The first 5 string bass.
Derek Tearne
I was just wondering about the date and manufacturer of the first 5
string electric bass.
I saw a 5 string double bass for the first time around 1975 (I know
they've been around for a long time) and remember thinking that a five
string electric bass would be really cool.
I'd certainly never seen one then, but by the early 80's they
seemed to be starting to appear.
We all know the story that Jaco invented the fretless bass, is
there a similar back story for the 5 string?
--- Derek
--
Derek Tearne --- @url Internet Consultants --- http://url.co.nz/
Markku Hollström
The first five string bass quitar was Fender V which was introduced in 1965.
The 5th string was added to higher register (c) to allow player to reach
high notes easier. That bass had only 15 frets.
The first "modern" 5 string bass guitars were actually made 10 years later.
That's when session basist Jimmy Johnson ordered his 5 string from Alembic
with low B string. Alembic had a 5-string bass already available but with
e-a-d-g-c strings. By the way, 6-string bass with b-string was invented same
time by Anthony Jackson.
By the way, Jaco did not invent fretless bass guitar. Fretless bass guitars
were already available from Hofner and Fender in 1970 while Jaco bought his
already defretted -62 Fender Jazz Bass in 1971. Although there is a story
that Jaco defretted the bass himself that's only a legend. No doubt, Jaco
was the one who made fretless so popular and largely invented to modern
sound of fretless insted of imitating double-bass.
Regards, Markku
Derek Tearne wrote in message ...
Gbm7b5
Markku wrote:
<<< while Jaco bought his
already defretted -62 Fender Jazz Bass in 1971. Although there is a story
that Jaco defretted the bass himself that's only a legend. >>>
Markku:
Jaco said more than once in interviews, and on his video, that he de-fretted
his 62Jazz himself. I have no reason not to believe that.
What makes you say it's "only a legend"? were you there?, or did you hear a
different story?
I know a couple key people to ask who were there, but I'd like to hear your
info sources first.
thanks
Bill Bolton
>I was just wondering about the date and manufacturer of the first 5
>string electric bass.
The Fender Bass V was the first 5 string bass and was introduced in
1965. It provided a high C string and came with 15 frets, the
thinking being that the extra notes on the C string made the higher
frets redundant. The Fender Bass V was basically a developmental dead
end and did not contribute anything of significance to modern 5 string
basses.
What has developed into the contemporary 5 string bass configuration,
emerged in the mid-70s and has been developed over the succeeding
decades by the contributions of a number of luthiers.
>We all know the story that Jaco invented the fretless bass
Fretless 4 string basses appear to have been first commercial
manufactured in the mid 1960s, though how exactly was the first
manufacture is unclear.... though it seems likely it was a European
bass maker, possibly Hagstrom. Ampeg and Fender certainly had
fretless 4 string basses in production in the US by 1970.
There were several bassist who had developed a distinctive fretless
sound prior to Jaco's rise to prominence, of who the most notably is
probably Rick Danko of "The Band".
Cheers,
Bill
Bill Bolton billb...@computer.org
Sydney, Australia
EGGBASS
>>We all know the story that Jaco invented the fretless bass
I'm not sure when Jaco "invented" the fretless bass, but according to an
article in BP May'98 Bill Wyman says he removed the frets from his first bass
in 1961!
Hmmm....
Gbm7b5
Jaco didn't "invent" anything, he "innovated" and played the s--- out of the
"fretless" like no other. Same goes for "harmonics".
Bryan Dautreuil
I read a Jaco interview in Bass Player a few years ago and Jaco
himself said he defretted the Bass. He went on to explain how he
filled in the fret grooves and what kind of finish was put on the
neck.
BD
"Markku Hollström" <markku.h...@tellabs.fi> wrote:
>The first five string bass quitar was Fender V which was introduced in 1965.
>The 5th string was added to higher register (c) to allow player to reach
>high notes easier. That bass had only 15 frets.
>
>The first "modern" 5 string bass guitars were actually made 10 years later.
>That's when session basist Jimmy Johnson ordered his 5 string from Alembic
>with low B string. Alembic had a 5-string bass already available but with
>e-a-d-g-c strings. By the way, 6-string bass with b-string was invented same
>time by Anthony Jackson.
>
>By the way, Jaco did not invent fretless bass guitar. Fretless bass guitars
>were already available from Hofner and Fender in 1970 while Jaco bought his
>already defretted -62 Fender Jazz Bass in 1971. Although there is a story
>that Jaco defretted the bass himself that's only a legend. No doubt, Jaco
>was the one who made fretless so popular and largely invented to modern
>sound of fretless insted of imitating double-bass.
>
>Regards, Markku
>
>Derek Tearne wrote in message ...
>>
>>
>>I was just wondering about the date and manufacturer of the first 5
>>string electric bass.
>>
Tim Cross
Derek Tearne wrote:
> We all know the story that Jaco invented the fretless bass, is
> there a similar back story for the 5 string?
Fretless bass predates Jaco by a good 200 years.
Tim
Frameband
> Although there is a story
>that Jaco defretted the bass himself that's only a legend.
and how do we know this?
Craig
Basscraft
In article <6fljl7$pin$1...@hiisi.inet.fi>, "Markku Hollström"
<markku.h...@tellabs.fi> writes:
> By the way, 6-string bass with b-string was invented same
>time by Anthony Jackson.
Built for him by Carl Thompson, and Jackson dubbed it the "contrabass guitar."
FWIW.
matt
*** * * * *** *** * * * ***
Moving right along...
Matt Macchiarolo
ATM SoundWorks
Brian Rost
> > Although there is a story
> >that Jaco defretted the bass himself that's only a legend.
It's not a "legend", Jaco mentioned it in every interview I ever saw when
the subject came up.
--
Brian
br...@synnet.com
Bill Bolton
On Tue, 31 Mar 1998 00:33:01 +0300, "Markku Hollstrom"
<markku.h...@tellabs.fi> wrote:
>His main bass, the '62 Fender Jazz Bass was already defretted when
>he bought it for 90 dollars in 1971.
Its well documented that Jaco "lost" basses at what anyone else would
consider an alarming rate. There's no one instrument that was ever
his "main" bass and it *seems* the one bass he held onto longest was a
fretted Maple Precision neck on a Jazz body which he used for personal
practice and not for performance.
j. Whitely Holmes
On 30 Mar 1998, Basscraft wrote:
> In article <6fljl7$pin$1...@hiisi.inet.fi>, "Markku Hollström"
> <markku.h...@tellabs.fi> writes:
>
> > By the way, 6-string bass with b-string was invented same
> >time by Anthony Jackson.
>
> Built for him by Carl Thompson, and Jackson dubbed it the "contrabass guitar."
I thought it was a fodera, but I could be mistaken.
j
Dave
> > Built for him by Carl Thompson, and Jackson dubbed it the
> "contrabass guitar."
> I thought it was a fodera, but I could be mistaken.
> j
Anthony Jackson's "invention" of the six string bass precedes the Fodera
company, though he currently uses one.
8^) Dave
Markku Hollström
Brian Rost wrote in message ...
>> > Although there is a story
>> >that Jaco defretted the bass himself that's only a legend.
>
>It's not a "legend", Jaco mentioned it in every interview I ever saw when
>the subject came up.
>
Right, I was mixing two things here. Jaco had defretted some basses by
himself. His main bass, the '62 Fender Jazz Bass was already defretted when
he bought it for 90 dollars in 1971. That story is in "The Bass Book" by
Tony Bacon and Barry Moorhouse.
Regards, Markku