Who's your no 1 bass player and why?

[FuNkShUi]

[quote name='40hz' timestamp='1487720846' post='3242244']
Stuart Zender.
[/quote]

Yup. He's definitely my favourite too.
Really used to like Dirk Lance, not sure what he is doing now

[radiophonic]

Touch call. Probably John Entwistle, even though I pretty much hate the Who. I've gotta hand it to the bass player though. There's other players - JJ Burnell, Stuart Morrow, Hooky - but Entwistle's isolated 'Won't Get Fooled' Ox-Cam footage is what convinced me it was possible to get that kind of super aggressive in your face sound without using a pick and without losing the low end either. That really reinforced my decision to stick to finger style and ultimately ended up sounding the way I do, for good or bad. Interestingly, the last time I saw Morrow play (does he even still play?), he'd ditched the pick and was doing the 'typewriter' style.

[Cat Burrito]

Sami Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks / New York Dolls). Looked cool. Plays tastefully and has always worked in cool bands since the early 80s without being a massive name.

[Cuzzie]

All day every day dUg Pinnick with Glenn Hughes riding very close

[Cuzzie]

Oh and why?

DUg has got tone for days, sits in that pocket and rolls the song, Glenn much the same with such verve and groove. They both also sing.
It's all what I aspire to be able to do

[6feet7]

Cliff Williams - nothing fancy (at all), but just locks in with Phil Rudd and drives the songs along. In my eyes that's what a bass player does (and leave the fancy stuff to guitards)

[kendall]

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1487702996' post='3242027']
Obviously mine is Steve Harris. First I heard Iron Maiden was around 1982-1983. It was bass lines such as Killers, Wratchild and The Number of the Beast that made me always wanting to play bass. Live After Death really blew my mind away.
[/quote]

Pretty much this. I first heard maiden in 82. I decided there and then that the bass was for me.

[Huge Hands]

Paul McCartney probably got me into bass, but once I realised it was one guy playing most of the Motown hits I was loving, I became a massive fan of James Jamerson.

[christhammer666]

Lemmy- loved the simplistic rhythm style.Easy stuff to play but god you gotta have some stamina
plus he looked cool as f##k

[fiatcoupe432]

I l have to say Jaco made me pick up a bass then Manring . When I heard Manring I thought .... That s excatly how Jaco would sound today if was still alive.
I also Love Patitucci and Tony grey

[Monkey Steve]

In terms of influencing what I play (not necessarily how I play) it's probably Geezer Butler, but with hefty nods to Cliff Burton and Geddy Lee.

But for one bass player that I listen to and go "wow" (and I love listening to stuff that I just can't picture how it's done) it's Art Liboon every time.

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='Huge Hands' timestamp='1487753148' post='3242352']
Paul McCartney probably got me into bass, but once I realised [u]it was one guy playing most of the Motown hits[/u] I was loving, I became a massive fan of James Jamerson.
[/quote]

Oo. Controversial.

[Twigman]

me - coz I'm me

[Hobbayne]

John McVie. I love his lovely smooth tone and his bass lines always complement the song. If its a simple 2 note line like 'Dreams' or more melodic stuff like 'Say You Love Me' Its always a pukka line.

[Bbiigg Kev]

Glenn Hughes.

GH has it all as a bassist not to mention stunning vocals and stage presence !!!

[MacDaddy]

Nikki Sixx

Running around on stage throwing shapes and posing, showing that the the guitarist and vocalist don't have to be the only centers of attention, and just exuding the sheer joy of playing bass in a band.

[LewisK1975]

Billy Sheehan for me.

Obviously he's very technically gifted (although if you ask him he says it's all about practice), but he's also brilliant at simply serving the song when required. Not all of his stuff is 'widdly-diddly'.

He's also very willing to share his knowledge with anyone, also very approachable and humble. Amazing gear-head too.

[police squad]

crikey, where do you start with this.
Initially, The Police were my favourite band and it was easy to hear the bass guitar and copy it.
Then The Jam, same reason.
Then Duran Duran. Same reason.

I was 12 when I took up the bass in 1981 and there was plenty of good music about. My brothers listened to rock/ glam/ Pink Floyd, Yes and Rush.

Then I became a massive fan of Phil Lynott. I saw Lizzy in '83 at Reading then Grand Slam the following year. I thought Phil was great and I loved his live sound. The Roland bass through his Dynachord gear.

I was very aware of Nick Beggs playing and also Pino. I started buying albums because Pino was on them. Nick Heywood and Dave Gilmour both recorded with Pino.

and yes then there was Steve Harris. My eldest brother support Maiden when they played some shows in Italy, to break Bruce in. So I bought some Maiden to see who they were.

Over the years there are so many players that I discovered and loved. Larry Graham, Bootsy, Bernard Edwards, Lemmy, Andy Fraser, the list is almost endless

[Huge Hands]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1487767333' post='3242575']
Oo. Controversial.
[/quote]

I did put "all" originally before I changed it. I love Ms Kaye for other reasons, not Motown.....

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='Huge Hands' timestamp='1487780713' post='3242834']
I did put "all" originally before I changed it. I love Ms Kaye for other reasons, not Motown.....
[/quote]

Forgiven. I love her work on all of those TV detective shows.

[Japhet]

Has to be Pino for me because of the way he seems able to play in any genre at the drop of a hat. I like some of his less well known stuff as well. particularly with Robbie MacIntosh and D'Angelo. He always seems to be the one that other musicians want which must make him rather special. I also had a chat with him many, many years ago and he was such a nice bloke.

[Paul S]

Roger Glover for me. When the bass comes in at the start of Smoke on the Water... still love it after 45yrs.

[mikel]

Chris Squire. No one plays bass like him, his playing with Yes is orchestral in its formation. His phrasing and note placement threw me completely when The Yes Album was first released. That tone, and his stage presence made him a one off.

[SH73]

I thought this thread would turn out to be about Miller and Wooten.
Nice to see a variety of taste.
Surprised no one mentioned Matt Freeman who I think it's unbelievable for what he does and Cliff Burton?

[dmccombe7]

Phil Lynott, Roger Glover and Glenn Hughes for reasons already mentioned.
Add to that Gene Simmons from Kiss as i was a big fan of all of them around 1976. Destroyer album was and still is one of my fav albums.

Main reasons for them were Jailbreak album was just out and bought same time as Destroyer. 2 of my fav rock albums.
Roger Glover because of Made In Japan. Bass playing was pure heavy Rock.
Then i heard Glenn Hughes on California Jam and was blown away by his playing.

All these happened around same time i starte playing bass and these were the songs i was trying to play.

Dave