, line 6, music man, peavey, rickenbacker, sadowsky, spector, squier, steinberger, warwick, and yamaha. The early days of the fender precision bass disc makers blog. James jamerson from jazz bassist to popular music icon. The thing that makes this book differ from other similar publications is the view into the whole chain of scienti. Use this site for a pricing guide and source of information on all guitars.
When i was only a couple years into playing bass, i was gifted a fender jazz bass by a man that no longer used his due to its weight he was rather old. The science of electric guitars and guitar electronics. It has many names by which it has been known over the years, including contrabass, upright bass, acoustic bass and standup bass. Plus it has a very nice picture of jack casadys original alembic bass. It covers the spectrum of every fender guitar made and includes a handy reference guide in the back as an assist to help one determine the manufacture period of his or her fender guitar. From jazz bassist to popular music icon by joshua andrew zarbo, b. New listing vintage fender vibro champ silverface tube amp vibrato tremolo 1970s. The complete fender reissue line also included a 1962 version of the strat, with a rosewood fretboard and threeply pickguard, a maplenecked 57 precision bass, a 62 p bass with a rosewood fretboard, and a. Complete history of fender guitars paperback 31 july. When i showed up, there was this bass with 5 sets of pole pieces in a raw body. The book also details many other basses including the mustang bass, telecaster bass and fender vi bass eadgbe. An illustrated history constructing walking jazz bass lines, book 1. It would take about a decade before the introduction.
Leo fender himself remained an immensely creative force at fender until, his health declining, he sold the company in. The bass guitar is undoubtedly one of the most significant instruments of this century, yet this book is the first to study its history. The string bass or double bass has its roots in the 1500s, when it was developed in italys brescia and cremona regions to complete the lowest part of the register in the violin family, just below that of the cello. It tells the story of technological and artistic evolution, of basses and playersand of their profound influence on the world around them.
Walking bass lines the blues in 12 keys upright bass and electric bass method how the fender bass changed the world hal leonard bass for kids. It should have been the same size as the fender bass book and all the pics should have been in full colour. However, large chunks of this essential history are missing. Welcome to the reverb price guide, the ultimate resource for music gear pricing and information. Get the guaranteed best price on office accessories like the fender bass bookend black at musicians friend. The 60s jazz bass features an alder body lacquer finish, rosewood fingerboard, a slim 60s cshaped neck profile, and has two pure vintage 64. Get the down low on more than six decades of indispensable bass history. But if youre really looking for a walking jazz bass line book, then in alphabetical order ed friedland, ed fuqua, jay hungerford, and bob magnusson all have good books, each with a little different approach. In 1951, leo fender introduced his most revolutionary product, the precision bass. The fender precision bass is a model of electric bass manufactured by fender musical. Black and albert molinaro the bass book by tony bacon and barry moorhouse. The bass book is the first to study its story, with the full lowdown of the most important bass players and bass makers. Throughout the studybass lessons, i reference songs that are transcribed in these books.
Regardless of genre, it seems, there will always be a player wielding a bass, and providing the musical foundations. How the fender bass changed the world by jim roberts. Intended for beginners and professionals, the book deals with playing in 2, creating walking bass lines, 34 time, using a broken feel, modal and slashchord harmony, ballads, and much more. A fine history of the evolution of the bass guitar. The adoption of this new instrument in the various styles of music, change the heart of music, with new sounds and textures.
Updated history of the ernie ball music man stingray bass. I play and own two fender precision basses and i love them. As the end of the 1950s neared, fender had a quartet of innovative electric instruments with designs that would eventually prove to be massively popular and influential. Scale modules by todd johnson book and dvd todd johnson walking bass line module system, volume 1. So much so that electric basses were often referred to as fender basses. All the topics presented in this book are composed together from already known facts, which means that very little new information regarding the topics is produced. Sep 21, 1992 this is an excellent book about fender guitars and the history of the companys founding. Download how the fender bass changed the world pdf ebook. When leo fender added a bass to his growing family of instruments. The precision bass is one of the most popular bass designs to this day. Oct 02, 2017 the book includes dozens of high quality photos of rarely seen basses plus reference section.
It was the vox equivalent to the fender precision bass, and was one of the most expensive vox guitars produced. Whether for commercial andor industrial reasons, fender began to reduce its choice of colors in 69, when six were abandoned including early classics like fiesta red, dakota red, and foam green. The electric bass guitar is an instrument as ubiquitous as the electric guitar in modern popular music. The jazz bass line book by mike downes is a comprehensive approach to the construction of improvised bass lines.
An illustrated history, interview with leo fender, harper perennial, ny 1992. Fender american original series bass gear magazine. The fender bass book starts with original 1951 precision and follows. When leo fender added a bass to his growing family of instruments 50 years ago, he created a new world for musicians and revolutionized an industry in the process. Fortunately, this state of affairs does not extend to books on bass guitars. No other company has produced so many great sounding, well built and reliable amps. Electric bass guitar a brief history of the lowend. This richly illustrated history reveals the true colors of the fender electric bass as a powerful agent of change in. The number one source of guitar and amplifier pricing and information so you can find the price and value of your used guitars and amplifier. Although most hold to the belief that it was developed from the viola da gamba leg viol, which originated in 15th century europe, paul brun, in his book a new history of the double bass, makes the claim that the internal construction so much resembles the violin family of instruments that the double bass probably originated as the lowest. These price ranges utilize a combination of expert research, external market data, and realtime reverb transactions to estimate the current value of items in used but original condition. Jazz bass is the use of the double bass or bass guitar to improvise accompaniment comping basslines and solos in a jazz or jazz fusion style. The telecaster 1951, stratocaster 1954 and the jazzmaster 1958. A thesis submitted to the graduate council of texas state university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of music with a major in music may 2014 committee members.
It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and scale length, and typically four to six strings or courses. Revised and expanded edition of every bass players favorite book. Excerpted from the bass book, heres a brief history of the fender precision bass an instrument that revolutionized modern rock n roll. This illustrated history shows how fender and other makers developed the instruments range and sound, and how players used it to redefine popular music. Nov 06, 2012 bass tabs the best bass tab books bassist frequently contact us asking about bass tabs, and so we reached out to the owner of, dave tuckman, to find out the best bass tab books requested most by bass players. When leo fender added a bass to his growing family of instruments 50 years. Jan 01, 2001 for the novice, picking up this book and thumbing through it, your first thought might be that the book is filled with with the same bass painted in lots of different colours. Unlike the 1950s, however, when the precision reigned as fenders only bass guitar, the new decade saw it joined by a second bass guitar model, the jazz bass, introduced in spring 1960. How fender s invention of the precision bass led to one of its greatest amps.
The symphonic bass was built in the uk, by vox parent company jmi. In 72, four more were removed as naturalfinish instruments became increasingly fashionable. The famous marshall sound was founded upon an amplifier built in a garden shed by a few amateur radio fanatics, and the period until 1968 became the era of the first marshalls the classic jtm series. The 60s precision bass also rolls with an alder body with a lacquer, but has a slightly different neck profile, called the 1963 c, and has a pure vintage 63 pbass pickup. This book spans, in detail, the life and death of fender basses. Included in the guide are descriptions, pictures, schematics and other fendercentric information. The most wellknown reissues were the 52 telecasters and 57 stratocasters, each of which had oneply pickguards and maple necks. Part one of a threepart series, this book introduces music theory, scales and chords. There is little mention of fender v bass eadgc but a few pictures. Features original interviews with bass makers past and present, dozens of unusual, specially commissioned color photos, and a reference section that provides a wealth of information on every major manufacturer. How to buy, maintain, set up, troubleshoot, and modify your bass by paul balmer, a little light on history, but a lot of pics and profiles on a good number of various vintage and current fender basses, with a lot of useful info and tips on working on these instruments. The fender bass was a revolutionary instrument for gigging musicians.
See more ideas about guitar, guitar design and custom guitars. Reviewed in the united kingdom on 17 february 2017. Find the current blue book value and worth of your new and used guitars, both acoustic, electric and amplifier. The double bass, also called the string bass or upright bass, is a bowed stringed instrument with a hollow wooden body and four strings tuned eadg. For anyone trying to identify the differences in fender bass models over the years, this book is a must have. The history of the bass guitar is a story of partnerships. Since this is a short history this is in no way meant to be a guide for collectors, we just try to hit the major portions in the. Jun 18, 20 bass book jazz bass classics 16 great performances transcribed notefornote with tab for acoustic and electric bass. The bass book presents the definitive story of the electric bass guitar, beginning when leo fender introduced the world to his new precision bass in 1951.
This richly illustrated history reveals the true colors of the fender electric bass as a powerful agent of change in popular music and popular culture. This book is a must for the persons, who play bass or have a interest in the history of modern music. It was actually a great playing bass, rather similar to the precision in feel and sound, but was probably just too expensive compared to an actual fender and consequently sold poorly. To mark the 60th anniversary of fender, backbeats introduced a new, completely revised third edition of this bestseller. A complete illustrated history of bass guitars, 3rd edition, by tony bacon and barry moorhouse, backbeat books. But for the true bass enthusiast the fender bass is a treasure trove full of interesting information about everything to do with the worlds most popular basses. Vintage jensen p10qs clean matched pair for fender. The strings went in between the magnets instead of over, and both leo and i loved it. Very nice combination, found in tom wheelers book american guitars. Fender published 27 issues of the magazine from 1990 through 2000. Consider a challenge posed by leo fender s 19501951 development of the worlds first commercially successful solidbody electric bass guitar, the precision bass. Heres an example in case youre not familiar with the studybass approach. Fender precision bass news newspapers books scholar jstor.
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