The Fender Bass: An Illustrated History [Paperback]

J. W. Black (Author), Albert Molinaro (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

When Leo Fender added a bass to his growing family of instruments 50 years ago, he created a new world for musicians and revolutionized an industry in the process. Using hundreds of photographs, this exciting release chronicles the evolution of that instrument from 1951 to 2001, providing background, history and highly researched facts vital to understanding everything about this remarkable member of the Fender family. A must for all music fans!

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0634026402
• ISBN-13: 978-0634026409
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #951,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite the whole story........., May 30, 2005

By 

Eamon O'Regan "Eamonn O'Regan" (Galway, Co.Galway ,Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fender Bass: An Illustrated History (Paperback)

This publication is a quite interesting if incomplete update on the scant literature already available on this revolutionary instrument.It is beautifully produced- contrast it with,say, Blasquiz' work on the same topic. The photography is superb, the text a little thin.A book to browse through, but a detailed history, no.This is a book that on the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Precision Bass pays homage to the American heritage of Leo Fender's innovations, and to be fair, is welcome.
However, large chunks of this essential history are missing;
apart from the history of the two giants of Fender's bass line, the Precision and Jazz basses, there is little or no mention of other basses made by the company- the Coronado, Mustang and Bullet models barely rate a mention.
Perhaps a more glaring omission is the deliberate absence of reference to Fender's 'offshore'production (Japan, Korea, Mexico and latterly China and Indonesia)under 'Fender' and 'Squier by Fender' badges. The FMI corporation readily admits that for a time preceding the establishment of the Coronado plant,Japanese output kept the company afloat. Europe,too, is a huge market for Squier instruments- these instruments, of undoubted quality, contribute significantly to the FMIC balance sheet.
Example: the book mentions the production of an 'American' '75 reissue Jazz Bass without a mention of the excellent Japanese-made version of the same bass, made under license by Fender Japan that preceded it. Regarding quality, my own early-80s Squier Precision and Jazz basses which bear a Fender logo are better instruments in every way than USA models from the same era -real dogs - that I had owned but got rid of. Blasquiz' book was a start- Molinaro and Black have certainly taken the story a stage further- but a now global company needs to have its history comprehensively chronicled.The proliferation of Fender-badged basses produced in several countries including the USA now available everywhere demonstrates that FMIC is now indeed a global company. All in all, an incomplete history.
However, both authors are to be commended for taking this story a stage further.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest thing since the instrument itself., June 19, 2002

By 

Kevin Barber (Alameda, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fender Bass: An Illustrated History (Paperback)

Bass player, guitar guru or history junky, The Fender Bass is required reading. J Black and Albert Molinaro have put together a comprehensive and enjoyable journey into the evolution of the world's favorite bass. Hundreds of vivid color photos, vintage advertisements and behind the scene glimpses at Fender, chronicle each minute detail and nuance of the ever-changing bass. Close up photography, clear, detailed writing and precise index create a useable technical reference book as well as a delightful read.

This book cleverly walks through the past and present of this amazing and historically significant instrument. The Fender Bass is a must have for any bass player, guitarist or Fender fan. Buy it now.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The F-Bass A great picture show!, November 11, 2001

By 

J. A. Wouters (Zoeterwoude Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Fender Bass: An Illustrated History (Paperback)

Well, lots of beautiful USA Precision and Jazz basses in this book. Wel done on glossy paper. Nice chapter with details to indentify your USA bass. Real value for money! If you own a P or J Fender bass, you should own this book. The only set back is little attention is payed to the Mustang. Hollow bodies and the Music Master don't appear at all in this book. When they're in I'll buy the second edition too.