Bass Guitar HistoryIt all began in the late 15th century with an instrument called the viola de gamba. This instrument was large with 6 strings, but the tuning matched the double bass we have today. By the end of the next century, the first double bass was seen in Italy. Fast forward in bass guitar history to the early 1900's. The first true bass guitar was made by Gibson in 1910. It was called the Mando bass, and was an acoustic instrument. The first amplified bass guitar was built in 1933 by Paul Tutmarc. The brand was "Audiovox." By 1936, Rickenbacker had invented the bedpost-bass. It resembled an upright bass, but was amplified with electricity. Another designer who was working on the bass guitar was Everett Hull, who created a double bass pickup in 1947.
Everyone generally thinks of Leo Fender as coming up with the first bass guitars, but he did not come out with the Precision electric bass until 1951. Kay guitars were right on his heels, however, with their own electric bass guitar the next year in 1952. A few years later, in 1957, bass guitar history took a double leap with Fender remodeling his Precision bass and Rickenbacker creating the 4000 in the same year. This bass guitar from Rickenbacker is affectionately known as "The" Rickenbacker. Three years later, in 1960, Fender released its first jazz bass. Fender, Gibson, and some other guitar manufacturers continued to develop the bass over the next years of bass guitar history. The Gibson Thunderbird came out in 1963. Ampeg, a company started by Everett Hull in 1949, created the first fretless bass in 1965. Other variations on number of strings, etc., have been invented in the years since 1965, but the basic bass guitar used by most bassists is still similar to the early Fenders.
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