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{{Short description|Electric plucked string instrument}}
[[Image:P-Bass.JPG|thumb|225px|right|Electric Bass]]
{{for|the magazine|Bass Guitar (magazine){{!}}''Bass Guitar'' (magazine)}}
The electric '''bass guitar''' (or "electric bass") is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, popping or using a [[plectrum|pick]]. The bass is typically similar in appearance and construction to an [[electric guitar]], but with a larger body, a longer neck and [[Scale (music)|scale]] length, and 4 strings tuned one octave lower in [[pitch (music)|pitch]] than the [[Bass (musical term)|bass]] strings of a guitar. Since the [[1950]]s, the electric bass has largely replaced the [[double bass]] in [[popular music]]. The bass is typically used to provide the low-pitched [[bassline]](s) and [[bass run]]s in many different styles of music ranging from [[rock music|rock]] and [[metal (music)|metal]] to [[blues]] and [[jazz]]. The electric bass is also used as a soloing instrument in [[jazz]], [[Jazz fusion|fusion]], [[Latin music|Latin]], [[funk]], and [[Rock music|rock]] styles.
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox instrument
| name = Bass guitar
| names = Electric bass, bass
| image = 70's Fender Jazz Bass.png
| image_capt = [[Fender Jazz Bass]]
| background = string
| classification = [[String instrument]]
| hornbostel_sachs = 321.322
| hornbostel_sachs_desc = Composite [[chordophone]]
| inventors = [[Paul Tutmarc]], [[Leo Fender]]
| developed = 1930s
| range = [[File:Range bass guitar.png|200px|center]]<div class="center">Range of a standard tuned 4-string bass guitar (brackets: 5-string)</div>
| related = * [[Electric guitar]]
* [[Double bass]]
* [[Acoustic bass guitar]]
* [[Ukulele bass]]
* [[Fretless bass]]
* [[Electric upright bass]]
}}
The '''bass guitar''', '''electric bass''' or simply '''bass''' ({{IPAc-en|b|eɪ|s}}) is the lowest-pitched member of the [[guitar]] family. It is a [[plucked string instrument]] similar in appearance and construction to an [[Electric guitar|electric]] or [[acoustic guitar]], but with a longer [[neck (music)|neck]] and [[Scale length (string instruments)|scale length]]. The bass guitar most commonly has four strings, though five- and six-stringed models are also relatively popular, and bass guitars with even more (or fewer) [[string (music)|strings]] or [[Course (music)|courses]] have been built. Since the mid-1950s, the bass guitar has largely come to replace the [[double bass]] in [[popular music]] due to its lighter weight, the inclusion of [[fret]]s (for easier [[Intonation_(music)|intonation]]) in most models, and, most importantly, its design for electric amplification. This is also because the double bass is acoustically compromised for its range (like the [[viola]]) in that it is scaled down from the optimal size that would be appropriate for those low notes.


The four-string bass guitar is usually tuned the same as the double bass, which corresponds to pitches one [[octave]] lower than the four lowest-pitched strings of a guitar (typically [[E (musical note)|E]], [[A (musical note)|A]], [[D (musical note)|D]], and [[G (musical note)|G]]). It is played primarily with the fingers or thumb, or with a [[plectrum|pick]].
== History ==
=== 1930s: ===
In the 1930s, inventor [[Paul Tutmarc]] from Seattle, Washington, developed a guitar-style electric bass instrument that was fretted and designed to be held and played horizontally. Audiovox's sales catalogue of 1935-6 (also featuring a solid body six-string electric guitar) listed the world’s first fretted, solid body electric bass that was designed to be played horizontally &mdash; the [http://www.bassic.ch/i_his_av.asp Model #736 Electronic Bass Fiddle (German text)]. The change to a "guitar" form made the instrument easier to hold and transport, and the addition of guitar-style frets enabled bassists to play in tune more easily and made the new electric bass easier to learn. Tutmarc's inventions never caught the public imagination and almost no further development of the instrument took place until the 1950s.


The electric bass guitar is acoustically a relatively quiet instrument, so to be heard at a practical performance volume, it requires [[Bass amplifier|external amplification]]. It can also be used in conjunction with [[DI unit|direct input box]]es, audio interfaces, mixing consoles, computers, or bass effects processors that offer headphone jacks. The majority of bass [[Pickup (music technology)|pickup]] systems are electromagnetic in nature.
=== 1950s-1960s: ===
In the 1950s, [[Leo Fender]] developed the first mass-produced electric bass. His [[Precision Bass|Fender Precision Bass]], introduced in 1951, became a widely copied industry standard. The Precision Bass (or "P-bass") evolved from a simple, uncontoured 'slab' body design similar to that of a [[Fender Telecaster|Telecaster]] with a single piece, four-pole pickup to a contoured body design with beveled edges for comfort and a single "split coil pickup."


== Terminology ==
First introduced in 1960, The [[Jazz Bass]] was known as the Deluxe Bass and was meant to accompany the [[Jazzmaster]] guitar. The Jazz Bass (often referred to as a "J-bass") featured two single-coil pickups, one close to the bridge and one in the Precision bass' position. The earliest production basses had a 'stacked' volume and tone control for each pickup. This was soon changed to the familiar configuration of a volume control for each pickup, and a single, passive tone control. The Jazz Bass' neck was narrower at the nut than the Precision bass (1 1/2" vs 1 3/4").
The ''New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' refers to this instrument as an "Electric bass guitar, usually with four heavy strings tuned E<sub>1</sub>'–A<sub>1</sub>'–D<sub>2</sub>–G<sub>2</sub>."{{sfn|Sadie|Tyrrell|2001|p=}} It also defines ''bass'' as "Bass (iv). A contraction of Double bass or Electric bass guitar." ''Mottola's Cyclopedic Dictionary of Lutherie Terms'' begins its definition of the instrument as "A bass guitar that produces sound primarily with the aid of electronic devices."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mottola |first1=RM |title=Mottola's Cyclopedic Dictionary of Lutherie Terms |date=2020 |publisher=LiutaioMottola.com |isbn=978-1-7341256-0-3 |pages=52}}</ref> According to some authors the proper term is "electric bass".{{sfn|Wheeler|1978|pp=101–102}}{{sfn|Evans|Evans|1977|p=342}} Common names for the instrument are "bass guitar", "electric bass guitar", and "electric bass"{{sfn|Bacon|Moorhouse|2016|p=}}{{page needed|date=August 2022}} and some authors claim that they are historically accurate.{{sfn|Roberts|2001|loc=References Appendix}} A bass guitar whose neck lacks [[Fret|frets]] is termed a [[fretless bass]].
[[Image:P-Bass.JPG|thumb|225px|right|A sunburst-colored Precision Bass]]
Another visual difference that set the Jazz Bass apart from the Precision is its "offset-waist" body. Pickup positions on other manufacturers' basses are often referred to as "P" or "J" position pickups, in reference to Precision and Jazz basses.
Fender also began production of the [[Fender Mustang Bass|Mustang Bass]]; a 30" scale length instrument used by bassists such as [[Tina Weymouth]] of [[Talking Heads]] ("P" and "J" basses have a scale length of 34").


=== Scale ===
In the 1950s and 1960s, the term "Fender bass" was widely used to describe the bass guitar, due to [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]]'s early dominance in the market for mass-produced bass guitars. The term "electric bass" began replacing "Fender bass" in the late 1960s, however, as evidenced by the title of [[Carol Kaye]]'s popular bass instructional book in 1969 (''[[How to Play the Electric Bass]]'') and the use of the term "electric bass" by U.S. musicians' unions. The instrument is also referred to as an "electric bass guitar," "electronic bass," or simply "bass."([[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]: [{{IPA|'''beɪs'''}}]) pronounced same as "base").
{{Main|Scale length (string instruments)|l1 = Scale}}
The scale of a bass is defined as the length of the freely oscillating strings between the nut and the bridge saddles. On a modern 4-string bass guitar, 30" (76 cm) or less is considered short scale, 32" (81 cm) medium scale, 34" (86 cm) standard or long scale and 35" (89 cm) extra-long scale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Myths and Rumors on Scale Length - Premier Guitar |url=https://www.premierguitar.com/pro-advice/bass-bench/bass-scale-length |access-date=September 17, 2023 |website=www.premierguitar.com |language=en}}</ref>


=== 1960s and 1970s===
=== Pickup ===
{{Main|Pickup (music technology)|l1=Pickup}}
[[Image:Gibson eb3 67.jpg|thumb|100px|left|[[Gibson EB-3]].]]
Bass pickups are generally attached to the body of the guitar and located beneath the strings. They are responsible for converting the vibrations of the strings into analogous electrical signals, which are in turn passed as input to an [[instrument amplifier]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Veall |first=Dan |date=December 21, 2020 |title=Bass guitar pickups explained |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/bass-guitar-pickups-explained |access-date=March 1, 2022 |website=[[Bass Player (magazine)|Bass Player]]}}</ref>
Following Fender's lead, [[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson]] released the violin-shaped [[Gibson EB-1|EB-1 Bass]] in 1953[http://homepage2.nifty.com/eb-1/top.html], followed by the more conventional-looking [[Gibson EB-0|EB-0 Bass]] in 1959. As with Fender's designs, Gibson relied heavily upon an existing guitar design for this bass; the EB-0 was very similar to a [[Gibson SG]] in appearance (although the earliest examples have a slab-sided body shape closer to that of the double-cutaway Les Paul Special).


=== Strings ===
Whereas Fender basses had pickups mounted in positions in between the base of the neck and the top of the bridge, many of Gibson's early basses featured one humbucking pickup mounted directly against the neck pocket. The [[Gibson EB-3|EB-3]], introduced in 1961, also had a "mini-humbucker" at the bridge position. Gibson basses also tended to be smaller, sleeker instruments; Gibson did not produce a 34" scale bass until 1963 with the release of the [[Gibson Thunderbird|Thunderbird]], which was also the first Gibson bass to utilize dual-humbucking pickups in a more traditional position, about halfway between the neck and bridge.
{{Main|String (music)|l1=Strings}}
Bass guitar strings are composed of a ''core'' and ''winding''. The core is a wire which runs through the center of the string and is generally made of steel, nickel, or an [[alloy]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Koester |first=Thom |date=August 24, 2020 |title=What Are Guitar Strings Made Of? |url=https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/what-are-guitar-strings-made-of/ |access-date=February 17, 2022 |website=[[Sweetwater Sound]]}}</ref> The winding is an additional wire wrapped around the core. Bass guitar strings vary by the material and cross-sectional shape of the winding.


Common variants include roundwound, flatwound, halfwound (groundwound), coated, tapewound and taperwound (not to be confused with tapewound) strings. Roundwound and flatwound strings feature windings with circular and rounded-square cross-sections, respectively, with halfround (also referred to as halfwound, ground wound, pressure wound) strings being a hybrid between the two. Coated strings have their surface coated with a synthetic layer while tapewound strings feature a metal core with a non-metallic winding.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Owens |first=Jeff |title=Bass Strings 101 |url=https://www.fender.com/articles/tech-talk/bass-strings-101 |access-date=February 17, 2022 |website=[[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Erskine |first=Damian |date=September 4, 2013 |title=Fretless Bass: A Guide for Choosing the Best Strings |url=https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2013/09/04/fretless-bass-a-guide-for-choosing-the-best-strings/ |access-date=September 17, 2023 |website=No Treble |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Anatomy of a Bass String - Premier Guitar |url=https://www.premierguitar.com/pro-advice/bass-bench/bass-strings |access-date=September 17, 2023 |website=www.premierguitar.com |language=en}}</ref> Taperwound strings have a tapered end where the exposed core sits on the bridge saddle without windings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colin |date=November 8, 2022 |title=Bass Strings 101: The Ultimate Buyer's Guide |url=https://ehomerecordingstudio.com/best-bass-strings/ |access-date=September 17, 2023 |website=E-Home Recording Studio |language=en-US}}</ref> The choice of winding has considerable impact on the sound of the instrument, with certain winding styles often being preferred for certain musical genres.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brody |first=Mark |date=January 30, 2020 |title=Flatwound vs. Roundwound Bass Strings |url=https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/flatwound-vs-roundwound-bass-strings/ |access-date=March 1, 2022 |website=[[Sweetwater Sound]]}}</ref>
With the explosion of the popularity of rock music in the 1960s, [[Rickenbacker]], [[Danelectro]] and many other companies started to produce their own version of the electric bass. The 1970s also saw the founding of [[Music Man (company)|Music Man Instruments]], owned by Leo Fender, which produced the [[Music Man Stingray|StingRay]], the first widely-produced bass with active (powered) electronics. Specific models became identified with particular styles of music, such as the [[Rickenbacker 4000]] series, which became identified with [[progressive rock]] bassists like [[Geddy Lee]] of [[Rush (band)|Rush]].


== History ==
In 1971 [[Alembic Inc|Alembic]] established the template for what would subsequently be known as "boutique" or "high end" electric basses. These expensive, custom-tailored instruments featured unique designs, premium wood bodies chosen and hand-finished by master craftspeople, onboard electronics for preamplification and equalization, and innovative construction techniques such as multi-laminate [[Neck-thru|neck-through-body]] construction and graphite necks. In the mid-1970s, Alembic and other "boutique" bass manufacturers such as [[Tobias (bass guitar company)|Tobias]], and [http://www.kensmithbasses.com Ken Smith] produced 4- string basses and 5-string basses with a low "B" string. In 1975, bassist Anthony Jackson commissioned luthier Carl Thompson to a 6-string bass tuned (low to high) B, E, A, D, G, C.
=== 1930s ===
[[File:Paul tutmarc.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Paul Tutmarc]], inventor of the modern bass guitar, outside his music store in Seattle, Washington]]


In the 1930s, musician and inventor [[Paul Tutmarc]] of [[Seattle]], Washington, developed the first electric bass guitar in its modern form, a [[fret]]ted instrument designed to be played horizontally. The 1935 sales catalog for Tutmarc's company Audiovox featured his "Model 736 Bass Fiddle", a solid-bodied electric bass guitar with four strings, a {{convert|30+1/2|in|mm|0|adj=on|abbr=off}} scale length, and a single [[Pickup (music technology)|pickup]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.vintageguitar.com/1782/audiovox-736/ |title=Audiovox #736: The World's First Electric Bass Guitar! |last=Blecha |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Blecha|website = [[Vintage Guitar (magazine)|Vintage Guitar]] |access-date=February 17, 2019|date=December 11, 2001 }}</ref> Around 100 were made during this period.{{sfn|Roberts|2001|pp=28–29}}
===1980s-2000s===
Audiovox also sold their "Model 236" bass amplifier.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vintageguitar.com/1869/audiovox-and-serenader-amps/ |title=Audiovox and Serenader Amps – An Interview with Bud Tutmarc |website=[[Vintage Guitar (magazine)|Vintage Guitar]] |access-date=February 17, 2019|date=February 19, 2002 }}</ref>
In the 1980s, bass designers continued to explore new approaches. [[Ned Steinberger]] introduced a headless bass in 1979 and continued his innovations in the 1980s, using graphite and other new materials and (in 1984) introducing the [[Trans-Trem]] tremolo bar. In 1987, the Guild Guitar Corporation launched the fretless [[Ashbory bass]], which used silicone rubber strings and a piezoelectric pickup to achieve a "double bass" sound with a short 18" scale length. In the late 1980s, MTV's "unplugged" show helped to popularize hollow-bodied acoustic bass guitars amplified with pickups.


=== 1950s ===
During the 1990s, as five-string basses became more widely available and more affordable, an increasing number of bassists in genres ranging from metal to gospel began using five-string instruments for added lower range. As well, the onboard battery-powered electronics such as preamplifiers and equalizer circuits, which were previously only available on expensive "boutique" instruments, became increasingly available on modestly-priced basses.
[[File:Fender '51 Precision Bass, FGF museum.jpg|thumb|upright|left|An early [[Fender Precision Bass]]]]
In the 1950s, [[Leo Fender]] and [[George William Fullerton|George Fullerton]] developed the first mass-produced electric bass guitar.{{sfn|Slog|Coryat|1999|p=154}} The [[Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company]] began producing the [[Fender Precision Bass|Precision Bass]], or P-Bass, in October 1951. The design featured a simple uncontoured "slab" body design and a [[single coil pickup]] similar to that of a [[Fender Telecaster|Telecaster]]. By 1957 the Precision more closely resembled the [[Fender Stratocaster]] with the body edges beveled for comfort, and the pickup was changed to a [[humbucker|split coil]] design.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Owens |first1=Jeff |title=Legendary Lows: The Precision Bass Story |url=https://www.fender.com/articles/gear/legendary-lows-the-precision-bass-story |website=[[Fender (company)|Fender]] |access-date=January 7, 2020 |date=March 13, 2019}}</ref>


[[File:Fender Bass Guitar Patent.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Design patent issued to Leo Fender for the second-generation Precision Bass]]
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:TRB-JP2-2.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Yamaha]] [[John Patitucci]] Signature TRBJP2 6-string electric bass guitar.]] -->
The Fender Bass was a revolutionary instrument for gigging musicians. In comparison with the large, heavy [[upright bass]], which had been the main bass instrument in popular music from the early 20th century to the 1940s, the bass guitar could be easily transported to shows. When amplified, the bass guitar was also less prone than acoustic basses to unwanted [[audio feedback]].{{sfn|Roberts|2001|p=}} The addition of [[fret]]s enabled bassists to play in tune more easily than on fretless acoustic or [[electric upright bass]]es, and allowed guitarists to more easily transition to the instrument.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Dave |last2=Braithwaite |first2=Laun |first3=Tim |last3=Mullally |date=May 13, 2013|title=1952 Fender Precision Bass |url=https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/1952_Fender_Precision_Bass |website=[[Premier Guitar]] |access-date=January 7, 2020}}</ref>
In the 2000s, some bass manufacturers included [[digital signal processing|digital]] modelling circuits inside the instrument to recreate tones and sounds from many models of basses (e.g., [[Line 6]]'s Variax bass). Traditional bass designs such as the [[Fender Precision Bass]] and [[Fender Jazz Bass]] remained popular in the 2000s; in 2006, a 60th Anniversary P-bass was introduced by [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]].


In 1953, [[Monk Montgomery]] became the first bassist to tour with the Fender bass, in [[Lionel Hampton]]'s postwar [[big band]].{{sfn|George|1998|p=91}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tamarkin |first=Jeff |title=Chops: Take Your Pick |url=https://jazztimes.com/features/columns/chops-take-your-pick/ |access-date=April 11, 2023 |website=JazzTimes |date=April 25, 2019 |language=en-US}}</ref> Montgomery was also possibly the first to record with the electric bass, on July 2, 1953, with [[the Art Farmer Septet]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Bass heroes: styles, stories & secrets of 30 great bass players: from the pages of Guitar player magazine|last=Mulhern|first=Tom|date=1993|publisher=GPI Books|isbn=0-585-34936-3|location=San Francisco|pages=165|oclc=47008985}}</ref> Roy Johnson (with Lionel Hampton), and [[Shifty Henry]] (with [[Louis Jordan]] and His [[Tympany Five]]), were other early Fender bass pioneers.{{sfn|Slog|Coryat|1999|p=154}} [[Bill Black]], who played with [[Elvis Presley]], switched from upright bass to the Fender Precision Bass around 1957.{{sfn|Bacon|2010|p=}} The bass guitar was intended to appeal to guitarists as well as upright bass players, and many early pioneers of the instrument, such as [[Carol Kaye]], [[Joe Osborn]], and [[Paul McCartney]] were originally guitarists.{{sfn|Roberts|2001|p=}}
== Design considerations ==
[[Image:steinberger bass.jpg|99px|thumb|right|"Headless" Steinberger bass.]]
A wide variety of different options are available for the body, neck, pickups, and other features of the bass. Instruments handmade by highly-skilled [[lutherie|luthiers]] are becoming increasingly available. Bass bodies are typically made of wood although other materials such as [[graphite]] (for example, some of the [[Steinberger]] designs) have also been used. While a wide variety of [[tonewood|woods]] are suitable for use in the body, neck, and fretboard of the bass guitar - the most common type of wood used for the body is [[alder]], for the neck is [[maple]], and for the fretboard is [[Rosewood (timber)|rosewood]].


Also in 1953, [[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson]] released the first short-scale [[violin]]-shaped electric bass, the EB-1, with an extendable end pin so a bassist could play it upright or horizontally. In 1958, Gibson released the maple arched-top [[Gibson EB-2|EB-2]] described in the Gibson catalog as a "hollow-body electric bass that features a Bass/Baritone pushbutton for two different tonal characteristics". In 1959, these were followed by the more conventional-looking [[Gibson EB-0|EB-0 Bass]]. The EB-0 was very similar to a [[Gibson SG]] in appearance (although the earliest examples have a slab-sided body shape closer to that of the double-cutaway [[Gibson Les Paul|Les Paul]] Special). The Fender and Gibson versions used [[Bolt-on neck|bolt-on]] and [[Set-in neck|set]] necks.
The choice of body material and shape can have a significant impact on the [[timbre]] of the completed instrument as well as on aesthetic considerations. Other design options include finishes, such as lacquer, wax and oil; flat and carved designs; [[Luthier]]-produced custom-designed instruments; headless basses, which have tuning machines in the bridge of the instrument (e.g.[[Steinberger]] and [[Hohner]] designs) and several artificial materials such as [[luthite]]. The use of artificial materials allows for unique production techniques such as die-casting, to produce complex body shapes.


Several other companies also began manufacturing bass guitars during the 1950s. [[Kay Musical Instrument Company]] began production of the K162 in 1952, while [[Danelectro]] released the Longhorn in 1956. Also in 1956, at the German trade fair "Musikmesse Frankfurt" the distinctive [[Höfner 500/1]] violin-shaped bass first appeared, constructed using violin techniques by Walter [[Höfner]], a second-generation violin luthier.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Short History of Höfner |website=Höfner |url=https://www.hofner.com/info/about-hofner/hofner-history.html?___store=h00_en&___from_store=h00_de|access-date=January 1, 2021|archive-date=January 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118190729/https://www.hofner.com/info/about-hofner/hofner-history.html?___store=h00_en&___from_store=h00_de|url-status=dead}}</ref> Due to its use by [[Paul McCartney]], it became known as the "Beatle bass".{{sfn|Bacon|Moorhouse|2016|loc=eBook}} In 1957, [[Rickenbacker]] introduced the model 4000, the first bass to feature a [[neck-through]]-body design in which the neck is part of the body wood.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Modern Era of the electric Guitar|url=http://www.rickenbacker.com/history_modern.asp|access-date=January 1, 2021|website=[[Rickenbacker]] |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210120025437/http://www.rickenbacker.com/history_modern.asp |archive-date= Jan 20, 2021 }}</ref> The [[Burns London]] Supersound was introduced in 1958.{{sfn|Bacon|2010|p=}}
While most basses have solid bodies, they can also include hollow chambers to increase the resonance or reduce the weight of the instrument. Some basses are built with entirely hollow bodies, which changes the tone and resonance of the instrument. [[Acoustic bass guitar]]s are typically equipped with piezoelectric or magnetic pickups and amplified.


=== 1960s ===
Bass guitar necks, which are longer than regular electric guitar necks, are generally made of [[maple]]. More exotic woods include [[bubinga]], [[wenge]], [[ovangkol]], [[ebony]] and [[goncalo alves]]. [[Graphite]] or [[carbon fiber]] are used to make lightweight necks, an approach used by [[G. Gould]] of [[Modulus Guitars]]. [[Peavey]] makes graphite-necked basses such as the [[G-Bass]] the [[B-Quad]], and [[Status]] has manufactured entire basses out of graphite. Many other guitar companies also use graphite in their necks, to add stability and sustain.
[[File:Gibson eb3 67.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Gibson EB-3]]]]
With the explosion in popularity of [[rock music]] in the 1960s, many more manufacturers began making electric basses, including [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]], [[Teisco]] and [[Guyatone]]. Introduced in 1960, the [[Fender Jazz Bass]], initially known as the "Deluxe Bass", used a body design known as an offset waist which was first seen on the [[Jazzmaster]] guitar in an effort to improve comfort while playing seated.<ref name="JeffOwens">{{cite web |last1=Owens |first1=Jeff |title=Jaco, Geddy and Flea Can't Be Wrong: The Story of the Jazz Bass |url=https://www.fender.com/articles/gear/jaco-geddy-and-flea-cant-be-wrong-the-story-of-the-jazz-bass |website=[[Fender (company)|Fender]]|date=June 12, 2019|quote=Most apparent was a feature borrowed from the Jazzmaster—an offset waist—that conveyed a sleeker and more curvaceous look to the Jazz Bass. In true Fender fashion, however, this was an innovation rooted not in form but in function—the sexier look was a by-product of the more practical consideration that the offset waist made the instrument more comfortable to play when seated |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202083709/https://www.fender.com/articles/gear/jaco-geddy-and-flea-cant-be-wrong-the-story-of-the-jazz-bass |archive-date= Dec 2, 2022 }}</ref> The Jazz bass, or J-Bass, features two single-coil pickups.


Providing a more "Gibson-scale" instrument, rather than the {{convert|34|in|mm|0|adj=on}} Jazz and Precision, Fender produced the [[Fender Mustang Bass|Mustang Bass]], a {{convert|30|in|mm|0|adj=on}} scale-length instrument.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mustang Bass|url=https://shop.fender.com/en-US/electric-basses/mustang-bass/?rl=en_US&rl=en_GB|access-date=January 1, 2021|website=s[[Fender (company)|Fender]]}}</ref> The [[Fender VI]], a 6-string bass, was tuned one octave lower than standard guitar tuning. It was released in 1961, and was briefly favored by [[Jack Bruce]] of [[Cream (band)|Cream]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jack Bruce - Equipment|url=http://www.jackbruce.com/2008/Gear/gear.htm|access-date=January 1, 2021|website=Jackbruce.com}}</ref>
The "long scale" necks used on Leo Fender's basses, giving a [[scale length]] (distance between [[Nut (string instrument)|nut]] and [[bridge (instrument)|bridge]]) of 34", remain the standard for electric basses. However, 30" or "short scale" instruments, such as the [[Höfner]] Violin Bass, played by [[Paul McCartney]], and the Fender Mustang Bass are popular, especially for players with smaller hands. While 35", 35.5" and 36" scale lengths were once only available in "boutique" instruments, in the 2000s, many manufacturers have begun offering these lengths, also called an "extra long scale." This extra long scale provides a higher string tension, which yields a more defined tone on the low "B" string of 5- and 6-stringed instruments (or detuned 4-string basses).


Gibson introduced its short-scale {{convert|30.5|in|mm|0|adj=on}} [[Gibson EB-3|EB-3]] in 1961, also used by Bruce.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vintageguitar.com/3568/the-gibson-eb-3/ |title=The Gibson EB-3 |last=Moseley |first=Willie G. |website=[[Vintage Guitar (magazine)|Vintage Guitar]] |access-date= September 5, 2017|date=March 10, 2010 }}</ref> The EB-3 had a "mini-humbucker" at the bridge position. Gibson basses tended to be instruments with a shorter 30.5" [[Scale length (string instruments)|scale length]] than the Precision. Gibson did not produce a {{convert|34|in|mm|0|adj=on}}-scale bass until 1963 with the release of the [[Gibson Thunderbird|Thunderbird]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Mullally|first1=Tim|last2=Braithwaite|first2=Laun|first3=Dave|last3=Rogers|date=March 5, 2017|title=Vintage Vault: 1964 Gibson Thunderbird Bass|url=https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/25335-vintage-vault-1964-gibson-thunderbird-bass|access-date=January 1, 2021|website=[[Premier Guitar]]}}</ref>
=== Fretted and fretless basses ===
Another design consideration for the bass is whether or not to use frets on the fingerboard. On a fretted bass, the [[fret]]s divide the fingerboard into [[semitone]] divisions, (as on a normal guitar) although fretless basses are also widely available. The original Fender basses had 20 frets, but modern basses may have 24 or more. The twelfth fret on each string is an octave of the string note.


The first commercial fretless bass guitar was the Ampeg AUB-1, introduced in 1966.{{sfn|Roberts|2001|p=125–126}} In the late 1960s, eight-string basses, with four octave paired [[Course (music)|courses]] (similar to a 12 string guitar), were introduced, such as the [[Hagström]] H8.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hagstromguitars.com/basses/retroscape/h8-ii-bass.html |title=Hagstrom H8-II Bass |website=[[Hagström]]|access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref>
[[Fretless bass]]es have a distinct sound, because the absence of frets means that the string must be pressed down directly onto the wood of the fingerboard and so the string can buzz against the wood (as with the [[double bass]]). The resulting sound, characterised by the work of [[Jaco Pastorius]], is sometimes described as a "mwaah" sound by bassists. The fretless bass allows players to use the expressive devices of [[glissando]], [[vibrato]] and microtonal intonations such as [[quarter tone]]s and [[just intonation]]. Some bassists use both fretted and fretless basses in performances, according to the type of material they are performing.


=== 1970s ===
In ''How The Fender Bass Changed The World'', Jim Roberts states that [[Bill Wyman]] made the first known fretless bass guitar in 1961 by converting an inexpensive Japanese fretted bass. This fretless bass can be heard on [[The Rolling Stones]] songs such as "Paint it Black". The first production fretless bass was the Ampeg AUB-1 introduced in 1966. Fender introduced a fretless version of the Precision Bass in 1970. Fusion-jazz virtuoso [[Jaco Pastorius]] created his own fretless bass by pulling the frets out of a sunburst Fender Jazz Bass, filling up the holes with wood putty and coating the fretboard with epoxy resin.
In 1972, [[Alembic Inc|Alembic]] established what became known as "boutique" or "high-end" electric bass guitars.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alembic - History, Short Version|url=http://www.alembic.com/family/historys.html|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=[[Alembic Inc|Alembic]]}}</ref> These expensive, custom-tailored instruments, as used by [[Phil Lesh]], [[Jack Casady]], and [[Stanley Clarke]], featured unique designs, premium hand-finished wood bodies, and innovative construction techniques such as multi-laminate [[Neck-thru|neck-through-body]] construction and [[Carbon fiber reinforced polymer|graphite]] necks. Alembic also pioneered the use of onboard electronics for pre-amplification and equalization.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alembic Activators|url=http://www.alembic.com/prod/pickups.html|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=[[Alembic Inc|Alembic]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Fletcher|first=Tim|date=March 16, 2020|title=The History of Active Electronics|url=https://bassmusicianmagazine.com/2020/03/the-history-of-active-electronics/|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=[[Bass Musician]]}}</ref>
(At least one biographical source quotes Pastorius as saying that the bass had already been defretted when he acquired it- "looked like someone had taken a hatchet to it!"; he improved the modification, using epoxy rather than varnish to obtain a glass-like finish suitable for the use of roundwound strings, which are otherwise much harder on the wood of the fingerboard.)
[[Image:Linned fretless jazz bass.jpg|thumb|An example of a fretless bass's fingerboard.]]


Active electronics increase the output of the instrument, and allow more options for controlling tonal flexibility, giving the player the ability to amplify as well as to attenuate certain frequency ranges while improving the overall frequency response (including more low-register and high-register sounds). 1976 saw the UK company [[Wal (bass)|Wal]] begin production of their own range of active basses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About Us|url=https://walbasses.co.uk/about-us/|access-date=December 31, 2020|website=[[Wal (bass)|Walbasses]]}}</ref> In 1974 [[Music Man (company)|Music Man]] Instruments, founded by Tom Walker, [[Forrest White]] and [[Leo Fender]], introduced the [[Music Man StingRay|StingRay]], the first widely produced bass with active (powered) electronics built into the instrument.<ref>{{Cite web|title=StingRay|url=https://www.music-man.com/instruments/basses/stingray|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=[[Music Man (company)|Music Man]]}}</ref> Basses with active electronics can include a [[preamplifier]] and [[equalizer (audio)|knobs]] for boosting and cutting the low and high frequencies.
Some fretless basses have "fret lines" inlaid in the fingerboard as a guide, while others only use guide marks on the side of the neck. Strings wound with tape are sometimes used with the fretless bass so that the metal string windings will not wear down the [[fingerboard]]. Some fretless basses have fingerboards which are coated with epoxy to increase the durability of the fingerboard, enhance [[sustain]] and give a brighter tone.


In the mid-1970s, five-string basses, with a very low "B" string, were introduced. In 1975, bassist [[Anthony Jackson (musician)|Anthony Jackson]] commissioned luthier [[Carl Thompson (luthier)|Carl Thompson]] to build a six-string bass tuned (low to high) B0, E1, A1, D2, G2, C3, adding a low B string and a high C string.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://bassmagazine.com/artists/partners-anthony-jackson-fodera-guitars|title=Partners: Anthony Jackson & Fodera Guitars|last=Roberts|first=Jim|date=July 23, 2019|newspaper=Bass Magazine - the Future of Bass|access-date=January 1, 2022}}</ref>
Although most fretless basses have four strings, five-string and six-string fretless basses are also available. Fretless basses with additional strings are also available, but these are typically "boutique" or custom-made instruments. In the mid-2000s, luthier Jerzy Drozd began building 10-string and 12-string fretless basses. Fretless basses are widely used in [[jazz]] and [[jazz fusion]] music. Nonetheless, many bassists from other genres use fretless basses, such as alternative metal bassist [[Steve DiGiorgio]] <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Les6Frl.jpg|thumb|Les Claypool's Rainbow bass]] --> and [[Les Claypool]] of [[Primus]].


=== Strings and tuning===
== See also ==
* [[Acoustic bass guitar]]
{{main|Bass guitar tuning}}
* [[Fretless bass]]
The standard design for the electric bass has four [[Strings (music)|strings]], tuned E, A, D and G, with the fundamental frequency of the E string set at about 41 Hz, making the tuning of all four strings the same as that of the [[double bass]]. This tuning is also the same as the standard tuning on the lower four strings on a 6-string guitar, only an octave lower. String types include all-metal strings ([[roundwound]], [[flatwound]], groundwound, or halfwound), metal strings with different coverings, such as tapewound and plastic-coatings. The variety of materials used in the strings gives bass players a range of tonal options.
* [[Bass guitar tuning]]

* [[Bass instrument amplification]]
Early basses used [[flatwound]] strings with a smooth surface, which had a smooth, damped sound reminiscent of a double-bass. In the 1960s and 1970s, [[roundwound]] bass strings similar to guitar strings became popular. Roundwounds have a brighter [[timbre]] with greater [[sustain]] than flatwounds. Flatwounds are still used by some bassists who want a more 'vintage', 'smooth', or 'damped' sound.
* [[Bass effects]]

* [[Pickup (music technology)|Pickups]]
A number of other tuning options and bass types have been used to extend the range of the instrument. The most common are:
* [[List of bass guitar manufacturers]]

[[Image:Bassguitarnotes.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Note positions on a right-handed 4-string bass in standard EADG tuning.]]
* '''Four strings''' with alternate tunings to obtain an extended lower range.<ref>Tunings such as "BEAD" (this requires a low "B" string in addition to the other three "standard" strings), "[[Drop D tuning|D-A-D-G]]" (a "standard" set of strings, with only the lowest string detuned), and D-G-C-F or C-G-C-F (a "standard" set of strings, all of which are detuned) give bassists an extended lower range. A tenor bass tuning of "A-D-G-C" provides a higher range.</ref>
* '''Five strings''' (usually B-E-A-D-G, but sometimes E-A-D-G-C). The 5-string bass with a low "B" provides added lower range, as compared with the 4-string bass. As well, it gives a player easier access to low notes when playing in the higher positions.

[[Image:washburn xb600.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Washburn Guitars|Washburn]] XB600, a six string bass.]]
* '''Six strings''' (usually B-E-A-D-G-C, but sometimes E-A-D-G-B-E or F#-B-E-A-D-G). The 6-string bass is a 4-string bass with an additional low "B" string and a high "C" string. While much less common than 4- or 5-string basses, they are still used in Latin, jazz, and several other genres. A few players have tuned the high C down to a B (giving B-E-A-D-G-B) matching the E-A-D-G-B found on the first five strings of an acoustic or electric guitar.<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:John-Patitucci-yamaha.jpg|thumb|175px|right|Jazz bassist [[John Patitucci]] playing a 6-string electric bass.]]

*'''Twelve Strings''' (Usually E-E-E-A-A-A-D-D-D-G-G-G). Similar in concept to the twelve string guitar, The strings are grouped into threes. These basses are extremely uncommon and are currently only produced by [[[Hamer]] -->
* '''[[Detuner]]s,''' such as the [[Hipshot]], are mechanical devices operated by the right or left-hand thumb that allow one or more strings to be quickly detuned to a pre-set lower pitch. Hipshots are typically used to drop the "E"-string down to "D" on a four string bass.<ref>Hipshots are similarly used to drop the "B"-string down to a "Bb" on five or six string basses where it is advantageous when accompanying brass bands whose music is commonly in the key of "Bb". More rarely, some bassists (e.g., Michael Manring) will add detuners to more than one string, or even more than one detuner to each string, to enable them to detune strings during a performance and have access to a wider range of chime-like harmonics.</ref>

====Extended range approaches====
Some bassists have used other types of basses or tuning methods to obtain an extended range or other benefits. Instrument types or tunings used for this purpose include '''basses with less than four strings''' (1-string bass guitars <ref>Japanese manufacturer Atlansia offers 1-, 2- and 3-stringed instruments[http://www.atlansia.jp/BASS.NEW.HTML#P8]</ref>, 2-string bass guitars, 3-string bass guitars (E-A-D) <ref> - Session bassist [[Tony Levin]] commissioned [[Music Man (company)|Music Man]] to build a three-string version of his favorite [[Music Man StingRay|Stingray bass]]</ref>); '''alternate tunings''' (e.g., tenor bass <ref>tuned A-D-G-C, like the top 4 strings of a 6-string bass, or simply a standard 4-string with the strings each tuned up an additional perfect fourth. Tenor bass is a tuning used by [[Stanley Clarke]], [[Victor Wooten]], and [[Stu Hamm]].</ref>, [[piccolo bass]]<ref>tuned "e-a-d-g" (an octave higher than standard bass tuning — -the same as the bottom four strings of a guitar). This is used by jazz fusion bassists such as [[Stanley Clarke]].</ref>, and guitar-tuned basses<ref>the D-G-B-E tuning matches the first four strings (from highest to lowest) of a guitar, pitched two octaves lower.</ref>) and '''8, 10, 12 and 15-string''' basses, which built on the same principle as the [[12 string|12-string guitar]], where the strings are grouped into "courses" tuned in unison or octaves, to be played simultaneously. <ref>For example, an 8-string bass would be strung Ee-Aa-Dd-Gg, while a 12-string bass might be tuned Eee-Aaa-Ddd-Ggg (four courses of three strings each). In the case of the 12-string, the standard pitch strings are augmented by two strings both an octave higher than the standard pitched string. Ten-string basses have octave strings added to the low-B of a 5-string bass. A 15-string bass (tuned Eee Aaa Ddd Ggg Ccc) was developed by [http://www.jauqoiii-x.com/ Jauqo III-X] and produced by Warrior Guitars(the 15 string bass made for Jauqo III-X by Warrior was the worlds first 15 string bass ever made. A 1998 video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6O0Lgyn6aE )</ref>

[[Extended-range bass|'''Extended Range Basses''']] are basses with 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 strings which are not doubling unisons or octaves. The 7-string Bass (B-E-A-D-G-C-F) was built by luthier Micheal Tobias in 1987. This custom instrument commissioned by bassist Garry Goodman was an early example of a bass with more than six single course strings. Goodman who developed a special playing technique requiring seven or more strings. [[Conklin]] builds 8- and 9-string basses.<ref> These have a low "F#" string below the "B" string, and 9-string bass which adds a low "F#" and a high "Bb" string.</ref> The Guitarbass is a 10-string instrument with four bass strings (tuned E-A-D-G) and six guitar strings (tuned E-A-D-G-B-E).<ref> The guitarbass has 10 strings on the same neck and body, but with separate scale lengths, bridges, fretboards, and pickups. It was created [http://www.microphoneheaven.com/guitarbass] by John Woolley in 2005, based on a prototype built by David Minnieweather.</ref> Luthier Michael Adler built the first 11-string bass in 2004 and completed the first single-course 12-string bass in 2005. Adler's 11- and 12-string instruments have the same range as a grand piano. Sub-contra basses, such as C#-F#-B-E ("C#" being at 17.32 Hz)<ref>(e.g., the Jauqo III-X from 2000 or the sub-bass guitar, E-A-D-G one octave below standard ("E" being at 20.6 Hz)</ref> have been created <ref>[http://www.yvescarbonne.com/project.php concept] by Yves Carbonne in 2002</ref>.<ref> Bassists performing on extended range basses include [[Yves Carbonne]], [[Stew McKinsey]], [[Gregory Bruce Campbell]], [[Jean Baudin]], [[Bill Dickens|Bill "The Buddha" Dickens]], [[Phil Lesh]], and [[Al Caldwell]]</ref>.

== Pickups and amplification ==
:''For more information on pickups, see [[Pickup (music)]].''
====Magnetic pickups====
Most electric basses use magnetic pickups. The vibrations of the instrument's metal strings within the magnetic field of the permanent magnets in magnetic [[Pickup (music)|pickup]]s produce small variations in the magnetic flux threading the coils of the pickups. This in turn produces small electrical voltages in the coils. These low-level signals are then amplified and played through a speaker. Less commonly, non-magnetic pickups are used, such as [[piezoelectric]] pickups which sense the mechanical vibrations of the strings. Since the 1990s, basses are often available with battery-powered "active" electronics that boost the signal and/or provide equalization controls to boost or cut bass and treble frequencies.

"'''P-" pickups''' (the "P" refers to the original Fender Precision Bass) are actually two distinct [[single-coil]] halves, wired in opposite direction to reduce hum, each offset a small amount along the length of the body so that each half is underneath two strings. Less common is the single-coil "P" pickup, used on the 1951 Fender Precision bass<ref>The single-coil "P" pickup is also used in the reissue and the Sting's signature model.</ref>

'''"J-" pickups''' (referring to the original Fender Jazz Bass) are wider eight-pole pickups which lie underneath all four strings. J pickups are typically [[single-coil]] designs, but because one is wired opposite to the other, when used at the same volume they have hum canceling properties.

'''Humbucker (dual coil) pickups,''' found in MusicMan basses (yet another Leo Fender brand) and many other brands, are the same length as a J pickup, but about twice as wide (and with about double the output).

'''"Soapbar" Pickups''' get their name due to their resemblance to a bar of soap and originally referred to the Gibson P-90 guitar pickup. The term is now also used to describe any pickup with a rectangular shape and no visible pole pieces. They are commonly found in ERB basses. EMG now makes a Soapbar pickup that has both a single coil and a humbucker in the same pickup. The player switches between the two by pulling or pushing on the volume knob.

[[Image:Jazz Style PickUps.JPG|thumb|Dual "J"-Style Pickups.|230px|left]]

Many basses have just one pickup, typically a "P" or soapbar pickup. Multiple pickups are also quite common, two of the most common configurations being a "P" near the neck and a "J" near the bridge (e.g. Fender Precision Deluxe), or two "J" pickups (e.g. Fender Jazz). <ref>Some basses use more unusual pickup configurations, such as a soapbar and a "P" pickup (found on some Fenders), [[Stu Hamm]]'s "Urge" basses which have a "P" pickup sandwiched between two "J" pickups, and some of [[Bootsy Collins]]' custom basses, which had as many as 5 J pickups. Another unusual pickup configuration is found on some of the custom basses that [[Billy Sheehan]] uses, in which there is one humbucker at the neck and a split-coil pickup at the middle position.</ref> The placement of the pickup greatly affects the sound, with a pickup near the neck joint thought to sound "fatter" or "warmer" (the bass frequencies being dominant) while a pickup near the bridge is thought to sound "tighter" or "sharper" (providing a larger amount of treble). Usually basses with multiple pickups allow blending of the output from the pickups, providing for a range of timbres.

==== Non-magnetic pickups ====
* [[Piezoelectric]] pickups are non-magnetic pickups that produce a different tone, often similar to that of an acoustic bass, and allow bassists to use non-ferrous strings such as nylon, brass or even [[Ashbory bass|silicone rubber]]. Piezoelectric pickups use a [[transducer]] crystal to convert the vibrations of the string into an electrical signal.
* [[Optical pickups]] are another type of non-magnetic pickup. They use an [[LED]] to optically track the movement of the string, which allows them to reproduce low-frequency tones at high volumes without the "hum" or excessive resonance associated with conventional magnetic pickups. Since optical pickups lack high frequencies, they are commonly paired with piezoelectric pickups to fill in the missing frequencies. The Lightwave company builds basses with optical pickups.

=== Amplification and effects ===
{{Main|Bass instrument amplification}}

Like the [[electric guitar]], the electric bass is always connected to an amplifier for live performances. Electric bassists use either a "combo" amplifier, which combines an amplifier and a speaker in a single cabinet, or an amplifier and a separate speaker cabinet (or cabinets). In some cases when the bass is being used with large-scale [[Public Address|PA]] amplification, it is plugged into a "DI" or "direct box", which routes their signal directly into a [[mixing console]], and thence to the main and monitor speakers. For some recordings, the electric bass is recorded without the use of an amplifier and speakers by connecting the bass with the mixing board using a "DI", while the musician listens to the sound of the instrument through headphones.

Various electronic components such as [[preamplifier]]s and [[Wiktionary:signal|signal]] processors (e.g.,[[bass effects]]) and the configuration of the [[amplifier]] and [[Loudspeaker|speaker]], can be used to alter the basic sound of the instrument. In the 1990s and early 2000s, signal processors such as [[equalizer]]s, [[distortion]] devices, and [[Audio level compression|compressors]] or [[limiter]]s became increasingly popular additions to many electric bass players' gear, because these processors give players additional tonal options.

== Playing techniques ==
=== Sitting or standing ===
Most bass players stand while playing, although sitting is also accepted, particularly in large ensemble settings (e.g., jazz big band) or acoustic genres such as folk music. It is a matter of the player's preference as to which position gives the greatest ease of playing, and what a bandleader expects. When sitting, right-handed players can balance the instrument on the right thigh, or like classical guitar players, the left. Balancing the bass on the left thigh positions it is positioned in such a way that it mimics the standing position, allowing for less difference between the standing and sitting positions.

===Sounding notes on the bass===
The electric bass, in contrast to the upright bass (or double bass), is played in a similar position to the guitar; that is, it is held horizontally across the body. Notes are usually produced by pizzicato, in which the strings are plucked by the index and middle fingers or with a [[Guitar pick|pick ]] (or [[plectrum]]). While the use of a pick is often associated with [[hard rock]], [[punk rock]] and [[heavy metal music|metal]], picks are also used in other styles. Jazz bassist [[Steve Swallow]] uses a pick for upbeat or funky songs. Picks can be used with alternating downstrokes and upstrokes, or with all downstrokes for a more consistent attack. Some bassists use their fingernails to play flamenco-style, such as [[Les Claypool]], [[John Entwistle]] and [[Geddy Lee]].

Bassists trying to emulate the sound of a double bass sometimes pluck the strings with their thumb or fingers rather than a plectrum, and use [[Palm mute|palm-muting]] to create a short, "thumpy" tone. [[Sting]] performs using his thumb. [[James Jamerson]], an influential bassist from the [[Motown]] era, played intricate bass lines using a single finger. In contrast to Jamerson, some other bass players use three or four fingers.

Variations in style also occur in where a bassist rests his right-hand thumb (or left thumb in the case of left-handed players). A player may rest his thumb on the top edge of one of the pickups. One may also rest one's thumb on the side of the fretboard, which is especially common among bassists who have an upright bass influence. Many bassists anchor their thumbs on the lowest string and move it off to play on the low string. Alternatively, the thumb can be rested loosely on the strings to mute the unused strings.

Early Fender models also came with a "thumbrest" attached to the pickguard, below the strings. Contrary to its name, this was not used to rest the thumb, but to rest the fingers while using the thumb to pluck the strings. The thumbrest was moved above the strings in 1970s models, and eliminated entirely in the 1980s. Depending on where the string is plucked, a different timbre is produced.

==== "Slap and pop" and tapping====
The [[Slapping|slap and pop]] method involves either tones or percussive sounds which are achieved by thumping ("slapping") a string with the thumb and snapping a string or strings usually with the index or middle fingers ("popping"). Slap bass remains a mainstay of [[funk]]. Slap and pop style is also used by many bassists in other genres, such as rock bassists [[J J Burnel]], [[Les Claypool]], fusion bassist [[Marcus Miller]], jazz-fusion bassist [[Victor Wooten]] and [[Alain Caron]]. [[Larry Graham]] of Sly and the Family Stone and Graham Central Station was an early innovator of the slap style. [[Louis Johnson]] of the [[The Brothers Johnson]] is also credited as an early slap bass player.

Slap style playing was further popularized throughout the 1980s and early 1990s by the pop band [[Level 42]]'s bassist [[Mark King (musician)|Mark King]] and by funk-rock band The [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]' bassist [[Flea (musician)|Flea]]. King uses left hand-muted "dead notes" between the slaps and pops, achieving a rapid percussive effect. Wooten helped to develop and popularize the "double thump," in which the string is slapped twice, on the upstroke and a downstroke (for more information, see [[Classical Thump]]).

In the two-handed [[tapping]] style, both hands play notes by rapidly pressing and holding the string to the fret, which makes it possible to play [[counterpoint|contrapuntally]], and perform [[Guitar chord|chords]] and arpeggios. Players noted for this technique include [[John Entwistle]], [[Stuart Hamm]], [[Billy Sheehan]], [[John Myung]], [[Victor Wooten]] and [[Michael Manring]]. The [[Chapman Stick]] and [[Warr Guitars]] are many-stringed instruments that are designed to be played using two-handed tapping.

Another rarely-used playing technique related to slapping is the use of wooden dowel "[[funk fingers]]" affixed with [[velcro]] to the tips of the index and middle fingers. The dowels are used to strike the strings of the bass (an approach developed by [[Tony Levin]]).

==See also==
* [[List of bass guitarists]]
* [[List of bass guitarists]]
* [[Acoustic bass guitar]], a hollow-bodied instrument built similarly to an acoustic guitar, which plays in the same range as an electric bass
* [[Ashbory bass]], a very short-scale instrument that uses thick silicone rubber strings
* [[Bass effects]], electronic devices that alter the sound of the electric bass
* [[Double bass]], a large wooden instrument from the violin family, used in [[orchestra]]s, and in [[blues]], [[jazz]], [[rockabilly]], and [[country]] music.
* [[Piccolo bass]]
* [[Electric upright bass]], a smaller, lighter, electrically-amplified variant of the double bass
* [[Fender Jazz Bass]]
* [[Fender Precision Bass]]
* [[Guitar effects]]


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
* {{cite book |last=Roberts |first=Jim |title=How The Fender Bass Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Backbeat Books |location=San Francisco, CA |id= ISBN 0-87930-630-0}}


==Bibliography==
== External links ==
* {{cite book |last=Bacon |first=Tony |title=60 Years of Fender: Six Decades of the Greatest Electric Guitars |year=2010 |publisher=[[Backbeat Books]] |isbn=978-0879309664 }}
<!-- Look: Before you add your link here, you should know that Wikipedia is not an advertising service. Please go to the talk page and discuss why the link you're about to add should be added. Also read [[WB:EL]], the Wikipedia policy on external links. Thank you -->
* {{cite book |last1=Bacon |first1=Tony |last2=Moorhouse |first2=Barry |year=2016 |title=The Bass Book: A Complete Illustrated History of Bass Guitars |publisher=[[Backbeat Books]] |isbn=978-1-4950-0150-5 }}
{{commonscat|Bass guitars}}
* {{cite book |last=Black |first=J. W. |year=2001 |title=The Fender Bass: An Illustrated History |publisher=[[Hal Leonard]] |isbn = 0-634-02640-2 }}
{{Wikibookspar|Guitar|Bass Guitar}}
* {{cite book |last=Boyer |first=Paul |year=2013 |title=The Rickenbacker Electric Bass: 50 Years As Rock's Bottom |publisher=[[Hal Leonard]] |isbn=978-1-4768-8680-0 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Evans |first1=Tom |last2=Evans |first2=Mary Ann |title=Guitars: From the Renaissance to Rock |year=1977 |publisher=[[Facts On File]] |isbn=0-87196-636-0 }}
* {{cite book| last=George |first=Nelson |author-link=Nelson George |year=1998 |title=Hip Hop America | url=https://archive.org/details/hiphopamerica00georg | url-access=registration |publisher=[[Viking Press]] |isbn=978-0-670-87153-7 }}
* {{cite book |last=Roberts |first=Jim |title=How The Fender Bass Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=[[Backbeat Books]] |location=San Francisco, California |isbn=0-87930-630-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/howfenderbasscha0000robe }}
* {{cite book |last1=Sadie |first1=Stanley |last2=Tyrrell |first2=John |title=The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians |edition=Second |year=2001 |location=London }}
* {{cite book |last1=Slog |first1=John J. |last2=Coryat |first2=Karl |year=1999 |title=The Bass Player Book: Equipment, Technique, Styles and Artists |publisher=[[Backbeat Books]] |isbn=0-87930-573-8 }}
* {{cite book |last=Trynka |first=Paul |title=Rock Hardware |year=1996 |publisher=[[Hal Leonard]] |isbn=0-87930-428-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/rockhardware40ye00tryn }}
* {{cite book |last=Wheeler |first=Tom |year=1978 |title=The Guitar Book: A Handbook for Electric and Acoustic Guitarists |publisher=[[Harper & Row]] |isbn=0-06-014579-X }}


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[[gl:Baixo]]
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[[it:Basso elettrico]]
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[[lt:Bosinė gitara]]
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[[simple:Bass guitar]]
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Latest revision as of 04:51, 27 December 2024

For the magazine, see Bass Guitar (magazine).

Bass guitar
Fender Jazz Bass
String instrument
Other namesElectric bass, bass
Classification String instrument
Hornbostel–Sachs classification321.322
(Composite chordophone)
Inventor(s)Paul Tutmarc, Leo Fender
Developed1930s
Playing range
Range of a standard tuned 4-string bass guitar (brackets: 5-string)
Related instruments

The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (/beɪs/) is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and scale length. The bass guitar most commonly has four strings, though five- and six-stringed models are also relatively popular, and bass guitars with even more (or fewer) strings or courses have been built. Since the mid-1950s, the bass guitar has largely come to replace the double bass in popular music due to its lighter weight, the inclusion of frets (for easier intonation) in most models, and, most importantly, its design for electric amplification. This is also because the double bass is acoustically compromised for its range (like the viola) in that it is scaled down from the optimal size that would be appropriate for those low notes.

The four-string bass guitar is usually tuned the same as the double bass, which corresponds to pitches one octave lower than the four lowest-pitched strings of a guitar (typically E, A, D, and G). It is played primarily with the fingers or thumb, or with a pick.

The electric bass guitar is acoustically a relatively quiet instrument, so to be heard at a practical performance volume, it requires external amplification. It can also be used in conjunction with direct input boxes, audio interfaces, mixing consoles, computers, or bass effects processors that offer headphone jacks. The majority of bass pickup systems are electromagnetic in nature.

Terminology

[edit]

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians refers to this instrument as an "Electric bass guitar, usually with four heavy strings tuned E1'–A1'–D2–G2."[1] It also defines bass as "Bass (iv). A contraction of Double bass or Electric bass guitar." Mottola's Cyclopedic Dictionary of Lutherie Terms begins its definition of the instrument as "A bass guitar that produces sound primarily with the aid of electronic devices."[2] According to some authors the proper term is "electric bass".[3][4] Common names for the instrument are "bass guitar", "electric bass guitar", and "electric bass"[5][page needed] and some authors claim that they are historically accurate.[6] A bass guitar whose neck lacks frets is termed a fretless bass.

Scale

[edit]
Main article: Scale

The scale of a bass is defined as the length of the freely oscillating strings between the nut and the bridge saddles. On a modern 4-string bass guitar, 30" (76 cm) or less is considered short scale, 32" (81 cm) medium scale, 34" (86 cm) standard or long scale and 35" (89 cm) extra-long scale.[7]

Pickup

[edit]
Main article: Pickup

Bass pickups are generally attached to the body of the guitar and located beneath the strings. They are responsible for converting the vibrations of the strings into analogous electrical signals, which are in turn passed as input to an instrument amplifier.[8]

Strings

[edit]
Main article: Strings

Bass guitar strings are composed of a core and winding. The core is a wire which runs through the center of the string and is generally made of steel, nickel, or an alloy.[9] The winding is an additional wire wrapped around the core. Bass guitar strings vary by the material and cross-sectional shape of the winding.

Common variants include roundwound, flatwound, halfwound (groundwound), coated, tapewound and taperwound (not to be confused with tapewound) strings. Roundwound and flatwound strings feature windings with circular and rounded-square cross-sections, respectively, with halfround (also referred to as halfwound, ground wound, pressure wound) strings being a hybrid between the two. Coated strings have their surface coated with a synthetic layer while tapewound strings feature a metal core with a non-metallic winding.[10][11][12] Taperwound strings have a tapered end where the exposed core sits on the bridge saddle without windings.[13] The choice of winding has considerable impact on the sound of the instrument, with certain winding styles often being preferred for certain musical genres.[14]

History

[edit]

1930s

[edit]
Paul Tutmarc, inventor of the modern bass guitar, outside his music store in Seattle, Washington

In the 1930s, musician and inventor Paul Tutmarc of Seattle, Washington, developed the first electric bass guitar in its modern form, a fretted instrument designed to be played horizontally. The 1935 sales catalog for Tutmarc's company Audiovox featured his "Model 736 Bass Fiddle", a solid-bodied electric bass guitar with four strings, a 30+1⁄2-inch (775-millimetre) scale length, and a single pickup.[15] Around 100 were made during this period.[16] Audiovox also sold their "Model 236" bass amplifier.[17]

1950s

[edit]
An early Fender Precision Bass

In the 1950s, Leo Fender and George Fullerton developed the first mass-produced electric bass guitar.[18] The Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company began producing the Precision Bass, or P-Bass, in October 1951. The design featured a simple uncontoured "slab" body design and a single coil pickup similar to that of a Telecaster. By 1957 the Precision more closely resembled the Fender Stratocaster with the body edges beveled for comfort, and the pickup was changed to a split coil design.[19]

Design patent issued to Leo Fender for the second-generation Precision Bass

The Fender Bass was a revolutionary instrument for gigging musicians. In comparison with the large, heavy upright bass, which had been the main bass instrument in popular music from the early 20th century to the 1940s, the bass guitar could be easily transported to shows. When amplified, the bass guitar was also less prone than acoustic basses to unwanted audio feedback.[20] The addition of frets enabled bassists to play in tune more easily than on fretless acoustic or electric upright basses, and allowed guitarists to more easily transition to the instrument.[21]

In 1953, Monk Montgomery became the first bassist to tour with the Fender bass, in Lionel Hampton's postwar big band.[22][23] Montgomery was also possibly the first to record with the electric bass, on July 2, 1953, with the Art Farmer Septet.[24] Roy Johnson (with Lionel Hampton), and Shifty Henry (with Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five), were other early Fender bass pioneers.[18] Bill Black, who played with Elvis Presley, switched from upright bass to the Fender Precision Bass around 1957.[25] The bass guitar was intended to appeal to guitarists as well as upright bass players, and many early pioneers of the instrument, such as Carol Kaye, Joe Osborn, and Paul McCartney were originally guitarists.[20]

Also in 1953, Gibson released the first short-scale violin-shaped electric bass, the EB-1, with an extendable end pin so a bassist could play it upright or horizontally. In 1958, Gibson released the maple arched-top EB-2 described in the Gibson catalog as a "hollow-body electric bass that features a Bass/Baritone pushbutton for two different tonal characteristics". In 1959, these were followed by the more conventional-looking EB-0 Bass. The EB-0 was very similar to a Gibson SG in appearance (although the earliest examples have a slab-sided body shape closer to that of the double-cutaway Les Paul Special). The Fender and Gibson versions used bolt-on and set necks.

Several other companies also began manufacturing bass guitars during the 1950s. Kay Musical Instrument Company began production of the K162 in 1952, while Danelectro released the Longhorn in 1956. Also in 1956, at the German trade fair "Musikmesse Frankfurt" the distinctive Höfner 500/1 violin-shaped bass first appeared, constructed using violin techniques by Walter Höfner, a second-generation violin luthier.[26] Due to its use by Paul McCartney, it became known as the "Beatle bass".[27] In 1957, Rickenbacker introduced the model 4000, the first bass to feature a neck-through-body design in which the neck is part of the body wood.[28] The Burns London Supersound was introduced in 1958.[25]

1960s

[edit]
Gibson EB-3

With the explosion in popularity of rock music in the 1960s, many more manufacturers began making electric basses, including Yamaha, Teisco and Guyatone. Introduced in 1960, the Fender Jazz Bass, initially known as the "Deluxe Bass", used a body design known as an offset waist which was first seen on the Jazzmaster guitar in an effort to improve comfort while playing seated.[29] The Jazz bass, or J-Bass, features two single-coil pickups.

Providing a more "Gibson-scale" instrument, rather than the 34-inch (864 mm) Jazz and Precision, Fender produced the Mustang Bass, a 30-inch (762 mm) scale-length instrument.[30] The Fender VI, a 6-string bass, was tuned one octave lower than standard guitar tuning. It was released in 1961, and was briefly favored by Jack Bruce of Cream.[31]

Gibson introduced its short-scale 30.5-inch (775 mm) EB-3 in 1961, also used by Bruce.[32] The EB-3 had a "mini-humbucker" at the bridge position. Gibson basses tended to be instruments with a shorter 30.5" scale length than the Precision. Gibson did not produce a 34-inch (864 mm)-scale bass until 1963 with the release of the Thunderbird.[33]

The first commercial fretless bass guitar was the Ampeg AUB-1, introduced in 1966.[34] In the late 1960s, eight-string basses, with four octave paired courses (similar to a 12 string guitar), were introduced, such as the Hagström H8.[35]

1970s

[edit]

In 1972, Alembic established what became known as "boutique" or "high-end" electric bass guitars.[36] These expensive, custom-tailored instruments, as used by Phil Lesh, Jack Casady, and Stanley Clarke, featured unique designs, premium hand-finished wood bodies, and innovative construction techniques such as multi-laminate neck-through-body construction and graphite necks. Alembic also pioneered the use of onboard electronics for pre-amplification and equalization.[37][38]

Active electronics increase the output of the instrument, and allow more options for controlling tonal flexibility, giving the player the ability to amplify as well as to attenuate certain frequency ranges while improving the overall frequency response (including more low-register and high-register sounds). 1976 saw the UK company Wal begin production of their own range of active basses.[39] In 1974 Music Man Instruments, founded by Tom Walker, Forrest White and Leo Fender, introduced the StingRay, the first widely produced bass with active (powered) electronics built into the instrument.[40] Basses with active electronics can include a preamplifier and knobs for boosting and cutting the low and high frequencies.

In the mid-1970s, five-string basses, with a very low "B" string, were introduced. In 1975, bassist Anthony Jackson commissioned luthier Carl Thompson to build a six-string bass tuned (low to high) B0, E1, A1, D2, G2, C3, adding a low B string and a high C string.[41]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Sadie & Tyrrell 2001.
  2. ^ Mottola, RM (2020). Mottola's Cyclopedic Dictionary of Lutherie Terms. LiutaioMottola.com. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-7341256-0-3.
  3. ^ Wheeler 1978, pp. 101–102.
  4. ^ Evans & Evans 1977, p. 342.
  5. ^ Bacon & Moorhouse 2016.
  6. ^ Roberts 2001, References Appendix.
  7. ^ "Myths and Rumors on Scale Length - Premier Guitar". www.premierguitar.com. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  8. ^ Veall, Dan (December 21, 2020). "Bass guitar pickups explained". Bass Player. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  9. ^ Koester, Thom (August 24, 2020). "What Are Guitar Strings Made Of?". Sweetwater Sound. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  10. ^ Owens, Jeff. "Bass Strings 101". Fender. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  11. ^ Erskine, Damian (September 4, 2013). "Fretless Bass: A Guide for Choosing the Best Strings". No Treble. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  12. ^ "The Anatomy of a Bass String - Premier Guitar". www.premierguitar.com. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  13. ^ Colin (November 8, 2022). "Bass Strings 101: The Ultimate Buyer's Guide". E-Home Recording Studio. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  14. ^ Brody, Mark (January 30, 2020). "Flatwound vs. Roundwound Bass Strings". Sweetwater Sound. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  15. ^ Blecha, Peter (December 11, 2001). "Audiovox #736: The World's First Electric Bass Guitar!". Vintage Guitar. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  16. ^ Roberts 2001, pp. 28–29.
  17. ^ "Audiovox and Serenader Amps – An Interview with Bud Tutmarc". Vintage Guitar. February 19, 2002. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  18. ^ a b Slog & Coryat 1999, p. 154.
  19. ^ Owens, Jeff (March 13, 2019). "Legendary Lows: The Precision Bass Story". Fender. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Roberts 2001.
  21. ^ Rogers, Dave; Braithwaite, Laun; Mullally, Tim (May 13, 2013). "1952 Fender Precision Bass". Premier Guitar. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  22. ^ George 1998, p. 91.
  23. ^ Tamarkin, Jeff (April 25, 2019). "Chops: Take Your Pick". JazzTimes. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  24. ^ Mulhern, Tom (1993). Bass heroes: styles, stories & secrets of 30 great bass players: from the pages of Guitar player magazine. San Francisco: GPI Books. p. 165. ISBN 0-585-34936-3. OCLC 47008985.
  25. ^ a b Bacon 2010.
  26. ^ "A Short History of Höfner". Höfner. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  27. ^ Bacon & Moorhouse 2016, eBook.
  28. ^ "The Modern Era of the electric Guitar". Rickenbacker. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  29. ^ Owens, Jeff (June 12, 2019). "Jaco, Geddy and Flea Can't Be Wrong: The Story of the Jazz Bass". Fender. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Most apparent was a feature borrowed from the Jazzmaster—an offset waist—that conveyed a sleeker and more curvaceous look to the Jazz Bass. In true Fender fashion, however, this was an innovation rooted not in form but in function—the sexier look was a by-product of the more practical consideration that the offset waist made the instrument more comfortable to play when seated
  30. ^ "Mustang Bass". sFender. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  31. ^ "Jack Bruce - Equipment". Jackbruce.com. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  32. ^ Moseley, Willie G. (March 10, 2010). "The Gibson EB-3". Vintage Guitar. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  33. ^ Mullally, Tim; Braithwaite, Laun; Rogers, Dave (March 5, 2017). "Vintage Vault: 1964 Gibson Thunderbird Bass". Premier Guitar. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  34. ^ Roberts 2001, p. 125–126.
  35. ^ "Hagstrom H8-II Bass". Hagström. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  36. ^ "Alembic - History, Short Version". Alembic. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  37. ^ "Alembic Activators". Alembic. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  38. ^ Fletcher, Tim (March 16, 2020). "The History of Active Electronics". Bass Musician. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  39. ^ "About Us". Walbasses. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  40. ^ "StingRay". Music Man. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  41. ^ Roberts, Jim (July 23, 2019). "Partners: Anthony Jackson & Fodera Guitars". Bass Magazine - the Future of Bass. Retrieved January 1, 2022.

Bibliography

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bass guitars.
The Wikibook Guitar has a page on the topic of: Bass Guitar
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Bass_guitar&oldid=1265485792"