Name that Bassist from Their Sound

[timhiggins]

Paul Jackson jn.

Rocco Prestia

Errol Flabba Holt

Ron Carter

Larry Graham

 

[steantval]

I’m not to sure this is as easy as folks claim it to be, you probably only recognise them if they are playing within their normal genre, get them playing on something entirely different it’s pretty hard to pick them out.

For example and ease, use ten of the ones already listed above playing say Mustang Sally as of the original recording, I personally would have a job saying who was actually playing bass, by this I mean not Mark King slapping all through it but playing it straight as the original recording.

[AndyTravis]

Stanley Clarke - I can tell if he’s had something to do with a film score/soundtrack. 

The phrasing and note choice - even if he’s not playing bass.

[Stub Mandrel]

5 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Is their sound or what they play?

If it was just their sound you'd able to tell from a single note, but I bet no-one here could identify any bassist from a single note, so the note choice and phrasing must be equally if not more important than the sound itself.

 

10 minutes ago, steantval said:

I’m not to sure this is as easy as folks claim it to be, you probably only recognise them if they are playing within their normal genre, get them playing on something entirely different it’s pretty hard to pick them out.

For example and ease, use ten of the ones already listed above playing say Mustang Sally as of the original recording, I personally would have a job saying who was actually playing bass, by this I mean not Mark King slapping all through it but playing it straight as the original recording.

Don't overthink it! It's a bit of fun not a scientific experiment.

I couldn't swear to tell a start from telecaster by its sound, but plenty of times I've recognised guitarists like Hendrix, Clapton or Billy Gibbons on a recording, often in odd contexts, like Clapton on 'Think I'll Go Back Home', a Steven Stills track. And I can be fooled by imitators, like SRV doing Hendrix.

So someone's 'signature' sound is rather like their voice. They can disguise it and others can imitate it*, but some people have one distinctive enough to be recognisable.

*Chetaing is easy. I've got an Ibanez '335', plenty of gain, bridge pickup and back off the tone -bend a few pentatonic licks and you get instant Clapton. Or use a modelling amp...

[lowdown]

Marcus Miller. 

[Barking Spiders]

19 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Don't overthink it! It's a bit of fun not a scientific experiment.

I couldn't swear to tell a start from telecaster by its sound, but plenty of times I've recognised guitarists like Hendrix, Clapton or Billy Gibbons on a recording, often in odd contexts, like Clapton on 'Think I'll Go Back Home', a Steven Stills track. And I can be fooled by imitators, like SRV doing Hendrix.

So someone's 'signature' sound is rather like their voice. They can disguise it and others can imitate it*, but some people have one distinctive enough to be recognisable.

*Chetaing is easy. I've got an Ibanez '335', plenty of gain, bridge pickup and back off the tone -bend a few pentatonic licks and you get instant Clapton. Or use a modelling amp...

Steantval's got a point though. To my ears these guys would still sound instantly recognisable from playing a few notes of an unfamiliar tune using their most familiar approaches e.g. JJ Burnel (as on the first 5 albums but not the others), Peter Hook, Mick Karn (fretless from Japan days), Mark King (Level 42 slap rather than his fingerstyle), John Entwistle,  Steve Harris, Bernard Edwards, Les Claypool and Bootsy

[bearhart74]

I was also thinking I might be able to pick Marcus Miller out of a crowd but not guaranteed.

Could probably pick Family Man out tho.

 

[visog]

Obvs Mr Squire and his gloriously rambunctious tone but I'll add another Progger in Tony Levin - Stick or Music Man - can usually point him out when he crops up on non-Crimson situations such as: Robbie Robertson or Bowie's 'Where are we now?".

[Bilbo]

Ron Carter, Paul Chambers, Dave Holland, Charlie Haden, Marc Johnson, John Patitucci, Jaco, Jeff Berlin, Kermit Driscoll, Renaud Garcia Fons, Anthony Jackson, Percy Jones, Jimmy Johnson, Chris Squire, Geddy Lee and a few others. 

This is a game I have been playing for decades and I can recognise dozens of Jazz musicians from a relatively few notes. In the end, their voices are as distinctive as your family's. 

[Woodinblack]

On 16/06/2019 at 06:49, NancyJohnson said:

I'd love to hear what Geddy Lee would be like in a non Rush/solo band.

 

[lowdown]

On 16/06/2019 at 22:59, AndyTravis said:

Stanley Clarke - I can tell if he’s had something to do with a film score/soundtrack. 

The phrasing and note choice 

Same as with David Sanborn on some of those 80's and early 90's films.

 

Like this one...(I think it may be Laurence Cottle on Bass).

 

 

[odysseus]

Geddy

Lemmy

Justin Chancellor

Flea

 

[Dapper Bandit]

Bootsy

Les Claypool

Bill Laswell

Bernard Edwards

Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault

[Stofferson]

Aside from the obvious low end god's, i'd put my money on doing a blind fold test for Scott Reeder, (ex Kyuss etc.)

[mattbass6]

Steve Harris

Billy Sheehan

Chris Squire

Geddy Lee

David Ellefson 

[Teebs]

James Jamerson, Bernard Edwards & Hooky for me.

[Bilbo]

6 hours ago, Teebs said:

James Jamerson, Bernard Edwards & Hooky for me.

No it wasn't. It was Carole Kaye. All of it. 

[rogerstodge]

On 15/06/2019 at 22:54, T-Bay said:

Jean jacques-Burnel, the one, the only

 

 

On 15/06/2019 at 22:54, T-Bay said:

Jean jacques-Burnel, the one, the only

 

Instantly recognizable 

[upside downer]

Jah Wobble

Lemmy

Jean-Jacques Burnel

And last, and definitely least, SId Vicious 😜

[4000]

I was once in a really loud pub and Ace of Spades came on, barely audible over the din. I knew who & what it was from the first note, even though I could barely hear it.