History Of The Bass Guitar 1990 2000s
The 1990’s saw the popularization of the acoustic bass guitar and the wide-spread usage of the 5-string electric. This was also a great time period for the innovations of the bass sound as the on-board electronics were rapidly improving. The use of preamplifiers and equalizers within the guitar’s on-board system allowed for a broader, cleaner range of sounds. It also allowed for a much-improved, articulate attack in the techniques of popping and slapping. This technique was always widely used in the funk and jazz genres but became more popular in rock, metal, and alternative as evident by its use in such bands as Korn, by Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, by Michael “Flea” Balzary.
In the new millennium the bass guitar has seen radical transformations, adjustments, and improvements. Extended Range Basses (ERBs) now come in as many as 12-string variations without doubling octaves. There are also 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 string options in the ERB variety. In 2004, luthier Michael Adler built the first 11-string bass. He followed it up the following year with the first 12-string. Both guitars have the same musical range as a grand piano.
Pickups are advancing to the use of optics which utilize an infrared LED to optically sense the movement of the string. Most LED pickups are coupled with piezo pickups since the LEDs cannot sense the hum or resonance that traditional pickups can carry. This provides a cleaner sound while still being able to utilize all playing techniques and styles.
In the year 2010 the electric bass guitar will celebrate its 75th birthday. In that time the bass has transformed from a solid-stock piece of Alder and Maple with single-coil magnetic pickups and no electronics to a living, breathing piece of history that has been, and will continue to be, the driving pulse of music and musicians everywhere.
