Tech advances in basses since the early days

[Durham52]

The fact that you can buy a gig-able (setup and new strings and you're good to go) instrument off the rack for $300 is mind-boggling.

Yes, the cost of playable, reasonably good sounding instruments is one of the major improvements to my way of thinking. I remember the first bass I bought in 1971, it cost me almost $300 and was a piece of absolute dog doo. At the time the minimum wage here in Australia was $76 per week. Now a Squier affinity costs around $450 and the minimum weekly wage is $773. A Squier Affinity is several hundred times better than my first bass was back in 1971.

That might not effect those of us who are older, have more disposable income etcetera, we can obsess over the weight of tuners, or which active pre amp to install, but for young players starting out, the cost and range of playable well made instruments, amplifiers and everything to do with playing music is just great.

 

[dave hope]

Having played since 1965. My knee jerk answer to this, without giving it much thought. And if we are strictly speaking just the bass guitar itself. I believe active electronics took it into a different realm.
I play a Sadowsky bass, which to me is a fantastically built Fender Jazz. But it still feels mostly like the Fender Jazz I played in 65, but better quality. It’s the active electronics that set it apart.
Sadowsky made it so you didn’t have to hunt through a myriad of mediocre vintage basses, to find a great one. He makes the great one or better, consistently.

 

[JimmyM]

Having played since 1965. My knee jerk answer to this, without giving it much thought. And if we are strictly speaking just the bass guitar itself. I believe active electronics took it into a different realm.
I play a Sadowsky bass, which to me is a fantastically built Fender Jazz. But it still feels mostly like the Fender Jazz I played in 65, but better quality. It’s the active electronics that set it apart.
Sadowsky made it so you didn’t have to hunt through a myriad of mediocre vintage basses, to find a great one. He makes the great one or better, consistently.

Yeah, but Dave, that sound you had in the 70's with Kansas using a simple Precision was THE BOMB! A guy like you sounds great on anything, and I totally get the appeal of Sadowsky, and I agree that active electronics were a major innovation, but using a basic Precision never held you back from awesome tone!

 

[micguy]

Point taken.

This is the internet. You can argue, you can express any negative emotion you desire. Learning something? Agreeing? This is new. I’m not sure it’s allowed. ;-)

 

[Manticore]

Fun fact: I'll be driving across the bridge that replaced that one on Sunday

My summer home is on Fox Island; I drive across the bridge that replaced "Galloping Girtie" frequently. That one is a fascinating engineering fail...
galloping girdy video - Bing video

 

[selowitch]

While this isn’t connected to basses themselves, the advent of the clip-on tuner has certainly made my life as a bassist easier.

 

[OOD]

The Stick really isnt a bass. It can be used as one no different than a synth can but, like a synthesizer, it was never intended to just be a bass instrument. Although there are now "Bass Sticks" made nowadays because of its use by bassists, its original intent was to be its own instrument - like a stringed piano with multiple note choices in the array - and can be played self accompanied ensemble. Trey Gunn, Nick Beggs, and Tony Levin have brought it to the forefront as a bass instrument and the reason I bought mine.....but this is really what it does:

This is like if a harp and a guitar made a baby and Eddie Van Halen was the great grand father.

 

[Jefenator]

Some pickups are real innovations, others mere variations. But the plethora of choices is certainly nothing like way back in the day!

 

[BlueTalon]

While this isn’t connected to basses themselves, the advent of the clip-on tuner has certainly made my life as a bassist easier.

It's related, so it counts IMO.

Not my thread though.

 

[OOD]

JM, this post was one of the most well written and enjoyable posts I’ve seen in a while. And I’m amazed at the detailed additions, everyone.

I’ve never seen a bass like this, but I would love to own one. This might be a bigger deal to some than others because of how sensitive to pitch someone is.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Offhand the Ernie Ball MusicMan Game Changer on the Reflex bass models comes to mind. It was a pickup switching system that could combine any order of pickup coils in series, parallel, in or out of phase without doing any rewiring. And there was no digitization or modelling.
The Game Changer | Basses | Ernie Ball Music Man

I think the name was a bit pretentious and even though it was innovative and ahead of its time, the buying public proved it was not an innovation they wanted.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

JM, this post was one of the most well written and enjoyable posts I’ve seen in a while. And I’m amazed at the detailed additions, everyone.

I’ve never seen a bass like this, but I would love to own one. This might be a bigger deal to some than others because of how sensitive to pitch someone is.

View attachment 4358886

I have seen a Dirty Loops video with bass player Henrik Linder playing a bass with true temperament frets.

 

[JimmyM]

JM, this post was one of the most well written and enjoyable posts I’ve seen in a while. And I’m amazed at the detailed additions, everyone.

I’ve never seen a bass like this, but I would love to own one. This might be a bigger deal to some than others because of how sensitive to pitch someone is.

View attachment 4358886

Thank you very much, and I share your opinion about the compensating frets. Creative but IMHO falls into the "bigger deal to some than others" category.

 

[JimmyM]

Offhand the Ernie Ball MusicMan Game Changer on the Reflex bass models comes to mind. It was a pickup switching system that could combine any order of pickup coils in series, parallel, in or out of phase without doing any rewiring. And there no was digitization or modelling.
The Game Changer | Basses | Ernie Ball Music Man

I think the name was a bit pretentious and even though it was innovative and ahead of its time, the buying public proved it was not an innovation they wanted.

Yep, a "sounds good on paper" type of thing.

 

[fdeck]

Frets that pull themselves out at the factory, so you don't have to do it yourself.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Yep, a "sounds good on paper" type of thing.

Either that or they didn't market it well enough. It's hard to be sold an innovation when you have no idea it exists!

For me, I don't like the idea of being tied to an app or something that's technology based to make adjustments. I want it to work as a stand alone instrument. I know with a lot of computer based technology, those views are changing, but I am not quite there yet.

 

[OptimalOptimus]

Headless basses that use regular string

bass tremolo

5 and more strings

various bolt system

Truss rod easier to access and use

Stainless fret

multi pieces neck

24 frets

bridge that are more sophisticated and feel more solid than the bend metal plate

lighter tuning machines

angled headstock that eliminates the need of string tree

 

[Space Pickle]

the greatest innovation in bass was the conversion of the washtub into guitar form

 

[Davbassdude]

I'm not sure if this was already discussed but...what are your thoughts on the double-truss neck-through Rics? I've never had any issues with my 4003 and after 40 years, still plays great!

 

[wes stephenson]

I like the adjustable string mutes that the old MusicMan had on the bridge. I wish they’d bring that back or make replacement bridges with them.