The History Of The Bass Guitar

In this material we take a look at the history of the electric bass guitar. When talking about bass history the first person that people normally think of is Leo Fender. He is credited with introducing the world to the Precision bass in 1951. The bass was called a Precision bass because of the accuracy of the notes. Players were able to play notes that were perfectly in tune because of the presence of frets on the electric bass guitar. To many people, this was the first real electric bass. This bass was mass-produced and very recognizable when it was created by Fender and up to this day it still is.
But while we give Leo Fender his dues for creating the modern electric bass, it must be said that way before 1951 there were at least five other prototypes that resembled the design of today's electric bass guitar. In talking about the history of the bass guitar we must talk about the double bass. In fact, today's bass is a direct descendant of the double bass, dating way back to the 17th century. Although it was really in the 20th century that one with a more practical design was created.
When talking about bass guitar history mention must be made of Lloyd Loar, known for designing the first electric double bass in the 1920s while working for Gibson. The bass used an electro-static pickup but there was no practical way of hearing it play. Unfortunately, bass amplification still had a long way to go.
The evolution of the bass guitar now takes us to the early 1930s when Paul Tutmarc built a more practical bass in terms of size. The first one came with a pickup and was the size of a cello but was too heavy, so the designed was changed to that of a guitar. This 42 inches long solid body bass was made of black walnut and came with piano strings and a pickup.
A few years later, in the mid 1930s, established firms like Lyon & Healy, Rickenbacker and Gibson began selling basses that, although less bulkier than the standard double bass, were still tall, unfretted and upright.
Around 1940 was the first time a large distributor handled the electric bass. The distributor was L.D.Heater Music Co. in Portland Oregon, and the basses were manufactured by Paul Tutmarc. This was a fretted instrument that was no longer to be played upright, but horizontal. It came with a pickup and was much smaller than earlier versions.
It was only then that Leo Fender came up with the modern electric bass. As said at the beginning of our discussion on bass guitar history, it was the year 1951. In the year 1957 the pickguard and headstock were redesigned and the pickup was changed to a split pickup. This took us to the year 1960 when the Jazz bass was designed. Unlike the Precision bass, it came with two separate pickups. The modern bass guitar became very popular.
The first 6 string bass was created in 1959 by Danelecto and the first 5 string in 1964 by Fender. The first fretless was created in 1965 by Ampeg, and in 1968 an 8 string bass by Hagstroem. Carl Thompson is credited with building the first fretless 6 string bass in 1978.
Many developments have taken place since then. For instance, Ned Steinberger introduced a headless bass in 1979. In 1987, the Guild Guitar Corporation launched the fretless Ashbory bass. This bass used silicone rubber strings and a piezoelectric pickup to achieve a "double bass" sound. The bass was very short, only 18 inches long.
Throughout the years, pickups have also evolved. In addition to single coil pickups, you now have several others such as humbuckers, hybrid pickups, passive and active pickups. These seem to be capable of producing every tone imaginable, from pure signals to the grittiest dirt sounds.
The electric bass seems to have become more popular today than ever before. For instance, when someone refers to a bass it's more common to think of the electric bass than the upright acoustic.

The History of the Guitar

The acoustic guitar is a staple of modern contemporary music. But when you understand its rich and storied history, you can develop a deeper appreciation for this wonderful instrument. While it is by no means necessary to understand the complete history in order to learn and play the acoustic guitar, it can give you some extra motivation when you realize that you are playing an instrument that has been around, in various forms, for thousands of years.
The origins of the original guitars are, of course, not completely known. Most believe that the guitar has its roots in the Middle East. There is archaeological evidence from ancient Babylonia that shows stringed instruments with differently shaped bodies and necks. Evidence from Egypt shows instruments with obvious frets where you would hold the strings to produce different notes.
During the middle ages many different styles and shapes of guitars flourished, with different strings and different body designs. The Moors are known to have introduced a guitar to Spain called the Guitarra Morisca, which was an oval shaped box with various holes to add different sound quality.
During the seventeenth century, Italy was the main producer of guitars used in Europe. Later, during the eighteenth and nineteenth century when travel became more and more accessible, the guitar became widely know around Europe. The pre curser to the modern guitar is largely attributed to Antonio de Torres, who modified the body and string structure of the guitar.
Guitar making shifted to the United States during the massive influx of immigrants in the early twentieth century, during which time many skilled instrument makers. It was during this time that Martin and Gibson, two of the most influential guitar makers starting creating their designs.
Later, a guitarist from Spain, Andres Segovia, was instrumental in establishing the guitar as a concert instrument. Until that time, guitars were mainly used in jazz or folk music. Several classical compositions were adapted by him, and he is widely known for inspiring many other guitarists. The modern electric guitar, first came onto the scene in the 1930's and was popularized in 1940's by musician and inventor Les Paul.
Later, the first commercially available electric guitar was created and designed by Leo Fender. Both the Les Paul and Fender brand names are known the world over, and are staples in modern rock music. Nobody can be certain what the future holds for the evolution of the guitar. Just know that when you pick up your guitar and start strumming, you are holding history in your hands.

History of the Acoustic Guitar, One of the Most Beautiful Instruments on Earth

Once upon a time I sat in the living room listening to my oldest brother play his acoustic guitar for his family, and smiled. That was a true story of my childhood memories and my first love affair with guitars.
Even though the history of the acoustic guitar is much more interesting, it is still an instrument that is close to my heart. It is no wonder that this beautiful vessel of art has been dated back nearly 5,000 years.
Of course the handmade guitars back in medieval times where slightly different than the ones that we play today. Up until the invention of the electric models the name acoustic was really not necessary since they were the only thing available. There was no need to differentiate the two. Of course there where many different names that were used for this sort of instrument like the lute.
Since the history of this stringed instrument is filled with such interesting facts it would be hard to fit them all into this article. However the lute's of olden times were used to entertain royalty and noblemen.
Although the acoustic guitar didn't become popular in the United States until genres such as jazz and r&b gained popularity. But, when the root took hold it was difficult for suppliers to keep up with the demand for the best guitars. In short, people wanted them.
So, now companies like Martin, Fender and Yahama are getting great reviews for their guitars where back in the olden days the woodworker who carved the instrument by hand was usually never known.
The Acoustic Guitar as We Know It
When the Muslim variation of the lute met with the European style of guitar the shape of the acoustic guitar we know today was born. Of course nowadays there are all sorts of shapes and sizes of guitars available. So many, in fact that it gives poor musicians too many choices when they walk into the music story.
Evolution
It is really exciting to see how the history of the acoustic guitar has changed so much through time. Of course most things are this way. For example, we no longer ride in a horse and buggy either. It isn't hard to believe that the guitar was used to entertain the royal families. It has only gotten better over the years and is now a key sound in many songs no matter if it's rock and roll, country, folk, bluegrass or gospel music.

This musical instrument has certainly come a long way and has made a lot of people happy. From playing to tuning, your guitar can really become a part of who you are when your fingers caress the strings. You don't really have to know all the facts and history of the acoustic guitar to know that you love it. So go find one and make some music.

Online Guitar Lessons - A Brief History of the Guitar

As early as the thirty-seventh century B. C., people have played the ancestors of the modern guitar. Apparently, the King of Thebes was an enthusiast of the plucked string instrument. A sculpture on his tomb gives us a three-dimensional view of this instrument, which bears a close resemblance to today's guitar, having similarly curved sides. In another instance, a relief sculpture found in Cappadocia, dated approximately 1000 B. C., portrays a fretted Egyptian instrument. Archaeologists have also uncovered evidence of ancient plucked instruments in Persia (modern-day Iran) and in Saudi Arabia.
Plucked instruments retained their popularity in the Middle Ages. People played two basic types during the medieval era: the Latin guitar and the Moorish guitar. A thirteenth-century manuscript, the "Cantigas de Santa Maria," presumed to have been written by Spain's Alfonso the Wise, features these instruments in detailed, intricate miniatures. One can see from these illustrations that the Latin guitar, in a figure eight shape, comes closer to the shape of the guitars that evolved in Spain and Italy.
The prototype of the modern-day guitar, the vihuela, became the favored instrument for serious musicians in early sixteenth-century Spain. Music for the vihuela, in fact, can be played on modern-day guitars with little change, since it has six pairs of strings, similar to the modern twelve-string guitar. Pairs of strings helped the instrument to produce a more vigorous sound. A large repertoire of music was written for the vihuela, in a special type of notation called "tablature." Played with the fingers, the vihuela was tuned similarly to the Renaissance lute, which the rest of Europe believed to be "The King of Instruments."
A smaller guitar-like instrument developed during this time. This four- and later five-stringed instrument helped to develop the Flamenco strumming style called rasgueado. Its strings, called courses, as well as its smaller size, made it an easier instrument to use for playing chords, as well as to accompany dances.
It was the vihuela, however, that lost favor as the sixteenth century came to an end. The smaller, more proletarian instrument survived--in its five-stringed version. This instrument was dubbed the "Spanish guitar," possibly to set it apart from the four-course instrument. These instruments were also popular in Italy. In fact, an Italian player, Francesco Corbetta (1615 - 1681), published quite a few works in a finger style that took the instrument's range of use well beyond playing chords as an accompaniment. His playing became immensely popular. Eventually it became the fashionable music among French and English courtiers during the seventeenth century. Corbetta's popularity introduced these countries to the guitar.
Robert de Visée (c. 1660-c. 1720), a talented Frenchman, played frequently for King Louis XIV, dedicating his entire collection of pieces composed during the year 1682 to the French monarch. During the same time period, the Spanish player and teacher, Gaspar Sanz, capitalized on the guitar's popularity to publish an instruction book in 1674. The book, a remarkable achievement in pedagogy for its day, contained detailed technical instructions, in addition to a collection of pieces which are still played today.
Like any art form, guitar music's popularity waxed and waned many times during its history. The eighteenth century was generally a time of decline, though at its end some technological innovations helped turn the instrument into one more like today's guitars. Doubled strings fell out of favor, replaced by single ones, and a sixth string was added to the five existing ones. Guitar makers began using sheep's gut to craft the first three strings, while the bass strings were created with silver plated copper wire wound around a core made of silk thread.
Toward the end of the seventeenth century, the guitar once more came into favor. Having six strings required more highly-developed technique. Virtuoso players inspired the public with their dazzling performances and intricate compositions. The guitar's popularity caused a high demand for instruction books written for the new six-string guitar. Cities which led in the resurgence of guitar music included Vienna and Paris, attracting topnotch guitarists such as Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829), originally from Italy, and the Spanish virtuoso Fernando Sor (1778-1839). These men led the way for the importance of a solo repertoire for the guitar with their extensive catalog of works. Ferdinando Carulli (1770-1841) introduced a guitar method that is still used today. Another landmark work of the same period, "Twenty-five Melodious Studies," composed by Matteo Carcassi (1792-1853), still inspires serious guitar students to this day.
By the mid-nineteenth century, guitar music fell out of popularity once again. This time, the decline was so great that the guitar was rarely played, let alone heard in concert. Fortunately, Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909), with his distinctive, romantic sound awakened the public interest once again. His reputation spread by word-of-mouth, thanks to his creative compositions and his trademark sound. That sound, which gave his compositions their charm, came from his extensive knowledge of the guitar fingerboard, using the higher positions to achieve beauty that had never been produced until then. Before Tarrega came along, the public preferred pieces that stayed within the range of the first five frets. Ignoring these limitations, Tarrega stunned his fans with his works that used the entire range of the guitar. His school of performance and composition survives today, a testament to his innovation.
The spirit of Tarrega's tradition carried on throughout the twentieth century, thanks to the work of Andrés Segovia (1893-1987). Though not Tarrega's student, Segovia took the idea of virtuosity as a performer to the next level, introducing people all over the world to guitar music, as opposed to the modest Tarrega, who preferred the intimacy of small crowds. Segovia showed music enthusiasts that the guitar is worthy indeed of serious study, his collaboration with composers inspiring a lion's share of guitarists' repertoire even to this day.
These days, the guitar continues to hold its place of respect in the academic world. Many conservatories and universities offer degree programs in guitar performance and pedagogy, unheard of even fifty years ago.
Folk music for the guitar, too, progressed at about the same rate as did "classical" guitar music. Since ancient times, guitars and their prototypes had accompanied dances. Furthermore, vocalists used the instruments quite extensively to accompany themselves in song. An outgrowth of this long history in folk music was the development of the distinctly Spanish style of music called Flamenco, which had its greatest spurt of growth in the nineteenth century. Andalusian gypsy (Gitano) music blended with traditional folk from the region to produce this lively music. Flamenco guitarists, full of competitive spirit, worked hard to come up with original material and the technical firepower to play the new music. Interestingly enough, Flamenco players, as a rule, play "by ear," with no written music. Hence, Flamenco music's development grew by imitation, sharing ideas, and experimentation.
Ramón Montoya (1880-1949), a legend among Flamenco enthusiasts, developed a large number of the embellishments called falsetas, used to fill in between the verses of songs, as well as to give dance accompaniments artistic flair. At the outset, Flamenco was primarily a style of music whose main purpose was to accompany songs and dances. Not until modern times were Flamenco pieces played as guitar solos. These days, however, solo Flamenco guitarists give concerts, playing improvisations which delight their fans with their dazzling skill on the guitar.

The History of Classical Guitar

According to an oft-quoted phrase we are all adolescent intellectuals without history. So it makes sense to explore the noble history of classical guitar, which has travelled a long way only to carve a niche for itself in the world of music globally.
This history would be incomplete without naming the legendary guitarist Luther Antonio de Torres (1817-1892) who made significant changes in the construction of the newly framed modern version these guitars. He is also considered as the founder of the modern classical guitar school.
This unique history can be traced back to the Near East. The archaeologists found its representation in myriad forms in the excavations of Babylonia. Also referred to as a Spanish guitar, classical guitar heralds from the family of instruments called chordophones. They have been a part of the ancient musical tradition for over 100 years.
Spanning over four centuries history classical guitar has been a subject of great debate and controversy. Many earlier instruments also contributed a great deal in shaping its history. Many great players and composers also contributed to an amazing extent in shaping up this amazing journey of this popular instrument.
The popularity of the guitar was on the downslide with the emergence of the piano in the middle of the 19th century. Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909) initiated a whole new style of playing which added a new definition to the entire history of the classical guitar.

Electric Guitar History - Discover the True Origins of the 20th Centuries Most Popular Instrument

Electric guitar history begins in the 1920's and 1930's when two Los Angeles musicians George Beauchamp and John Dopyera began trying to find ways of creating louder guitars. They first created a resonator guitar using aluminum disks with a metal body that was three times louder than an acoustic guitar. The resonator guitar evolved into what me commonly refer to now as the dobro.
It wasn't until 1930 that Beauchamp and another man Paul Barth developed the first working pickup. They then contacted Harry Wilson who carved the neck and body of what would be the first electric guitar. They nick-named it the frying pan due to it's round body.
The first man to build and market an electric "Spanish" style guitar was Lloyd Loar. Loar created Vivi-Tone, a company dedicated to the production of spanish style electric guitars. However the design was poor and within a year Vivi-Tone failed.
In 1935 Gibson began work on developing a new guitar pickup. This pickup would become incorporated onto the standard f-hole arch-top guitar known as the ES-150. The Gibson ES-150 is considered the first modern electric guitar in history.
A milestone in electric guitar history, the ES-150 became an instant success. However their were still some undesirable characteristics. Because of the hollow body design there were often problems with feedback and distortion.
The answer to this problem was the solid body electric guitar. The solid body electric guitar can be accredited to two men. Les Paul and Leo Fender. Les Paul's idea was to take a 4x4 piece of pine and attach two magnetic pickups. He then glued two cutaway halves of the original hollow body design to the 4x4.
Leo Fender's model was slightly different. His solid body was made of oak and instead of gluing two halves of a hollow body to a solid middle Leo Fender had carved the entire body solid. In 1949 Fender released the first successful solid-body electric guitar called the "Esquire."
It wasn't until 1952 that Gibson decided to release Les Paul's version of the solid body electric guitar. Although Fender had been on the market for a short while Gibson's Les Paul quickly become the industry standard and to this day is considered the most sought after guitar in electric guitar history.

By the 1960's electric guitar history had hit its maturity. Gibson introduced the humbucking pickup which helped to reduce unwanted noise from the magnetic coils in pickups. Fender and Gibson came out with more futuristic designs like the SG and Stratocaster.

Since the 1960's There have been numerous electric guitar manufacturers to come on to the scene. Manufacturers like Ibanez, Jackson, Paul Reed Smith, Dean and B.C.Rich are just a few of the modern companies who are still continuing to make electric guitar history.

Acoustic Guitar History

Acoustic guitar history runs through many different nations, and its evolution has occurred over several millennia. In fact, there are several known depictions of an instrument very like today's guitar in the location of ancient Mesopotamia, today known as Iran. For most of its history, the guitar has not been accompanied by the acoustic prefix, since all guitars were non-electrical (and therefore acoustic was anachronistic) up until the middle of the 20th century.
The European history with the guitar began with the Muslim conquest of most of Spain around the 10th century. The Muslim equivalent of the lute met with the European form, and a sort of hybrid began to be built. This new instrument had the shape of the instrument that we know today as the guitar, but with the tuning and acoustic sounds of the lute.
acoustic guitar history
It is thought that the first extant form of the modern guitar was designed by an Italian family in the 18th century. There are a couple of guitars that have been accurately dated to this period, backing up the claims of several well-known Italian guitar manufacturers. Today, however, it is the Japanese who produce the largest number of guitars, through the Yamaha company which was founded in 1897. Yamaha produces all the major types of guitar, from acoustic to electric, 12-strings and the various national models of the guitar.
Like the lute, it is likely that the high transportability of the guitar is the reason why it has different variations in so many parts of the world. While the start up of the Yamaha company is evidence of the instrument's relatively late arrival in the Far East, most continental European countries had variations of the guitar at least a hundred years earlier. The Baroque acoustic guitar is considered the first of the European models, and was used as an accompanying instrument for traveling musicians.
The medieval period of human history was when much of the development of the acoustic guitar took place, as evidenced by the Spanish/Muslim interactions. In addition to the developments in Spain, important occurrences in the history of the guitar also included the countries of Portugal and Russia. Both countries designed guitars that fit the performance needs of popular national music (especially with the nobility and monarchies). The Russian model was a seven string acoustic that was popular for much of the 20th century in that country.

While the original guitar has been around as a popular form of music for a long time, it wasn't until the introduction of blues and rock and roll that the instrument found widespread popularity among the masses. The rise of blues and jazz in the Southern United States meant that guitars were being used in a whole new way. In order to satisfy accompaniment needs, the guitars were soon fitted with pickups that allowed greater broadcast. Not long after, enclosed pickups were introduced and electric guitars were born. Instead of taking away from the popularity of acoustic guitar, however, the introduction of the electric guitar only started a new chapter in acoustic guitar history as the label was now applied to differentiate between the two instruments, and the rise of rock and roll made both types of guitar even more popular.