The bass book : a complete illustrated history of bass guitars

In California in the early 1950s the Fender company introduced the world's first electric bass guitar, and started a revolution in the sound of popular music. The 'guitar bass and drums' line-up that would define pop music had found its heart, and for the next 40 years the bass guitar provided the solid foundation upon which most modern music was built. The bass guitar is without doubt one of the most significant new musical instruments to have appeared in this century, and The Bass Book is the first to study its complete and fascinating story. Many original interviews with makers of bass guitars from the past and present illuminate The Bass Book, and while the popular establishment of the bass during the 1960s and 1970s is examined in detail, modern variations of this diverse instrument are also presented. Dozens of unusual, desirable and rarely seen basses are shown in specially commissioned studio-quality photographs, including instruments owned by Paul McCartney, Stanley Clarke, and John Entwistle, and a reference section provides a wealth of information on every notable maker.