When did the bass guitar truly come into its own? That’s a question which has led to many a discussion here over the years. The instrument first came into being in 1951, courtesy of L. Fender; it found its place in the Sixties; and it went stratospheric in the Eighties, as the state of the bass-making art took advantage of new technologies. Somewhere in the middle is where bass players finally took control of their frequencies, as well as some belonging to other musicians; and what a glorious explosion of creativity it was, for those of us old enough to see it. Welcome, then, to our look-back to the Seventies, the decade when bass grew up. Suzi Quatro is our guide, followed up by Timothy B. Schmit, Colin Bass of Camel, the Fender Jazz at 60 years old, and cameos from Billy Cox and Geezer Butler. Does it get better? Let us know.
But we haven’t abandoned the present to focus on the past: there’s far too much progression going on in bass world in 2020 for us to ignore. Take our new Introducing section, for example, where we say hello to the Carol Kayes and Stanley Clarkes of the future; read our gear reviews of new Sandberg and PJB bass gear, as well as a Gibson that we admit is fully retro (but we love it); and take full advantage of our bass education pages, where we bring you theory and lessons at all levels.