While electrical guitars were developed from acoustic guitars, bass guitars were developed from the double bass. They were originally known, and are still called, electrical bass instruments or the electric bass.
The original double bass, or simply the bass, are the massive, classical instruments that have been around for hundreds years. They are played with the instrument resting on the ground, using a bow across the strings, a standing four sting bass.
The bass guitar is of course held with a strap on a musician's body and is played using fingers. As opposed to the back and forth of the bow on its predecessor and the strumming with a pick of an electrical guitar, the bass guitar is typically played with either plucking or slapping movements of the fingers.
The bass is tuned to sound the same as an original bass with of course the added benefit of being able to be amplified. In the early part of the 20th century, as music was getting louder, the bass was being drowned out and was unable to be heard. And so the quest for an electrical bass began.
Leo Fender and the Creation of the Bass Guitar
Leo Fender was an amazing man, a visionary and is one of the single most influential people in modern music history. All of these things and many more is Leo Fender. However, one thing he is not is the inventor of the bass guitar.
In 1935, it was Paul Tutmarc who developed the first incarnation of the electric bass. It was to be played horizontally and held like a guitar and could be plugged in for amplification. However, his instrument never truly caught on. It was in 1951 that the bass began earning its spot in modern music.
Article Source: Jay Villaverde
Jay Villaverde is the owner of Vintage Guitar Center. A site dedicated to preserving the beauty and sound of vintage bass guitar vintage guitars, this is a must see site. You can find great deals on guitars from Gibson, Fender and many more manufacturers. If you love music and
