Bassists whose tone floors you

[Drax]

It's a documentary, a labour of love funded by Robert Trujillo >>

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2014/09/18/metallica-robert-trujillo-jaco-pastorius-documentary/15678819/

[timhiggins]

cool

[sbrag]

The Ox on Live at Leads just sounds massive and I'd love to sound like that.

[steve-bbb]

Kasim Sulton

[Bassjon]

Dug from Kings X! I have NO idea how he gets that tone. I'm not interested in copying his rig but if anyone knows how his EQ's are set I'd be interested to know. I imagine its the classic 'scooped' sound but what gives him that grit?

[spacey]

Foxton in Eton Rifles,Rickenbacker 4001 with Jazz bass pick under the Bridge.
Thats a bass sound.

[discreet]

Just as an aside, it may well be that your favourite bass tone (particularly if it's recorded) will also have lot to do with the sound of the desk and other ancilliary gear in the studio, the whims of the producer and engineer on the day and a hundred other parameters... just sayin'.

Edited November 1, 2014 by discreet

[dannybuoy]

[quote name='Bassjon' timestamp='1414840080' post='2593803']
Dug from Kings X! I have NO idea how he gets that tone. I'm not interested in copying his rig but if anyone knows how his EQ's are set I'd be interested to know. I imagine its the classic 'scooped' sound but what gives him that grit?
[/quote]

Since Dug has a signature amp from Tech21 coming out, and the Sansamp manuals mention Kings X, probably Tech21 gear, likely their rack preamps. But that's just a guess because like you, I couldn't be bothered to Google it!

[edpirie]

Me'Shell Ndegeocello. Just been listening to Peace Beyond Passion and she gets such a fat tone out of her Jazz with flats (I think - someone will tell me it's a completely different bass now). Read once that her favourite Jazz was so well played the frets had worn down to close on fretless level, but she loved it because it meant she could get those liquid slides. I have no doubt if I could play an exact replica of her gear it would sound crap.

[paul_5]

Les Claypool's sound on the [i]Tales from the punchbowl[/i] album is a (to me) a superb sound.

Also the usual suspects regarding gnarly, gritty low end: Bruce Foxton, Geddy Lee, Justin Chancellor

Spent quite a while finding a sound that emulates these chaps, but also works with my playing style (really aggressive right hand with floating thumb). Turns out it's a Jazz bass.

[Kiwi]

You can only arrive at a sound that works for you after you understand what influence each part of the signal chain brings to the tone.

Strings
Wood (or whatever makes up the neck, fingerboard and body)
Pickups
onboard preamp
(effects signal chain which could be any old stuff)
preamp
power amp
speaker(s)
room acoustics (including stage resonance)

Experience enough variations in each of the above, then you'll know what works.

For me to get my sound...through neck with enough wenge tempered by maple or the same spec but bolt on with enough mahogany in the body...some addtional parp around 250hz via a preamp and the rest is gravy.

[Funky Dunky]

[quote name='joeystrange' timestamp='1414820474' post='2593620']
Last time I saw Anti-Flag their bass player was using some kind of Mesa Boogie head (not sure which) with a Mesa 2x15 and an ESP Vintage 4. It sounded incredible! HUGE lows and top end that cut through too.
There are a lot of different sounds on their records but that live sound was so good!

Haven't tried to copy it. I wouldn't come close with my rig.
[/quote]

He does have cracking tone IMO - I remember hearing Post-War Breakout and falling in love with his tone. Hunter from AFI has a great tone too, think he uses a Fender into Ampeg. Punk comes from a fairly lo-fi pedigree sonically, but some of the more modern Punk bassists have tone to die for. Fat Mike from NOFX is another one.

[Grassie]

How long ya got?
Mark King on World Machine, Flea on BloodSugarSexMagik, Mick Karn on Tin Drum, Pat Badger on Saudades de Rock, Jeremy Toback (Brad), Billy Gould (Faith No More), Michael Anthony on Van Halen's Live: Right Here Right Now.... I could go on...
Thing is, I realised quite early on that (for the most part) tone comes from the fingers/hands/pick, and no amount of money spent on basses, amps and strings is going to make me sound like Mr King (this doesn't apply to everyone by the way - there are some excellent Mark King clones on YouTube ) but I'm quite happy with my tone now which comes from a modded P/J Squier and an Ibanez ATK310 through a GK MB210 + 210 extension cab. It's only taken me 20 years to get there though...

[BigRedX]

IME you can only arrive at a sound that works for you when you take into consideration the instrumentation and sounds the rest of your band uses and produces.

A good bass tone is good because it fits perfectly into the sonic jigsaw of the band. Chasing a particular tone you've heard elsewhere for the most part is pointless because usually what is so good about it, is the way it works with the other instruments. Unless the rest of your band sound exactly like the band whose bass tone you want to emulate, copying it is unlikely to give you the same brilliant result.

[discreet]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1414860122' post='2594070']
Unless the rest of your band sound exactly like the band whose bass tone you want to emulate, copying it is unlikely to give you the same brilliant result.
[/quote]

+1... and most likely not even then, what with your band not being [i]that [/i]band, and you not being [i]that [/i]particular bass player and all...

[miles'tone]

Scott Thunes.
A very resonant and woody sounding '65 Precision

+

Sublime talent and killer pick technique

=

Tone that freaks me out every time.

Frank Zappa - Keep it Greasy (live): http://youtu.be/ly79mkffp7M

Have I got close?

Only in my dreams!

Edited November 1, 2014 by miles'tone

[Drax]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1414844992' post='2593869']
Just as an aside, it may well be that your favourite bass tone (particularly if it's recorded) will also have lot to do with the sound of the desk and other ancilliary gear in the studio, the whims of the producer and engineer on the day and a hundred other parameters... just sayin'.
[/quote] +1. So true. Also, no matter how objective I try and be about 'tone' - every record where I love the bass tone, I also love the music.

Be interested to hear who loves a bass tone on a track they hate?

Edited November 1, 2014 by DanR

[Raslee]

Mike Howlett in Gong, great style, great tone..nice chap too

[AM1]

Dennis Dunaway. What an under-rated bass player. Not just for tone but also phrasing and groove. Here's an example, such a simple bassline but with amazing feel and a classic example of a bassline with composition which fits the song perfectly and compliments the drums. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1ISnXBe23Q"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1ISnXBe23Q[/url]

[UglyDog]

[quote name='Bassjon' timestamp='1414840080' post='2593803']
Dug from Kings X! I have NO idea how he gets that tone. I'm not interested in copying his rig but if anyone knows how his EQ's are set I'd be interested to know. I imagine its the classic 'scooped' sound but what gives him that grit?
[/quote]
I'd imagine his use of 12-string basses might be a contributory factor

[Bassnut62]

[quote name='timhiggins' timestamp='1414827863' post='2593651']
Another vote for Robbie Shakespeare here plus
Family man
Flabba Holt
Jamerson
Paul Jackson
Lee sklar
Pino [p bass only]....i dont kno where to stop
[/quote]

+1 for Paul Jackson. I met him backstage at a Headhunters gig and asked him how he gets that tone. he just showed me his fingers; there were huge deep welts through his callouses. He said I hit those f***ers as hard as hell!

[arthurhenry]

John Wetton on "Red".

[miles'tone]

[quote name='Bassnut62' timestamp='1414873001' post='2594301']


+1 for Paul Jackson. I met him backstage at a Headhunters gig and asked him how he gets that tone. he just showed me his fingers; there were huge deep welts through his callouses. He said I hit those f***ers as hard as hell!
[/quote]

Further proof that it IS all in the fingers

[molan]

There are lots, and lots, of players whose technical skill really impresses me but every now & then I hear something that tonally just floors me (as per the OP question).

The most recent has been Lee Sklar. I was in a pub and there was a music TV channel on in the background. Something came on and one of th very first things I heard was this lovely bass tone. Turned around to check who it was and there was Lee Sklar lurking at the back of the picture.

I was with a few band mates and pointed him out and they all stopped to listen - one of them said 'you should buy one of those basses and try to get that sound'. I just gave him a rueful smile. . .

I've since bought the album and some of his playing is just sublime, not a flash run in site, just classy playing wih beautiful tone

Edited November 1, 2014 by molan

[Cat Burrito]

Funnily enough I was in the kitchen cooking dinner just yesterday & listening to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons when I thought "that is MY definitive tone". For all the GAS induced quests for tone I found switching to flatwound strings got me in the right direction, no matter what rig I plug into.