The first instance of an electric bass guitar as we know it today was way back in the 1930s, when Paul Turtmarc of Audiovox made his ‘Model 736 Bass Fiddle, which had frets, a pickup, four strings, and was designed to be played horizontally. Very few of these were made, but it paved the way for the most famous bass guitar of all time to arrive.
In the 1950s Leo Fender and George Fullerton created the now iconic Precision Bass, which was revolutionary and helped change the face of music. Far lighter than the cumbersome double bass that preceded it, it was easy to transport, could be amplified with comparatively little feedback, and had frets that allowed guitarists to more easily make the jump across to the instrument.