Haynes Manuals Fender Bass

And nothing much has changed. This expertly researched edition by Paul Balmer looks into and analyses the various elements of the Fender bass using photography and superbly illustrated diagrams and explores the history of the instrument from the very first Mk 1 Precision of 1951, right through to its 2008 Corona counterpart. Needless to say the major part of this manual is given over to tech talk with no less than 50 pages covering repairs, maintenance and adjustments, with a further dozen concentrating on the art of setting up and tuning. It’s all very readable, given Balmer’s chatty and friendly approach. Bass buffs will be pleased to see that they are well catered for by a players and their instruments section which includes some influential bassists including my personal favourite Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn – remember ‘Knock on Wood’ and ‘Hold On I’m Coming’? But perhaps the most inspired addition to this volume is the choice of bassist Carol Kaye to write the forward. She was the “number one call” session player on the West Coast from the early-to-mid-1960s. For more go to www.haynes.co.uk