Who is you favorite bass tone

Mine would have to be Mike Dirnt's from Greenday mostly the old 90's stuff :)

Who's is yours?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-glC7OJNEY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Here's the best cover i could find of the same song, j.a.r.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyXXD4ofL_s&feature=youtube_gdata_player

jack bruce or chris layton

Mike Watt.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=53P5d1MsTZ8

This, or anything Geddy lee

Mike Watt.

That too. And Kim Gordon

For tone I like Paul McCartney from Sgt Peppers & later.
When I`m Sixty Four, Lovely Rita, Come Together & Get Back come to mind (but there are so many more). Paul just had that sound. Take care. Bob

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=53P5d1MsTZ8

This, or anything Geddy lee

Oh Dinosaur Jr has my vote too! fantastic band.

James Jamerson sounded collosal considering the recording equipment of the day - but I think it's his note choice and phrasing I really like moreso than the tone.

Many to list, but i'll stick with him.

That too. And Kim Gordon

+1

Sheehan, Butler, Harris and of course Duck. All classic P tones, all totally different from each other.

Tony Levin, Bruce Thomas, Macca

Jamerson and Duck Dunn on PBasses and Tommy Shannon on a Jazz Bass.

Duck Dunn. period.

Flea's sound from RHCP's "Blood Sugar Sex Magik". Nothing can beat Wal Mk. II
I also love Paul Simonon's Epiphone Rivoli sound from The Clash'es "London Calling" and the unique clanky sound Steve Harris does on his P-Bass.

Whomever is playing a P bass.

From motown to surf to punk to indie.

John Archer, bassist of Hunters & Collectors, has a great P-Bass sound, especially on the live The Way to Go Out.

Another vote for James Jamerson and Duck Dunn.

Justin Chancellor from Tool

Duck Dunn and Bruce Thomas

Huge McCartney fan here, but I also love Berry Oakley. RIP Berry!

p bass, flats, svt, fingers

Of course it helps to have monster chops and groove.

Gov'Mule Andy Hess Bass solo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjm_qcezWIw)

For tone I like Paul McCartney from Sgt Peppers & later.
When I`m Sixty Four, Lovely Rita, Come Together & Get Back come to mind (but there are so many more). Paul just had that sound. Take care. Bob

+1

Hansd down,Chris Squier.

Justin Chancellor from Tool

This.

Or Les Claypool from Primus's greasy fretless sound. His playing does help things though.

Joe Lally from Fugazi has made me want a Stingray for years. They're a bit pricey though.

Larry Taylor of Canned Heat

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RIP Duck Dunn 11-41 5-12

Duck Dunn & James Jamerson do it for me!! absolute legends!!!


Currently: Pino Palladino!!

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I like the understated but still brilliant bass work by Sir Paul on this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x11QH5ZxhGM

Sometimes a bass could be way up front and be a lyrical counterpoint to the vocals and also use the guitar as background (on non-singing parts) as on this song For the Birds by The Juliana Hatfield Three:

http://www.myspace.com/video/al/the-juliana-hatfield-three-for-the-birds/1140894

Paul McCartney is the king of tone for me, but I also really like Pino Palladino's sound with his P bass and flats. I also have a soft spot (a sonic fontanelle, if you will) for John Wetton's old Hiwatt grind in King Crimson.

James Jamerson and Pino Palladino to name only two...

jamerson & dunn, mccartney & lee, squier & casady, entwistle & cetera, nathan watts and chuck rainey

What?! No love for lemmie?!

James Jamerson and Pino Palladino to name only two...

Excellent choices. And there's always this guy, very distinctive and idiosyncratic:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABLwmYI09Lw&list=FLlIoKxqtmcOav9netIQl4kA&index=12&feature=plpp_video

Gets me every time. Jerome (Jerry) Preston.

Prakash John on Lou Reeds Rock & Roll Animal, a beast!
and uhh, Pino Paladino is really amazing.

My top three would be Donald "Duck" Dunn, Bill Wyman, and Jack Bruce. There's more I can name, but those are the top of the list.

Another one of my favs is fat mike of nofx.

Can't forget Jay Bentley!
http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae118/Jah-Rasta-Mon65/1226510445637_f-1.jpg

And Matt freeman,
http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae118/Jah-Rasta-Mon65/rancid.jpg

I definitely think Matt Freeman is the best of the punk crowd. I'm still in love with ...And Out Come the Wolves. Killer playing.

John Entwhistle or Jack Bruce... yeah-and Lemmy!

Aston "Family Man" Barrett

Lee Sklar!!!

Lee Sklar!!!

Another vote for Mr. Sklar, plus my favorite, Joey Spampinato!
(I also like Jesse Colin Young's Danelectro tone in the Youngbloods).

Jack Bruce. J.J. Burnel. John Paul Jones.

Paul Simonon from The Clash has some of my favorite tones.

I love that really round reggae tone he gets on songs like Revolution Rock and Guns of Brixton.

Paul Simonon from The Clash has some of my favorite tones.

I love that really round reggae tone he gets on songs like Revolution Rock and Guns of Brixton.

An interesting thing I read recently was that when they would play "Guns of Brixton" live, Strummer would play the bass and Simonon would switch to rhythm guitar and vocals.

Could be a very long list, but if I have to pick just one -

John Entwistle

HUGE Entwistle fan, me. I LOVE his Hiwatt, live at Leeds tone, and saw him small clubs a few times iwth his giant Sunn rig and reveled in the hearing loss as it was happening, but I really think he went too far with the rack gear later on. His tone in the last 10 years of his life sounded just awful to me: digital chorusing and all the gain from pre-amps instead of from pushing the tube amps he still had in his rig. I respect that he was always pushing the boundaries in that regard, but I think he just abandoned good taste at some point.

Dee Murray particularly on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album.

Also a fan of Bob Babbitt [Funk Bros]...Jeff Berlin too

Jaco Pastorius was really out there on his Jazz too...incredible!!

jonhart wrote"My top three would be Donald "Duck" Dunn, Bill Wyman, and Jack Bruce. There's more I can name, but those are the top of the list".
Jon thats a pretty unusual list for a 14 yr old. I`m about your grandfaters age ( i assume ) & that is about right for my generation. I can remember being in the habit of hitting a quick Green Onions lick to check my tuning. Also can remember when Going Home by the Stones came out. I thought Wyman was the best ever. And spending hours in the earphones listening to Cream doing Crossroad & Spoonful. You have good taste for a youngster. I would feel a lot better about leaving this old world if there were more like yourself. Take care. Bob

+ 1 Duck Dunn, Bill Wyman

I also like Carl Radle, Dave Pegg, Tommy Cogbill, Pat Donaldson, David Hood, and Steve Stills.

Really like Paul McCartney's bass tones when he was with the Beatles. Sgt Pepper to Magical Mystery is my favorite.

Ummm....THIS BY A LONG WAY...

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Jack Casady without a doubt. Nobody sounds like him. The last time I saw him was about ten years ago and he roared! I've been a fan since "Jefferson Airplane Takes Off."

But I also love Duck Dunn and Jamison and Phil Lesh and Familyman and...

An interesting thing I read recently was that when they would play "Guns of Brixton" live, Strummer would play the bass and Simonon would switch to rhythm guitar and vocals.

I've also heard this, unfortunately never was able to see them.

Robbie Shakespeare on electric, Eddie Gomez on acoustic.

rick danko...

check out neil young's "Revolution Blues". don't know if it was the honey sliders or what, but that track kicks A*S and danko funks it up.

dave chmela of rat race choir had the best live bass tone i ever heard , and many times i did. john wetton , chris squire and tony levin , and of course victor wooten.

I forgot to include Ronnie Wood - his bass playing on J Beck's Truth LP is great.

Man, they're all good.... Bass tones that is...
I can't recall hearing any Bass on records that sounded bad.... ;)

I was more caught up in the playing ..the patterns/notes the individuals were playing more than the tone aspects..

whether tight and simple, locked in with the drummer.. or more lead type walking bass lines...
like Paul in MMT/Peppers and Jack Bruce... and those mentioned already...it 's all good..

..in the late 60's as a kid.. my back neighbour was a bass player... and I loved the sound of his bass across the yard when he practiced..... you don't often hear bass just by itself booming across the suburb....
it was a signal for a few of us to go around to the front steps of his house and hang out and listen.. ask stuff.. can you teach us bass?..
He put us off by saying go off and learn 6 string guitar first.. then get into bass... you need to be a good guitar player before you can master bass,,, we believed him...
he was playing in bands,,, he must hold secrets..;)

man, I've been trying to learn these 6 strings ever since... thinking one day I might get into bass...

I did start off in school as a drummer...:roll:

How about Flea from the RHCP. I was always amazed at the different tones he could get from his bass, and the skill at which plays

I'd have to go with Mick Karn, Chris Squire and Geddy Lee as my 3 favourites.

Studios one thing. How about live.

What about "Ready" Freddie Washington? he has a very distinctive musical voice - he worked on several of Anita Bakers records, and played on ""Forget Me Nots". He tours with Steely Dan now.
and uhh Graham Maby, Joe Jackson's Bassist from the 80's - This guy has a great touch

Percy Jones!

I was more caught up in the playing ..the patterns/notes the individuals were playing more than the tone aspects.

Seems to me we're getting a bit of that in this thread, too. :mrgreen:

I was listening to Jeff Beck's Truth LP the other night - Ronnie Wood had some great bass tones on that record.

Fat Mikes live bass tone is to die for imo, that Dano bass through the Ampeg svt Omg...

http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae118/Jah-Rasta-Mon65/groovehousenofx-1.jpg

I do love Phil Lesh's late 60s early 70s tone. I have a Fender MIM classic 70s Jazz bass that I never use and an Epiphone EB-3 (short scale) with flats that I play practically every day and I would sleep with it if it weren't so uncomfortable! ;-)

Phil Lesh on Live/Dead or Europe '72 for sure. I didn't really care much about the bass at all until I head Live/Dead because I could finally hear everything the bassist was playing and I thought "hey, I could do that!!!". Before that I was quite taken with Chris Squire but figured I would never get the muscle power, speed or dexterity together to cop his playing.

I can't believe that no one has mentioned John Paul Jones. He was the glue that held Led Zepplin's music together. Listen to "Dazed & Confused", "What is & What Should Never Be" & "Ramble On". JPJ was those songs & allowed the rest of the band to soar.

I also love Jack Bruce & Jack Cassidy. I feel pretty old school, but these guys set the standard for everyone who followed.

I like a clanky Rickenbacker, especially Chris Squire, Lemmy and Geddy Lee, but my favourite recorded bass at the moment is on Spirit's 12 Dreams of Dr Sardonicus, played by Mark Andes.

I can't believe that no one has mentioned John Paul Jones. He was the glue that held Led Zepplin's music together. Listen to "Dazed & Confused", "What is & What Should Never Be" & "Ramble On". JPJ was those songs & allowed the rest of the band to soar.

Yeah his early playing with the Fender Jazz was good! I'm not a fan of his Alembic tone or playing though. :neutral: Also I think Jimmy Page liked to mix the bass low at times. :neutral: :neutral:

Lee Sklar's tone on the Billy Cobham Spectrum album.

Marcus, Karn, Pino, Levin, Wetton. The dude from Rat Race DID have great live tone. What a great band!

My big three are Paul, Geddy, and John Entwistle!

Jack Casady!!

Jim Fielder.

Robert Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

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His dad Michael Been was great too.

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How about Flea from the RHCP. I was always amazed at the different tones he could get from his bass, and the skill at which plays

+1

Mark King has a great bass sound.

His playing shines on this:
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+1 Les Claypool
Victor Wooten

Wow, OK for blues Keith Ferguson/ Fab Thunderbirds, also the best gulf coast blues bassist ever.

For effect: Jack Bruce

New and modern sounds. Entwisle

I'm becoming more and more a fan of a P-Bass with flats. I know somebody already posted this clip of Andy Hess with Gov't Mule but it bears repeating.

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Methinks one of those is in my future. :oops:

As much I love the bass and often focus on it when listening to music, I don't have a favorite bass tone. One favorite bass part has a totally different sound than another one. Some favorites:

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I dunno alot about bass. Here are some I like

Paul Jackson
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Graham Maby (someone already posted about him)
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Tom 'T-Bone' Wolk ( Hall and Oates )

i love early 70's rock bass tone. no particular favorite, but plenty i really love. number one is geezer butler, but also gary thain of uriah heep was an awesomely good rock bass player. dan hartman who played with the edgar winter group played some really cool basslines. and berry oakley with the allmans always sounds great on their records.

i found sabbath's 1st album on cd in the walmart's "get rid of this stuff" bin recently. i have a really good stereo in my truck with good instrument seperation. i can really hear geezer's playing on this. he doesn't play any wild jaco virtuoso stuff, but what he's playing makes these goofy songs come alive. and i think it's one of the best rock bass tones ever put on a record.

I'm becoming more and more a fan of a P-Bass with flats. I know somebody already posted this clip of Andy Hess with Gov't Mule but it bears repeating.

Methinks one of those is in my future. :oops:

Absolutely. Lots of great James Jamerson isolated bass tracks on YT now, too. For example...

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As much I love the bass and often focus on it when listening to music, I don't have a favorite bass tone. One favorite bass part has a totally different sound than another one. Some favorites:

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Four P-Basses and a Jazz. That sounds about right. :wink:

Absolutely. Lots of great James Jamerson isolated bass tracks on YT now, too. For example...

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I know. :wink:

Of course . . . :wink:

There's an Abbott and Costello routine lurking here.

OP: Who is your favorie bass tone?
M: Yes
OP: No, who?
M: I don't like them.
OP: Who?
M: :confused: Who.
OP: I asked you.
M: I guess so.
OP: Guess Who?
M: I don't know, you tell me
OP: Do you like them?
M: Who?
OP: Guess Who.
M: I DON't KNOW, YOU TELL ME!
OP: Tell you what?
M: Who is your favorite bass tone?
OP: But I asked you first!
M: :confused:

Well, a lot of people have mentioned some of my favorites--Jamerson, Bruce and Dunn--but I have to single out a few others who no one's mentioned yet:

Lee Dorman, Iron Butterfly. The "In A Gadda Da Vida" album is badly recorded, but listen to the sound he got on the "Ball" album! A Mosrite bass, so it's a little different.

Tim Bogert!

Joe Osborn! I can't believe I'm the first to mention him.

Mike Watt.

+1!