Mass-market ABGs timeline

Mass-market Acoustic Bass Guitars (ABG) by year of commercial introduction

1965 Harptone B4 (under the names Supreme/Standel). 30,5 in scale ; 14 th fret neck join ; around 6.5 in deep by 18 in Wide

1972 Ernie Ball Earthwood. first 500 8 in deep ; then 600 6 in deep ; 12th fret neck-join. production stopped 1985)

1975 Guild B-50 (B-30 came later) : like Harptone

1975 Framus (Germany) first mass-marketed ABG from European brand

1978 Eko BA (Italy) dreadnought body ; tail-piece ; odd sound-hole ; mostly fretless ? Popular in Europe (production stopped in 1985?)

1988 Martin B-40 (until 96) all Solid rosewood, 17th fret neck join

1989 Washburn AB40 and AB20. Thin body, cutaway (first to feature cutaway?) slits for soundholes ; 16th fret neck-join

1990 Ovation Celebrity. Round back ; cutaway, mostly with little offset soundholes

1992 Warwick Alien. Jumbo cutaway, 14th fret neck join, offset sound-hole

1994 Alvarez 4070. Jumbo cutaway, 17th fret neck join

1994 Epiphone El Capitan 34" scale

1996 Fender BG-29. Short-scale. Dread cutaway, 15th fret neck join.

1997 Martin B1 no pre-amp

1997 Martin B1-e pre-amp (per C.F. Martin email)

1998 Ibanez AEB50 in Europe. 32 scale, Jumbo cutaway, 15th (begins the AEB Series ; the 45 launched in USA in 1999 ; the AEB30 and 305 in 2001, AEB10 in 2002)

1999 Dean Performer CE. 32" scale, cutaway, 3 band preamp, Select Spruce Top, Mahogany Neck and Body MIK (in 1999 Cat., but not 1998 Cat.)

1999 Dean Performer Plus. 32" scale, cutaway, Shadow Preamp, Spruce Top, Mahogany Neck and Body, thinner body, Grover Tuners, MIK (in 1999 Cat., but not 1998 Cat.)

1999 Dean Performer 5 Plus. 32" scale, cutaway, Shadow Preamp, Spruce Top, Mahogany Neck and Body, thinner body, Grover Tuners, MIK (in 1999 Cat., but not 1998 Cat.)

1999 Tacoma Thunderchief. Jumbo cutaway, offset soundhole, 15th

1999 Takamine B10. Fretless, tailpiece, arched top, cutaway

1999 Ibanez AEM in Europe ; medium scale, cutaway

1999 Oscar Schmidt/Washburn OB100N Acoustic/Electric; medium scale, cutaway, Thin body

2000 Fender BG-32 (per catalog/price list)

2000 Ibanez TTR34B and TTR35B (look like electrics)

2000 Taylor AB1. Jumbo cutaway, offset soundhole ; 17th

2001 Dean Exotica Radiant. 32" scale, cutaway, Shadow Preamp, Sitka Spruce Top, Flame Maple Body, Mahogany sides, M.o.P. Radiant Inlays, Grover Tuners, MIK (in 2001 Cat., but not 2000 Cat.)

2001 Dean Performer CE LH. 32" scale, cutaway, 3 band preamp, Select Spruce Top, Mahogany Neck and Body, Left Handed, MIK (in new for 2001 Flyer)

2001 Dean Performer CE F. 32" scale, cutaway, 3 band preamp, Select Spruce Top, Mahogany Neck and Body, Fretless, MIK (in 1999 Cat., but not 1998 Cat.)

2001 Micheal Kelly. Jumbo cutaway ; 15th (maybe first introduced in 1999?)

2002 Takamine PB-15. Jumbo cutaway, 15th

2003 Dean Performer Quilt. 32" scale, cutaway, Fishman preamp, Quilt Maple Top, Mahogany Neck and Body MIK (in 2003 Cat., but not 2002 Cat.)

2003 Dean Performer Quilt 5. 32" scale, cutaway, Fishman preamp, Quilt Maple Top, Mahogany Neck and Body, 5 string, MIK (in 2003 Cat., but not 2002 Cat.)

2003 Fender GB-41SCE (per catalog/price list)

2004 Dean Performer DAO. 32" scale, cutaway, Fishman preamp, DAO Top Sides and Back, MIK (in new for 2004 Flyer, but not 2003 Cat.)

2004 Fender BG-31 originally 2003 Squire BG-31 (per catalog/price list)

2004 Fender FR-51 Resonator (per catalog/price list)

2005 Fender Victor Bailey Signature DAO Dread 34" DOA Top, Back and Sides, Arched Back, Fishman Pre-amp, Hipshot Tuners, Tort Binding (per catalog/price list)

2005 Dean Playmate EAB. Select Spruce Top, Mahogany Back and Sides, Jumbo with and w/out cutaway ; 17th, Passive w/Vol & Tone (no Active Pre-amp) MIC

2005 Dean Playmate EABC. Select Spruce Top, Mahogany Back and Sides, Jumbo with and w/cutaway ; 17th, Passive w/Vol & Tone (no Active Pre-amp) MIC

2005 Dean Playmate EABC 5. Select Spruce Top, Mahogany Back and Sides, Jumbo with and w/cutaway ; 17th, 5 string, Passive w/Vol & Tone (no Active Pre-amp) MIC

2007 Fender Victor Bailey Signature DAO Dread 34" 5 string DOA Top, Back and Sides, Arched Back, Fishman Pre-amp, Hipshot Tuners, Tort Binding (per catalog/price list)

2007 Ibanez Exotic Wood Series EWB20 and 205. 34 scale pointy cutaway

2007 Takamine EG512C jumbo cutaway

2007 Vintage VCB430

2009 Kala U-Bass. Ukele size, polyurethane strings

2010 Fender Kingman SCE V1. Jazz bass neck and headstock. Dreadnought cutaway. 34" Fishman Presys (no notch filter) (per catalog/price list)

2010 Ortega OAB Challenger series (C1 and C2, 4 and 5 string) 16th

2010 Warwick Rockbass Alien Standard and Deluxe. 4 and 5 string, fretted and fretless (more affordable versions of the original Alien)

2012 Fender T-bucket. Full body, 32-in scale (per catalog/price list)

2012 Fender Kingman SCE V1. Jazz bass neck and headstock. Dreadnought cutaway. 34" Fishman Presys+ (includes notch filter and revised bridge) (per catalog/price list)

2012 Ibanez AEGB similar to AEB but thinner body

2012 Ortega Deep series : D1 spruce top, 32 scale, 16th fret, jumbo cutaway ; D2 like D1 but cedar top ; D3 all exotic wood with and without cutaway 34 scale 16th ; Signature KTSM like D1 but 34 scale. The catalog offers fretted and fretless, 4 and 5 strings

2012 Guild B-54CE Jumbo cutaway

2013 Fender CB-100CE. Dreadnought cutaway (per catalog/price list)

2013 Ibanez Sage SGBE110 Full grand concert body 32 scale (only in catalog 1 year)

2014 Ibanez PCBE12MH full grand concert 32 scale all mahogany, joined by spruce top version PCBE12 in 2015

2014 Breedlove Pursuit (32 scale), Solo (34 cedar) and Studio (34 spruce). jumbo cutaways, pinless bridge

2014 Tanglewood TW155-A. Jumbo cutaway

2015 Ibanez AWB50CE Dread cutaway 34 scale 17th

2015 Boulder Creek Travel Bass 21-in scale

2015 Guild B140E Westerly. Full jumbo 34 scale 17th

2016 Sigma BME (full-body) and BMC (cutaway)

2016 Spector Timbre. Jumbo cutaway, offset soundhole

2016 Cort AB850F. Jumbo cutaway; 34 scale 17th

2017 Fender T-Bucket 300E (per catalog/price list)

2017 or 2018 Takamine G-series jumbo cutaway GB30CE spruce on mahogany ; GB72CE spruce on maple

2017 Epiphone Masterbilt Deluxe Classic. Tailpiece, f-holes, 30.5 scale

2017 Guild Jumbo Junior 25-in scale

2018 Fender CB-60SCE concert cutaway 32 scale (per catalog/price list)

2018 Guild B-240E. Fretted and fretless. full jumbo body, 30.5 scale

2018 Warwick Rockbass Alien Deluxe Thinline (thinner body)

2018 Sawtooth Rudy Sarzo. All-maple, jumbo cutaway off-set, bass-clef sound-holes, side-port

2019 Fender Kingman V2. Jazz bass neck and headstock. Concert cutaway. 30.3" Fishman Presys+ (per catalog/price list)

2020 Vintage Statesboro' dreadnought

2020 Luna Tribal. Jumbo cutaway 17th

2023 Epiphone El Capitan J-200 Studio. Full Jumbo 30.5 scale

2023 Martin DJR mini dread and 000CJR mini concert cutaway