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55,000 Products
UK Team in London
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30 Day Return Policy
The bass guitar – often simply called the bass – forms the vital link between rhythm and harmony, making it indispensable in any band setup. Compared to a regular guitar, the bass features a longer scale length and much thicker strings, giving it a powerful and defined tone tuned one octave lower. Of course, basses are available in a wide variety of shapes, colours, finishes and configurations, offering countless tonal options across all musical styles.
By far the most common and best-known type is the 4-string electric bass. When Leo Fender introduced the iconic Fender Precision Bass in 1950 – the first instrument of its kind – it immediately gained popularity among musicians. The key innovation of the Precision Bass was its fretted fingerboard, the first ever on a bass instrument, eliminating the need for the precise intonation and complex playing technique required by an upright bass, and allowing guitarists an easy transition to the bass.
In 1961, the newly launched Fender Jazz Bass built on the success of the Precision Bass and added several welcome improvements: the asymmetrical offset body shape and the narrower neck profile enhanced playing comfort, while the two single-coil pickups offered a wider range of tonal options compared to the single split-coil pickup of the P-Bass.
Over time, many exciting developments have expanded on the traditional bass designs. Today, players can choose from numerous 5-string basses and 6-string basses offering an extended tonal range both lower and higher, vastly enhancing the instrument’s versatility. Different pickup designs – such as dual-coil humbuckers and active onboard electronics with tone control – are available in many variations, adding extra tonal colour to the classic bass sound.
In addition to solidbody basses with solid wood construction, there are also so-called semi-hollow basses. These instruments feature a hollow body with a solid centre block, combining the clean tone of magnetic pickups with the warm, resonant timbre of an acoustic body. One iconic example is the Höfner Violin Bass, famously played by Paul McCartney of The Beatles. Jefferson Airplane’s Jack Casady, meanwhile, has long relied on his signature Epiphone Jack Casady semi-hollow bass.
Semi-hollow or hollowbody? At first glance, these two body types may look similar. The main difference lies in the centre block – semi-hollow basses typically feature a narrower body and a solid block running through the centre, allowing them to be played at higher volumes without unwanted feedback.
For those who prefer to play acoustically, there is also a wide range of acoustic basses. Built much like standard acoustic guitars, these instruments feature a large, resonant body capable of delivering a rich and powerful sound even without amplification.
Many acoustic basses come factory-equipped with pickup systems or can easily be fitted with one later. Typically, a piezo pickup combined with an active preamp is used to boost the instrument’s natural sound to performance levels for live gigs.
Bass Ukuleles – Compact Companions on the Go
An interesting variation among acoustic bass instruments is the bass ukulele. This instrument from the ukulele family has grown increasingly popular among bassists, producing a warm tone reminiscent of an upright bass. Bass ukuleles are available with either a fretted neck or a fretless version for smooth, expressive playability.
Both solidbody and semi-hollow basses require a suitable bass amplifier for use in a band context. As with guitars, bass amps come in several designs: the bass combo combines the amplifier section and speaker in one unit, while a dedicated amp head can be paired with various bass cabinets. In addition, many manufacturers offer preamp circuits in pedal or rack format, providing even more tone-shaping options.
Beyond design, the amp circuitry also has a major impact on performance and sound. Valve amplifiers use vacuum tubes and remain the gold standard for many players, though they require regular maintenance and tend to be heavy. Solid-state amplifiers are among the most common types, delivering consistent tone at both high and low volumes while being lightweight and portable. Hybrid amps combine a tube preamp with a solid-state power section, offering the best of both worlds. Modern modelling amps rely entirely on digital processing, simulating countless amp circuits and effects with impressive realism and flexibility.
Bass cabinets also come in a wide variety of designs and configurations. The size and number of speakers are the key factors that determine tonal character. Typical bass speakers range from 8 to 15 inches in diameter: smaller speakers respond faster and reproduce mids and highs with clarity, while larger ones produce deep, powerful lows you can feel. Many bass cabinets include adjustable tweeters to add brightness and high-end definition. To achieve a balanced, full-range sound, players often combine multiple cabinets of different sizes – for example, the popular setup of a 1x15” and a 4x10” cab.
To shape their tone, bassists often turn to specialised bass effects designed specifically for the instrument’s frequency range. Similar to guitar effects, they include everything from roaring overdrive and distortion to modulation effects such as phaser, flanger and chorus, as well as wah pedals for expressive playing. There are also multi-effects units that combine several different effects in a single housing, ideal for bassists seeking versatility.
Players wishing to enhance or customise their instrument can choose from an enormous variety of tuning parts. These include innovative bridge designs for improved resonance transfer and fine adjustment, machine heads in various styles, bass pickups in different configurations, and many other useful components to upgrade the sound, look and feel of any bass guitar. For those who prefer to build their own instrument from scratch, necks and bodies provide the ideal foundation for a custom DIY project.
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