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 scale length, and a single pickup.
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.
Audiovox also sold their “Model 236” bass amplifier. === 1950s === In the 1950s, Leo Fender and George Fullerton developed the first mass-produced electric bass guitar.
The Fender and Gibson versions used bolt-on and set necks. Several other companies also began manufacturing bass guitars during the 1950s.
The Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company began producing the Precision Bass, or P-Bass, in October 1951.
Kay Musical Instrument Company began production of the K-162 in 1952, Danelectro released the Longhorn in 1956, and Burns London/Supersound in 1958. === 1960s === With the explosion in popularity of rock music in the 1960s, many more manufacturers began making electric basses, including Yamaha, Teisco and Guyatone.
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. In 1953, Monk Montgomery became the first bassist to tour with the Fender bass, in Lionel Hampton's postwar big band.
Montgomery was also possibly the first to record with the electric bass, on July 2, 1953, with the Art Farmer Septet.
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. 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.
Kay Musical Instrument Company began production of the K-162 in 1952, Danelectro released the Longhorn in 1956, and Burns London/Supersound in 1958. === 1960s === With the explosion in popularity of rock music in the 1960s, many more manufacturers began making electric basses, including Yamaha, Teisco and Guyatone.
By 1957 the Precision more closely resembled the Fender Stratocaster with the body edges beveled for comfort, and the pickup was changed to a [coil] design. The Fender Bass was a revolutionary instrument for gigging musicians.
Bill Black, who played with Elvis Presley, switched from upright bass to the Fender Precision Bass around 1957.
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.
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".
Kay Musical Instrument Company began production of the K-162 in 1952, Danelectro released the Longhorn in 1956, and Burns London/Supersound in 1958. === 1960s === With the explosion in popularity of rock music in the 1960s, many more manufacturers began making electric basses, including Yamaha, Teisco and Guyatone.
In 1959, these were followed by the more conventional-looking EB-0 Bass.
Kay Musical Instrument Company began production of the K-162 in 1952, Danelectro released the Longhorn in 1956, and Burns London/Supersound in 1958. === 1960s === 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.
It was released in 1961, and was briefly favored by Jack Bruce of Cream. Gibson introduced its short-scale EB-3 in 1961, also used by Bruce.
In 1961, Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman converted a used UK-built Dallas Tuxedo bass by removing the frets and filling in the slots with wood putty.
Gibson did not produce a -scale bass until 1963 with the release of the Thunderbird. === 1970s === In 1972, Alembic established what became known as "boutique" or "high-end" electric bass guitars.
Gibson did not produce a -scale bass until 1963 with the release of the Thunderbird. === 1970s === In 1972, Alembic established what became known as "boutique" or "high-end" electric bass guitars.
Gibson did not produce a -scale bass until 1963 with the release of the Thunderbird. === 1970s === In 1972, Alembic established what became known as "boutique" or "high-end" electric bass guitars.
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.
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. == Fretless bass guitars == While electric bass guitars are traditionally fretted instruments, fretless bass guitars are used by some players to achieve different tones.
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