What really intrigues me about the bass guitar is the way that is so heavily polarized the music industry after it's formal industry creation in 1950(ish). Sterling Morrison of the velvet underground has been quoted as saying "Rock and Roll consisted of... guys who played the uptown clubs and had matching suits". I think this shows the true impact that downsizing the bass guitar's fat uncle - the double bass - to the sleek, compact and versatile form had on trajectory of music at the time. The bass now being part of the guitar family meant that there was one extra pretty face to put at the front of the stage and sing harmonies. Rock music began and the bass has been a staple sound ever since.
It's also interesting to note the contrasting takes on this new four-stringed marvel produced by the two major and rival guitar companies at the time - Fender and Gibson.
Arguably, Fender came first with a solid ash-bodied 20 fret monster - not in a design sense, in terms of scale. I really love the way that to this day that curved scratch-plate/pick-guard still has that same 'groovy' feel to it and I think it shows a snapshot into the approach of materiality of the time; to combat high tensions in the neck and across the bridge Mr. Leo Fender simply made it out of a heavier, stronger and more durable wood, gotta love that!
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