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| Electric bass | |
|---|---|
| Name | Electric bass |
| Background | string |
| Classification | Plucked string instrument |
| Inventor | Leo Fender, Paul Tutmarc |
| Developed | 1930s–1950s |
| Related | Guitar, Double bass, Bass guitar |
Electric bass is a stringed instrument designed to provide low-pitched rhythmic and harmonic foundation in ensembles. Evolving from acoustic and orchestral predecessors, it became central to popular music, jazz, rock, funk, and electronic genres. Makers, performers, and recording technologies shaped its role across studios, clubs, festivals, and orchestras.
Early electric bass concepts emerged amid innovations by Paul Tutmarc and instrument builders in the Pacific Northwest and Chicago, responding to needs from big band and radio ensembles. The modern solid-body designs that popularized the instrument were introduced by Leo Fender in the 1950s for use by acts appearing on American Bandstand and touring with Capitol Records artists. Market adoption accelerated through recorded hits produced at Sun Studio, Motown, and Abbey Road Studios, where session players contributed to evolving techniques. The instrument’s presence grew alongside festivals such as Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock and labels including Atlantic Records and Blue Note Records, altering arrangements in jazz, rock and roll, soul, and funk.
Bodies are typically solid or semi-hollow, produced by manufacturers such as Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Gibson, Rickenbacker, Music Man, Ibanez, and Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG. Necks use woods like maple, mahogany, rosewood, and fingerboards sometimes of ebony; fretted and fretless variants suit different styles. Bridge, nut, tuning machines, and truss rod designs evolved with patents held by companies including Schaller and Gotoh. Pickup configurations—single-coil, split-coil, humbucker, and soapbar—reflect developments by Seymour Duncan and EMG, Inc. Hardware standards such as scale length (34 in, 30 in short scale) and string gauges inform string makers like D'Addario, Ernie Ball, and Rotosound. Finish, ergonomics, and headstock designs have trademark histories involving Fender and Gibson USA.
Foundational approaches include fingerstyle, pick, slap, pop, tapping, and palm muting used by players across scenes from Motown studio work to progressive rock. Session practices developed in studios like Sun Studio and Abbey Road Studios emphasized pocket playing, ghost notes, and syncopation to support singers signed to Columbia Records or Atlantic Records. Jazz bassists adapted orchestral arco technique and walking bass patterns influenced by performers at venues such as Birdland and recordings on Blue Note Records. Techniques like two-handed tapping were popularized on stages at Royal Albert Hall and Fillmore East by innovators combining funk, rock, and fusion vocabulary.
Pickups convert string vibration into electrical signals using magnetic pole pieces and coils; active electronics add preamps and EQ circuits developed by firms like Mesa/Boogie, Ampeg, Gallien-Krueger, and Fender. Cabinets, speaker designs, and DI boxes used in studios at Abbey Road Studios and Sun Studio affect tone; notable speaker makers include JBL and Eminence Speaker LLC. Effects—compressors, overdrive, chorus, octave, and envelope filters—were advanced by companies such as Electro-Harmonix, Boss Corporation, MXR, and Moog Music, enabling textures heard on albums released by Island Records and Verve Records. Live reinforcement systems built by providers like Meyer Sound Laboratories and L-Acoustics shaped tour sound for acts on Ozzfest and Lollapalooza.
The instrument is integral to rock music, jazz, funk, soul music, R&B, reggae, metal, punk rock, pop music, country music, gospel music, blues, fusion (jazz fusion), progressive rock, ska, and electronic dance music. Studio traditions at Motown and Stax Records produced signature bass parts; reggae grooves were crystallized in studios like Sunsplash and labels such as Island Records. Metal and hardcore evolved distinct tonal and technical demands through scenes around New York City, Los Angeles, and London.
Key innovators include James Jamerson, whose work on Motown records defined pocket playing; Jaco Pastorius who reimagined fretless technique and harmonics on albums produced for Epic Records; Paul McCartney whose melodic lines on The Beatles recordings influenced pop bass. Other influential figures: Carol Kaye, John Entwistle, Geddy Lee, John Paul Jones, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, Jack Bruce, Tony Levin, Flea, Bootsy Collins, Tim Bogert, Les Claypool, Billy Sheehan, Pino Palladino, Rhonda Smith, Nathan East, Mike Watt, John Deacon, Roger Waters, Meshell Ndegeocello, Mark King, Cliff Williams, Duff McKagan, John Taylor (Duran Duran), Jerry Jemmott, Jimmie Vaughan, Chris Squire, Nicko McBrain, Tal Wilkenfeld, John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Billy Cobham, Tony Franklin, Jack Casady, Carolyn Franklin, Lonnie Plaxico, Oteil Burbridge, Michael Manring, Marcus Miller (producer), Lee Sklar, Doug Wimbish, Molly Tuttle, Graham Maby, Hank Marvin, Peter Hook, Klaus Voormann. Innovations include the fretless resurgence, active electronics popularized by EMG, Inc., and multi-scale designs pursued by builders like Kiesel Guitars.
Setup involves truss rod adjustment, action height, intonation at the bridge, pickup height, and string choice; tasks often performed by technicians at shops like Guitar Center or luthiers trained in workshops in Nashville, London, and Los Angeles. Regular care includes cleaning fretboards with products from Music Nomad, replacing worn frets, and servicing tuners from manufacturers such as Grover and Schaller. Touring rigs require rigging and road crew coordination used by production teams at venues like Madison Square Garden and Wembley Stadium to maintain reliability and tone.