The Bass is widely used in many musical genres, including rock and roll, heavy metal, jazz, funk, Gothic rock, Hard rock, country, and disco. He produced the first solid-body guitars, including the Telecaster Broadcaster models, in 1951 and the Stratocaster, with its simple built-in electronics, first hit stores in September of 1954. J.W. Black was a leading guitar repairman in New York City at the time. He recalled: “In the early ’80s, Fender was pretty much off the radar as far as my clients and players were concerned, at least in New York. The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument similar to an electric guitar but larger in size and with a deeper tone. It is also closely related to the double bass and shares things in common with a range of bass instruments. Also, the likes of Rickenbacker, Gretsch, National and Epiphone, which have increased less quickly until recently, now seem to be making up for lost time. Beginner Electric Guitar Shop.