Molly Ayala
While the electric bass guitar is a relatively recent addition to popular music, the invention itself is much older than many people realize. In fact, the first modern electric bass guitar was created almost 20 years before Leo Fender began mass-producing the instrument and making it famous. So, who invented the electric bass guitar? Many sources point to Paul Tutmarc, a Seattle-based jazz musician, actor, radio star, and electric-guitar manufacturer, who is now regarded as the inventor of the solid-body electric bass guitar.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who invented the electric bass? | Paul Tutmarc, a Seattle native, is regarded as the inventor of the solid-body electric bass guitar. |
| Year of invention | The electric bass guitar was invented in 1936. |
| Name of the invention | Audiovox 736 Bass Fiddle |
| Features | The bass guitar was made of black walnut, had a neck-through design, and an ebony fingerboard. |
| Price | The 736 sold for $65. |
| Amplifier | Paul Tutmarc designed an amplifier to accompany the instrument: the Audiovox 936, which sold for $75. |
| Mass production | Leo Fender mass-produced the electric bass guitar in 1951, 15 years after Tutmarc's invention. |
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What You'll Learn
- Paul Tutmarc, a jazz musician and inventor from Seattle, is credited with creating the first electric bass guitar in 1936
- Leo Fender introduced the first mass-produced electric bass to the market in 1951
- Before the electric bass, acoustic basses were used, but they were hard to transport and lacked volume
- Early attempts at amplified basses in the 1930s and 1940s were not commercially successful due to poor amplification technology
- The electric bass guitar's popularity grew in the 1960s, and it became an integral part of rock and jazz bands
Paul Tutmarc, a jazz musician and inventor from Seattle, is credited with creating the first electric bass guitar in 1936
Tutmarc's bass guitar had a simplified guitar-shaped walnut body, a single pickup and control knob, a neck with 16 frets, and a cable jack on the upper side of the body. It was designed to be played horizontally like a guitar, and its solid body was carved from black walnut with a neck-through design and an ebony fingerboard. The total length of the instrument was 42 inches, with a scale length of around 30 inches.
Tutmarc's invention addressed the need for an instrument with less bulk and more amplification. As the son of a band leader and a travelling musician himself, he understood the challenges of transporting large and cumbersome instruments. The electric bass guitar represented a significant innovation, as it reduced the size and weight of the traditional upright bass while also providing the advantage of amplification.
Despite being the first to create an electric bass guitar, Tutmarc's company, Audiovox, did not achieve commercial success with their instrument. Instead, it was Fender's mass-produced electric bass guitars that became industry standards. As a result, Leo Fender's name became synonymous with the electric bass, while Tutmarc's contribution was largely overlooked for many years.
In recent times, however, there has been a growing recognition of Paul Tutmarc's role as the true inventor of the electric bass guitar. Tutmarc's great-grandson, Shane, has helped bring attention to his legacy, playing and speaking about his great-grandfather's creation.
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Leo Fender introduced the first mass-produced electric bass to the market in 1951
Leo Fender did not invent the electric bass guitar. In fact, the first electric bass guitar was created by Paul Tutmarc in 1936, nearly 20 years before Fender began mass-producing the instrument. Tutmarc, a Hawaiian-born guitar player and teacher based in Seattle, founded the company Audiovox in the 1930s to manufacture electric instruments, including the bass guitar. His Model 736 Bass Fiddle was first offered for sale in 1936 and featured a simplified guitar-shaped walnut body, a single pickup, and a control knob on a pearloid pickguard. Despite this early innovation, Tutmarc's design did not gain commercial success or widespread recognition.
In 1951, Leo Fender introduced the first mass-produced electric bass to the market, known as the Precision Bass. This instrument became the industry standard and set the benchmark for subsequent electric basses. The design was a solid-body electric bass guitar, which was a significant departure from the bulkier upright basses that had previously been used. The Precision Bass was a groundbreaking innovation that revolutionised the way bass was played and recorded. It offered a sleek, modern alternative to the traditional upright bass, providing players with enhanced comfort, playability, and sonic capabilities.
While Fender did not invent the electric bass guitar, his company's mass production and marketing of the instrument played a pivotal role in its widespread adoption and popularity. The Precision Bass, with its solid-body construction and innovative features, set a new standard for electric basses and established Fender as a leading name in the music industry. The success of the Precision Bass was further solidified when Fender introduced the Jazz Bass in 1960, a more upscale model that offered additional features and tonal options.
It is worth noting that the idea of an amplified bass existed before Fender's mass-produced electric bass. In the 1930s, Lloyd Loar of Vivi-Tone experimented with a slimmed-down electric upright bass, and companies like Rickenbacker, Regal, and Vega offered their versions of electric upright basses in the following decade. However, these early attempts lacked commercial success due to the limitations of amplification technology at the time.
Fender's contribution to the electric bass guitar lies in taking existing ideas and adapting them to create a successful and influential mass-produced instrument. His design choices, such as the solid-body construction and innovative features, set a new standard for electric basses and paved the way for the development of modern bass guitars.
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Before the electric bass, acoustic basses were used, but they were hard to transport and lacked volume
Before the invention of the electric bass, acoustic basses were used. However, these instruments had several drawbacks. One of the main issues was their size and bulkiness, making them difficult to transport. The upright bass, for example, stood about five feet tall. The weight and bulk of these instruments were a significant inconvenience for musicians, especially when travelling or performing live.
Another challenge with acoustic basses was their lack of volume. The bass frequencies produced by these instruments often struggled to be heard over other instruments in a band or ensemble. Acoustic basses, such as the Mandobass, Regal Bassoguitar, and Dobro Resonator Bass, were large and unwieldy, but their sound lacked projection and volume. The bass players often found themselves overpowered by the louder instruments in the group, such as horns and electric guitars.
The limitations of acoustic basses led to the desire for a louder and more tonally pleasing instrument. Musicians and inventors began experimenting with electrification and amplification to address these issues. Paul Tutmarc, a pioneer in this field, created the first modern electric bass guitar in the 1930s. His design, the Audiovox/Adiovox Electric Bass, aimed to solve the problem of bass players not being heard easily. However, Tutmarc's invention did not achieve commercial success due to the limitations of amplification technology at the time.
It wasn't until the 1950s, with the introduction of the Fender Precision Bass, that the electric bass truly took off. Leo Fender's design built upon the ideas of Tutmarc and others, improving the amplification and sound quality. The Fender bass offered a practical solution to the challenges faced by bass players, and its mass production and marketing led to its widespread adoption. Over time, the electric bass replaced the acoustic bass in popular music due to its lighter weight, smaller size, and easier playability.
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Early attempts at amplified basses in the 1930s and 1940s were not commercially successful due to poor amplification technology
The electric bass guitar was not a new concept in the 1930s and 1940s, with several companies experimenting with amplified basses. However, these early attempts at creating an amplified bass did not achieve commercial success due to the limitations of contemporary amplification technology.
In the 1930s, Lloyd Loar at Vivi-Tone created a slimmed-down electric upright bass. Rickenbacker, Regal, and Vega also offered similar electric upright basses during this decade. However, these efforts were not well-received, partly due to the inadequate amplification technology of the time.
Paul Tutmarc, a native of Seattle, played a significant role in the development of the electric bass guitar. In 1933, he founded the Audiovox Manufacturing Company, and in 1936, he introduced the Audiovox Model 736 Bass Fiddle, the first modern electric bass guitar. This instrument featured a simplified guitar-shaped walnut body, a single pickup, a control knob, and a cable jack. Despite being a groundbreaking invention, it did not find commercial success. Tutmarc's son, Bud, later marketed a similar electric bass guitar, the Serenader, but it also failed to make a significant impact on the market.
The lack of amplification technology advancement hindered the success of these early amplified basses. The bass guitar, being the quietest instrument in a band, required more powerful amplification to be heard clearly. However, the amplification technology of the 1930s and 1940s could not meet this need. It wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s that companies like Ampeg and Fender began to address this issue with the development of more powerful bass amplifiers.
It is worth noting that the solid-body electric bass, introduced by Leo Fender in 1950 with the Fender Precision Bass, played a crucial role in the evolution of bass amplification. Unlike the upright bass, the solid-body electric bass solely relies on electronic amplification, making a bass amplifier a necessity for its players. This shift further emphasized the importance of advancements in amplification technology to match the evolving needs of the electric bass.
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The electric bass guitar's popularity grew in the 1960s, and it became an integral part of rock and jazz bands
The electric bass guitar has become a staple in modern music, with its invention often being credited to Leo Fender and his Precision Bass, which was released in 1951. However, it was Paul Tutmarc, a Seattle-based jazz musician, radio star, and inventor, who first created the electric bass guitar in the 1930s. Tutmarc's creation, the Audiovox 736 Bass Fiddle, was released in 1936, nearly two decades before Fender's mass production of the instrument. Despite this, Fender's name became synonymous with the electric bass.
While the electric bass guitar was invented in the 1930s, its popularity grew in the 1960s, particularly within rock and jazz bands. The rise of rock and roll and the increasing volume of musical instruments in bands, such as horns, acoustic instruments, drum sets, and electric guitars, highlighted the need for a bass that could be heard clearly. The electric bass guitar provided a solution with its amplified sound. Additionally, the bulkiness of the upright bass made transportation a challenge for musicians, and the electric bass guitar offered a more compact alternative.
The electric bass guitar's integration into rock and jazz bands in the 1960s was a significant shift in the music industry. It replaced the standard practice of using acoustic double basses, which had been prominent in recordings by artists like Elvis Presley and Little Richard during the early years of rock and roll. The electric bass guitar's ability to produce a ringing, buzzing tone added a new dimension to the sound of these genres.
The growing popularity of the electric bass guitar in the 1960s can also be attributed to its versatility and ease of use. Unlike the upright bass, which was primarily played by bassists, the electric bass guitar could be played horizontally like a guitar, making it accessible to musicians who were not specialised bass players. This versatility allowed bands to experiment with their sound and create new musical styles.
The impact of the electric bass guitar extended beyond its immediate popularity in the 1960s. It became an integral part of the modern rock band, holding down the rhythm section and driving the band's sound forward. The thumping buzz of the electric bass is now a familiar element in various musical genres, showcasing its lasting influence on music.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Paul Tutmarc, a jazz musician and inventor from Seattle, Washington, invented the first electric bass in 1935/1936. Leo Fender's mass-produced model, released in 1951, became more synonymous with the invention.
The first electric bass was called the Audiovox 736 Bass Fiddle, also known as the Model 736 Bass Fiddle.
The Audiovox 736 Bass Fiddle was made from black walnut and had a neck-through design with an ebony fingerboard. It was played horizontally like a guitar and had frets for maximum note precision.
Paul Tutmarc created the electric bass to reduce the bulk of the upright bass and make it easier for bassists to transport their instruments to gigs.
