University professor shares details on awesome new book, The Bastard Instrument: A Cultural History of the Electric Bass
Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
January 13, 2025
Photo credit: Amanda Ray Wright
Dr. Brian Wright is an Assistant Professor of Music History at University of North Texas, where he teaches courses on popular music. His new book, The Bastard Instrument: A Cultural History of the Electric Bass, focuses on Dr. Wright’s specialty on the early history of electric bass in jazz, rock, rhythm & blues, and country music. A bassist himself, Dr. Wright earned a Ph.D. in Historical Musicology from Case Western Reserve University and served as a former research assistant at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archive.
Watch our interview with Brian!
Interesting interview. Brings up two memories. In the late 60’s, early 70’s I too switched to bass since there were a lot of guitarists wanting to put together folk-rock groups and they all needed bassists. Several duo’s and trio’s had female bassists – usually the guitarists’ girl friends. I also played the C&W circuits throughout New England in the 70’s. A number of the bands had female bassists. I remember asking one of them how she got started. She told me that the agent who booked most of the C&W gigs in N.E. insisted on the bands having a “chick singer”. Then he would tell the band leaders that if they made the female singer play bass, then they would only have to pay one salary instead of two. And, supposedly, the bass was easy to play. Several of the female players had interesting and unusual techniques. The one I talked to about this said that she had been handed the bass, but given no instruction in how to play it, so she just made it up as she went along.
Thanks, Charlie. Too bad the female bassists didn’t get the respect they may have deserved, but at least they got to play!
Another note: Both the Bajo Sexto and the Bajo Quinto (12 and 10 string Mexican guitars) are tuned in fourths, unlike the standard guitar tunings. I have played with a couple of jazz guitarists here in Austin TX who tune their guitars in fourths, as well.
Interesting. Remember Stanley Jordan, the tapping guitarists from the ’80s? I read once that he tuned his guitar in 4ths too, all the way up and down. Makes sense, at least from a bass player’s perspective! 🙂