Sometime in the 1950′s, Leo fender started mass producing the electric bass guitar that he introduced in 1951. He called it the Fender Precision Bass. It’s now called the “P-Bass” for short. That instrument proved to be revolutionary in the fact that now a bass instrument could be easily taken anywhere and it could also be plugged into an amplifier and the volume could be matched to the drums and guitar without a lot of feedback that would normally be caused by placing a microphone on the floor in front of a stand up acoustic bass.

The popularity of that instrument grew and soon other companies like Gibson were introducing their own versions of  portable electric bass guitars. It wasn’t very long before instrument makers around the world began producing them, it was clear that the electric bass was here to stay. A lot of the early models were hollow body type guitars. One of the most famous of these was, and still is made by the German company Hofner. Introduced in 1956 at a German trade fair, the guitar has a hollow body that is shaped very similar to a violin. It has most affectionately been dubbed the “Beatle Bass” because it’s the bass that Paul McCartney played when he was in The Beatles. In fact he stills plays one to this day.

Those early basses, now considered vintage, are highly sought after guitars the world over. One reason is because the unique hollow body construction gives them the distinctive resonance of a larger stand up type bass. The “solid body” bass guitars are also coveted works of art. The hand made construction from premium woods sets them apart from their more modern counterparts, most of which are great for beginners to learn to play on, but lack the depth of tone and the personality of the vintage bass guitars.

Don’t get me wrong, there are companies out there that are producing some quality bass guitars, but just remember, you get what you pay for. Most companies make their bass guitar bodies from alder, which seems to be pretty standard. Some use premium woods like swamp ash and walnut. Some companies use cheap electronics manufactured in third world countries from inferior materials, which would be okay for beginners, but the guitars wouldn’t really be worth much when they wanted to upgrade to a better quality instrument.

As far as buying one to keep for an investment goes, you’ll want to buy a vintage model over a new one. Reason being, they’ve already proven they can hold their value because they are worth more now than when they were new and will keep increasing in value if they are kept in good shape.