Bassist with most UNIQUE tone

[Matt Till]

A lot of bassists have stand out bass playing, but what bassist (or wannabes of said bassist) can you tell just by their tone.

My vote goes for Norwood Fisher from Fishbone. The only fishbone album I own is Give a Monkey a Brain. But his tone is unlike any bassist I've heard. Very... poppy. I don't know how else to describe it.

 

[Woodchuck]

I say Mr. Miller. No matter what genre of music he's playing, you can ALWAYS tell it's him. Hell, people even have a name for his tone, that "Marcus sound".

 

[BustinJustin]

Jaco...

 

[Woodchuck]

Jaco...

Him too! BTW, love your sig. "Loose Booty" was a helluva cut!

 

[brianrost]

I have to vote for Steve Swallow...the combination of high tuned 5-string, piezo pickups and pick playing gives him a very different sound from any other electric bassist I have ever heard.

 

[Benjamin Strange]

I can always tell when I'm hearing Tony Levin, especially when he is using that strange phaser effect (which he uses alot). He's got this very indistinct, muddy, sort of tone that just FITS with everything he plays on. I don't know how he does it.

 

[Adam Barkley]

JPJ, the later years with the Alembic 8 string have a unique tone.

 

[BustinJustin]

BTW, love your sig. "Loose Booty" was a helluva cut!

my man, you are the winner!!!!!!!!!

 

[Deano Destructo]

I agree that Norwood is pretty unique. IMHO Miller's isn't in the same park of originallity as Jaco's or Norwood's. My vote would have to be one of the most popular ones. Les Claypool. I have no idea how he gets that rubbery midrange sound of his.

 

[FractalUniverse]

anthony jackson
percy jones

 

[steviecsg]

i stand by yoshiniru naruse of my favorite band casiopea and his arsenal of tune basses!

 

[sloppysubs]

I agree that Norwood is pretty unique. IMHO Miller's isn't in the same park of originallity as Jaco's or Norwood's. My vote would have to be one of the most popular ones. Les Claypool. I have no idea how he gets that rubbery midrange sound of his.

thats the best description ive ever heard. he does have a very rubbery tone.

also id say greg edwards of failure. hes pretty basic, but he has the best distorted tone ive ever heard and he uses the heck out of it.

 

[Benjamin Strange]

I like alot of bass tones on Ministry's CDs. Granted, every bass tone sounds vastly different, but it's always interesting. For a good primer on what a heavy distorted bass should sound like, I suggest picking up Dark Side of the Spoon. The bass is so huge and distorted that they rarely have to put any guitar over it.

 

[Deano Destructo]

I like alot of bass tones on Ministry's CDs. Granted, every bass tone sounds vastly different, but it's always interesting. For a good primer on what a heavy distorted bass should sound like, I suggest picking up Dark Side of the Spoon. The bass is so huge and distorted that they rarely have to put any guitar over it.

I agree. I love Paul Barker's tone. Especially on songs like So What and Burn Inside. Great tone.

Do you know what his rig consist of usually?

 

[godoze]

1. i agree with Chuck Wood
2. Percy Jones..unmistakable...

 

[Blackbird]

Fieldy.

 

[sloppysubs]

Fieldy.

as much as i dont like fieldy...he does have an unmistakable tone.

 

[D.A.R.K.]

joe preston of the thrones...
also played with the melvins.
b.c. rich basses retrofitted with a bart... tuned down to c with the old orange& blue superfuzz
his stuff sounds like it's in meltdown 99% of the time.
amazing girth and the ultimate guttural growl.
d.

 

[bryan bailey]

Claypool's.

Thick but clanky, distorted but clean.

Very interesting tone.

 

[norseman]

My vote goes to: Steve Harris