the Ventures’ hit instrumental “Walk—Don’t
Run.” (Edwards, originally the group’s bassist,
later switched to lead guitar.) The tune was
highly influential among 1960s California surf
bands, many of which were equipped top to
bottom with matching Fender instruments.
In a 1997 Vintage Guitar article, Peter Stuart
Kohman wrote: “You can’t really imagine surf
music without a Fender bass—this is not true
of any earlier rock & roll style. During this era,
the bass guitar went from optional to essential equipment and set up the electric bass
for its dominant role in the British Invasion,
folk-rock, and all that followed.”
The “Precision Bass,” from the 1954 Fender catalog.
The Fender bass was also making inroads in
the recording studio—especially in the hands
of two converted guitarists, Carol Kaye and
Joe Osborn. Kaye had picked up a Precision
Bass in 1963 when the contracted bassist
didn’t show up for a Capitol Records session
in Los Angeles. She soon realized that a guitarist who doubled on Fender bass could get
more work, just as Leo Fender had hoped.
Kaye’s skill as a sightreader, combined
with the tape-friendly sound she got
by playing with a pick, soon made her
much in demand as a session bassist.
Her early work included pop hits like
“Spanish Eyes” by Al Martino and
“Whipped Cream” by Herb Alpert
& the Tijuana Brass. By 1965, she
was the first-call bassist in L.A.
Her strong playing was featured
on dozens of tracks made by
famed producers Phil Spector and
Quincy Jones, and her studio log
includes the Beach Boys, Ray
Charles, Frank Sinatra, Simon
& Garfunkel, and a bevy of
Motown groups.
Joe Osborn also became a bass player out of
necessity. He explained it this way to music
journalist Chris Jisi: “Roy Buchanan and I were
playing guitar in Bob Luhman’s band at the
Showboat Hotel in Las Vegas in 1959. While
we were there, we borrowed an electric bass
and Roy started playing it, since Bob liked
the way I played his country licks. Later, Bob
added a female vocalist who sang a lot of
pop standards; I didn’t know all the chords,
so I told Roy he’d have to come back to guitar. I went down to the local music store and
bought a Precision Bass. The next night, I was
the bass player—same amp, same settings,
same pick and technique. I played it just like I
played the guitar.”
Osborn’s approach gave him a distinct advantage over other bassists. “Eventually, I realized
that my bass, played with a pick, had its own
frequency space. Instead of competing with
the kick drum at the very bottom, there was
more of a blend. Plus it held up on any kind
of record.… There was an attitude about it, a
certain tone that you couldn’t lose.”
The Jazz Bass Joins the Pack
Joe was hired to play in Rick Nelson’s band,
where he was introduced to a new Fender
model. “We were going on an Australian tour
with Ricky in 1960, and Fender wanted us to
take their equipment,” Osborn recalled. “I
asked for a Concert, which was their biggest
amp, and a bass, thinking they made only
the Precision. When they sent the Jazz Bass
instead, I was pretty annoyed—but I fell in love
with it because the thinner neck was perfect
for my short fingers.”
Leo Fender had decided to keep the Precision
as his only bass during the 1950s, preferring
to improve it rather than introduce another
