Carol Kaye played a Fender Precision Bass on most of her classic sessions – but she preferred the Music Man StingRay

Carol Kaye playing a Music Man StingRay bass
(Image credit: Ernie Ball Music Man)

By the end of the ‘70s, Carol Kaye had already established her reputation as one of the most prolific bass guitar session players of the 20th century, amassing credits in countless albums, television scores and movie soundtracks.

From Sam Cooke and Ray Charles all the way to The Beach Boys and Barbra Streisand, Kaye’s catalog is certainly one of music’s most diverse, and though her work initially flew under the radar as named artists received the plaudits, the influence Kaye and her Fender Precision Bass had on popular and jazz music is there for all to see.

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Matt Owen

Matt is a Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.