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Bassist With Best Distortion Tone

#221
He hasn't been mentioned enough so I'm gonna say Trevor Dunn, in particular in Moonchild. The opening to their first album still blows me away.

And I can't believe no one has mentioned Bob Weston in Shellac, his dist is so tasteful.

also props to the person that mentioned David Wm. Sims
 
#226
+1 to Doug "dUg" Pinnick for being SO ****ing underrated and awesome.
+1 to Marco Hietala for a sick growl
+1 to Dick Lovgren for putting up with 8 string guitars
+1 to....well forget it, everyone else mentioned so far because there were no bad names yet.

Let me add a couple
Mike Starr (and later Mike Inez) with Alice in Chains
Nick Thieneman with Young Widows

and of course the best bass player of all time

William
Muderface
 
#232
hambonechicago said:
John Wetton (King Crimson)
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Yeah, that was the name that first came to mind when I read the thread title.
I'm not actually a huge fan of bass distortion, at least not when it's an all-the-time integral component of a player's basic sound. But for those Special Sauce™ moments, John Wetton's tone during the mid-song breakdown in the live version of "Lark's Tongues In Aspic" from the USA album just floors me every time I hear it.

Can't find the USA version online, but check this out, Wetton's Fuzz From Hell enters at 3:46.
 
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#233
Best I've ever heard live was the chick from Year of the Cobra I think she was running dual vintage SVT full stacks dimed from 2 different years (the one with the blue stripe?). I've seen Rage Against the Machine, Motorhead, Weedeater, Meshuggah, Om, & Tool live whose bassists are considered by most people to have great distorted tones (they all did sound great too obviously). Best I've ever heard on record is the guy from Karnivool on the song Goliath, without question it's unbelievably thick and has great clarity.

There's also an excellent local band from Chicago with great distorted bass tones called Faces of the Bog I think he was using a Fuzzrocious Demon King but I forget what head. Sounded great. I would like to point out I am not in that band and, although I played a show with them, haven't actually met them. I just like plugging local bands that are cool.
 
#234
jhan said:
- Marco Hietala of Nightwish. Really. Honestly. Does a good job of cutting through the huge symphonic wall going on there. Read that he uses a Sansamp GT2. Have one for guitar and tried it on bass. Too noisy.

- Mariusz Duda of Riverside. Not full on distortion, but slightly overdriven at times. That guy has great tone. Plays a Mayonne. Seeing more and more of those. Beautiful bases.

- Alex Webster's work on Blotted Science. Again, not full on distortion, just a slight overdrive. Real nice.

- +1 on John Wetton. Always liked his tone, on anything he's ever done.

Personally, I HATE full on, fuzzy-wuzzy / buzz-saw distortion on bass. Turns everything to mud, IMO. But that's just me.
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I'm thinking about going to see Marco and Nightwish later this month in Covington Kentucky.
 
#237
Getaway Driver said:
Tim Commerford, Justin Chancellor, and Brian Cook get my votes. Perhaps with top choice for me being Cook.
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jmattbassplaya said:
Here`s another for Justin Chancellor. His tone at very end of Forty-Six & 2 is amazing.
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Supa Scoopa said:
Lou Barlow from Dinosaur Jr.
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Another one for Justin Chancellor and Lou Barlow

Bassbat said:
He hasn't been mentioned enough so I'm gonna say Trevor Dunn, in particular in Moonchild. The opening to their first album still blows me away.

And I can't believe no one has mentioned Bob Weston in Shellac, his dist is so tasteful.

also props to the person that mentioned David Wm. Sims
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Thank you for getting me to check out Moonchild, this is amazing, though I wouldn't agree Trevor Dunn's distortion tone is one of the best.
 
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#239
So over the top he could only do it once. Keith Olsen, yes that Keith Olsen, better known for producing Fleetwood Mac and a multitude of 70's/80's artists played Bass in The Music Machine who had one hit in 1966.
 

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