The Bass Book by Tony Bacon

The Bass Book

A Complete Illustrated History of Bass Guitars

Tony Bacon

Backbeat · Print & ebook · August 1, 2016

In California in the early '50s, the Fender company introduced the world's first electric bass guitar.

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Who it’s for
Trace the bass guitar’s history through its makers, players, interviews, and rare instrument photographs.
Themes
Bass guitar history, Bass guitars and their makers, Bass in popular music
Genres
Guitar, Music History, Rock

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About this book

In California in the early '50s, the Fender company introduced the world's first electric bass guitar. They couldn't have known known it then, but the Precision Bass would start a revolution in the sound of popular music. This book explains how that revolution happened and how its reverberations are still felt today. The two-guitars-bass-and-drums lineup that would define pop music found its heart with the Fender bass.

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In the coming decades, the bass guitar provided the solid foundation upon which much modern music is still built.The Bass Bookis the first to study its story, with the full lowdown of the most important bass players and bass makers. 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, Wal, Warwick, and Yamaha. Original interviews with makers of bass guitars from the past and present illuminate the book, with the popular establishment of the bass during the '60s and '70s examined in detail, along with more recent developments such as the popularity of the five-string bass. There is an exclusive interview with Paul McCartney and other bassists who feature in the story, including Stanley Clarke, Flea, James Jamerson, Jaco Pastorius, and Robert Trujillo. Dozens of unusual, desirable, and rarely seen basses are presented in high-quality photos. A reference section provides a wealth of information on the key makers.The Bass Bookhas all you need to know about the story of the bass guitar in one stylish, readable volume, and this revised and refreshed third edition brings the story right up to date.

The Bass Guitar’s Story

Trace the bass guitar’s history through its makers, players, interviews, and rare instrument photographs.

Come here for

  • The Precision Bass’s role in popular music
  • Interviews with bass makers and players

Expect

  • The bass’s rise during the 1960s and 1970s
  • A reference section on key makers

Where it sits

Music History86%
Guitar42%
Rock28%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Guitar
Authors
Tony Bacon
Publisher
Backbeat
Published
August 1, 2016
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Bass guitar history · Bass guitars and their makers · Bass in popular music
Reading lane
Guitar