Customer Reviews

The Fender Bass: An Illustrated History

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This book is the Vintage Fender Bass Handbook. The text and information is very easy to read and understand, most of it is in clearly captioned detailed photos. It covers all the models from the beginning to present, the book features co-author Albert Molinaro's unbelievable bass collection, the photos are worth the book price alone! This is really great if you are into Fender bases or vintage Fender guitars, and who isn't! Out of all my Guitar related books, this may be one of the easiest to View, Use and Enjoy! BUY IT - YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY!

J.W. Black and Albert Molinaro have created a Fender bass history book and picture source that is classy and informative -definitely a step above any book of its kind. An absolute must for any bass player or collector.

This is an excellent book for both collectors and players. Many facets of the Fender Bass are covered along with interesting little trivia items. The pictures are absolutely first class. The book seems to cover all models of the Fender Bass with one glaring omission. NOTHING about the Coronado Bass (Fender's only hollow body bass). HIGHLY recommended!

For the casual reader, the serious bookworm, and everybody in between - this should appeal to everyone who is interested or intruiged by the evolution of music with the Electric Bass. It all started here, and rock music as we know it would never be the same without the instrument pioneered 50 years ago by Leo Fender.

This book spans, in detail, the life (and death) of Fender basses... from the prominent Precision Bass, to the unique Jazz Bass, and even the concept 1970's 5-string short-scale bass which would never be seen again in the market. It will show you photographs of the Fender team in action... and much more.

In the back of the book, you will find descriptive explainations of the changes the basses underwent in the 50 years of existance... right down to the Tuning Keys, Bridges, and Decals.

This book is a treasure to me - if I ever lost it, I would buy another one without hesitation.

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, chronicles 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.

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, chronicles 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.

As the "Illustrated History" title suggests, the content is mostly pictorial and light on commentary. Scads of full color glossy photos take you from the earliest P-basses to the Urge bass and beyond. A good portion of the book is devoted to identifying dates of manufacture by head-stocks, logos, bridges, tuning machines, etc. Topped off with a tour of the vintage Fender factory, this book is a must have for any Fender bass aficionado.

One thing I would've liked to see however, is some information on the various Fender bass neck profiles and their respective eras (i.e. U-shape, vintage C, modern C, soft-V).