Fender Bass Changes the World?

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Fender Bass Changes the World?

Postby Gatwick1946 » Fri Jul 24, 2020 12:12 pm

ISBN-978-0-87930-630-4

How the Fender Bass Changed the World.

The above mentioned publication has come to my attention. It looks to date from the 1990s?

Anyone read it? - Would be of interest to members of this forum?

If so I might consider seeking out a 2nd hand copy.

Kindest regards,
Christopher
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Re: Fender Bass Changes the World?

Postby Iain Purdon » Fri Jul 24, 2020 3:54 pm

This was published in 2001 to celebrate 50 years of the Fender P-bass, the first version of which was brought out in 1951. So it’s not a new book but there are plenty of good reviews online. Nothing to suggest it would be of particular Shads interest though.
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Re: Fender Bass Changes the World?

Postby Gatwick1946 » Fri Jul 24, 2020 5:46 pm

Thankyou, Iain,

I'll pass on that one.!

I have owned a Fender Telecaster bass(single humbucker, maple neck) a Fender Precision and a Squier Precision, but I would not dare to masquerade as a bass guitarist. When the Beatles hit us in 1963, I had just left school, so I got my hands on a hofner violin bass (55 guineas in old money).........but then I grew up and got married!!!!!!!

But I maintain an interest in bass and all the proper professional musicians, and how they all use their individual skills and talents.

Thankyou again,
Kindest regards,
Christopher
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Re: Fender Bass Changes the World?

Postby Iain Purdon » Fri Jul 24, 2020 5:59 pm

If bass guitarists like Jon Entwistle, James Jamerson or, complete with Hofner, Paul McCartney interest you, they are all covered in the book.
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Re: Fender Bass Changes the World?

Postby RUSSET » Sat Jul 25, 2020 5:20 am

Gatwick1946 wrote:Thankyou, Iain,

I'll pass on that one.!

I have owned a Fender Telecaster bass(single humbucker, maple neck) a Fender Precision and a Squier Precision, but I would not dare to masquerade as a bass guitarist. When the Beatles hit us in 1963, I had just left school, so I got my hands on a hofner violin bass (55 guineas in old money).........but then I grew up and got married!!!!!!!

But I maintain an interest in bass and all the proper professional musicians, and how they all use their individual skills and talents.

Thankyou again,
Kindest regards,
Christopher


Hi Chris,
I too took a liking to the Squier P. Bass a few years ago when the Classic Vibe range issued the original design 50s P. Bass in Butterscotch Blonde with the Black scratchplate. I bought a new one when they were first issued for less than £300. What a bargain ! I too would never describe myself as a Bass player, but I love the old memories it brings back of those late 50s/ early 60s photos of the original Rock & Roll pioneers in the USA. Gene Vincent, Little Richard, & the Blues guys too.
The bass itself is a great instrument, even though it only sports one single coil pickup & a volume & tone control. It has a Pine body & is remarkably lightweight too, which helps a lot if you're likely to have it on your shoulder for any long time.
It is not just a dull, low-end thumper that it was originally designed to be, but with that excellent tone pot it goes from a nice smooth deep low end right up to a classy twang.

Regards, Tony.
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Re: Fender Bass Changes the World?

Postby Gatwick1946 » Sat Jul 25, 2020 7:23 am

Tony,

True, a decent Squier will do the job without busting one's finances - I have got my eye on a pre-owned one at my local market - its £59 - for less than £100 I can swap the bridge and electrics etc, get my pleasure from it, and change the scratch plate etc and then, down the line move it on, and all for under say £200/£250. I could just order a custom shop all bells and whistles, top of the range thingy - but it won't improve my playing skills! Mind you some of the guys at my local shadows club have got some great looking ones!!


I will see if I can dig out some photo's of my telecaster bass, which I used in 1977/8 - they are up in the loft somewhere - I must get around to getting them on my laptop.

KIndest regards,
Christopher
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Re: Fender Bass Changes the World?

Postby RayL » Sat Jul 25, 2020 7:55 am

Excuse the digression, but Fender's Telecaster bass had the early-Precision shape, which always seemed wrong to me.
It should have had the Telecaster-shape.

Alan Entwistle obviously felt the same, so he designed the Alden 'TV Cruiser' bass.
Alden TV Cruiser  bass .JPG
Alden TV Cruiser bass .JPG (64.53 KiB) Viewed 12354 times

Butterscotch finish, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, full 34" scale, two pickups,
and the same controls (Volume, Tone and pickup selector) as a standard Telecaster.
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Re: Fender Bass Changes the World?

Postby JimN » Sat Jul 25, 2020 12:21 pm

RayL wrote:Excuse the digression, but Fender's Telecaster bass had the early-Precision shape, which always seemed wrong to me.
It should have had the Telecaster-shape. Alan Entwistle obviously felt the same, so he designed the Alden 'TV Cruiser' bass.
Butterscotch finish, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, full 34" scale, two pickups,
and the same controls (Volume, Tone and pickup selector) as a standard Telecaster.


When Fender (re)introduced the original-pattern Precision Bass as the "Telecaster Bass" in 1969 or thereabouts, they really should have called it the 1952 Vintage Reissue Precision Bass, but that concept would not really exist until the early 1980s.

They had to think up a name that marked out the instrument for its vintage-style spec whilst not confusing the public between it and the then-current spec Precision Bass (broadly in its post 1957 guise).

It was a mistake, that's for certain. Later outfitting it with a bass version of the Seth Lover wide-range humbucker was an even worse one.

Why did Fender not use the Telecaster guitar body shape for the Precision Bass in 1952?

Because it looks bloody awful in bass form, that's why!

Fender rarely made a styling mistake, getting it right first time every time (until the CBS era at least). And they created a masterpiece with the original Precision shape, which had a lot in common with the Telecaster / Esquire but was the direct ancestor of the Stratocaster.
Last edited by JimN on Mon Jul 27, 2020 1:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Fender Bass Changes the World?

Postby RUSSET » Sat Jul 25, 2020 6:27 pm

Yes, I must admit, I much prefer the P. Bass shaped body. It was designed that way for comfort & balance deliberately. The only connection it had to the Tele was the original slab, non-contoured, body , the Tele headstock & the Tele style control plate. I believe by around 1954/55 it also had body contours, putting it firmly in the Strat camp.
My Squier CV model certainly has body contours & it feels good. I get the impression that an actual Tele body looks a bit clumsy in Bass form. However, if someone likes it & are happy with it, that's great. Diversity is a great thing, & let's have more of it. Have you seen these new 'Paranormal' series ltd. editions from Fender & now Squier ? Lot's of mash-ups between various Fender models, some of which look crazy, Naff & even horrible to me. But, one or two are quite nice. I shall not be buying any of them though, as I am a bit stuck in my nostalgic past with regard to these.
I don't like to see a Jazzmaster or Jaguar with humbuckers on, or a Strat full of P90s. Let the originals stand up for what they are; great guitars with great history. I you want a guitar with humbuckers or P90s, buy a proper P90 or humbucker loaded guitar; that's what it was designed for. Anyway, that's my rant for the day.

Cheers you guys, Tony.
Last edited by RUSSET on Sun Jul 26, 2020 10:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Fender Bass Changes the World?

Postby GoldenStreet » Sat Jul 25, 2020 11:11 pm

For years I tended to confuse Precision and Telecaster basses, due as much to the Telecaster-style headstock featured on the original Precision of 1951-52. Do we know when the familiar Stratocaster-style design was introduced, maybe following the introduction of the Strat itself in 1954?

PB1.JPG
PB1.JPG (41.23 KiB) Viewed 12302 times

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