Do you play what they play?

[Bunk McNulty]

The guy who inspired me to play bass (Steve Swallow, in the way long ago) was playing a double-bass, an instrument at which I am embarrassingly bad. So...no. (And he was playing jazz, a style at which I am an eternal beginner, so double-whammy there)

 

[BlushResponse]

Nope.

 

[RHFusillo]

No. The one time I tried to play the same bass a musical hero was in the mid-seventies, when I bought a Gibson EB-3. I love Jack Bruce and I loved the way that bass looked, but it did not work for me.

The guy who inspired me to play bass (Steve Swallow, in the way long ago) was playing a double-bass, an instrument at which I am embarrassingly bad. So...no.

Interesting that you should mention Steve Swallow. I have spent years chasing the sound he got when he was playing a Fender in the early 1980s (he played a P bass with Hi-A P and J pickups, if I remember correctly).

 

[Les Ismoor]

I bought my first fretless P because of Percy Jones, and my 4001 because of Chris Squire- those basses are long gone. I still play fretless, but have moved to 5ers, and more "off" brands. My goal now is to sound like me, not someone else who happens to use the same gear (and may be famous).

 

[Bunk McNulty]

No. The one time I tried to play the same bass a musical hero was in the mid-seventies, when I bought a Gibson EB-3. I love Jack Bruce and I loved the way that bass looked, but it did not work for me.


Interesting that you should mention Steve Swallow. I have spent years chasing the sound he got when he was playing a Fender in the early 1980s (he played a P bass with Hi-A P and J pickups, if I remember correctly).

Yeah, that was a killer sound.

 

[Sixgunn]

Negateeve!

 

[2saddleslab]

Kinda, except right side up.

 

[SpasticTastic]

I actually just bought a Aria Pro-II Integra because of Billy Gould, so I guess yes?

Although it's not the same exact model he used.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Yes, on several accounts. One is purely coincidence, one is intentional, and a custom build I just recently commissioned from Alembic shares specs with several instruments built expressly for a handful of my favorite players. One bass I've had for a while now, literally belonged to one of my (many) bass heroes/influences. They apparently didn't like it as much as I do!

 

[hsech]

Not on a bet.

 

[dave64o]

Not that I have anything against what my favorites play(ed), but I pick my basses based on how well I think will fit what I'm looking for and I ultimately end up keeping the ones that feel the best to me and give me the sound I want.

I've owned about 15 basses and my current Stingray is by far the best overall bass I've owned. Love the sound and the versatility but it's the feel makes it my favorite. The feel of the neck, the string spacing, the way it hangs on my shoulder, etc. just fit ME perfectly. Some of my bass heroes have played Stingrays but I don't think any of them was known for playing a Stingray.

 

[Hevy T]

Sort of. I play mostly a Geddy jazz and Geddy was one of my influences. However so was John Entwistle and I never he seen him play a jazz ever

 

[OldCityBassman]

No. Chris Squire was my main influence but I don't play a Ric, mostly Fender.

 

[DDXdesign]

I've tried it: I've had a couple Rics (Squire), a Fodera (Wooten), and a couple Modulii (Flea), plus my current bass sounds pretty much like Geddy's Jazz, which is my favorite tone ever, but I'm not tied to a specific bass so long as it gives me Dat Sound.

 

[socialleper]

Not really. Steve Harris and Geezer Butler both play P basses, but I do play Lakland like Geezer.
I toyed with Warwick basses a little because of the slew of monster metal players they have, but I can't get find the models I want to try, and couldn't afford them if I could.
I play GK and GB out of necessity more than what other people play. I guess I would be playing Hartke or Aguilar if I did.
Aside from Alex Webster using the B3k, which I sold, I don't think I use pedals other players I like use. Oddly I don't like the majority of artists drawn to the pedals I like. Go figure.

 

[hintz]

I kinda dID the 50/50 thing. Pick up something I got inspired by and flip it around enough to make it my own.

I play a Charvel 2B pointy headstock because I loved the Jackson that David Ellefson has. The problem was that the 4-string Jacksons have a small pointy headstock whereas the old 4-string Charvel models have the same big headstock as the 5-string Jacksons.
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Jeffrey Bryan - Raiser 2009

• Jeffrey Bryan
• Jul 17, 2015

Live gig in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

I now play a Killer Dagger because I loved the Akira Takasaki (LOUDNESS) / Taiji (X-JAPAN, LOUDNESS) styled (bass)guitars but have thrown in Villex P/J to "claim" my own signature sound.

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Man, I dig that "killer dagger" bass!!

 

[KevInDaBassment]

I'm positive that some of my heroes have played a Fender Precision Bass exclusively, but some of my favorites are obscure gems to me. Ibanez SRX3EX, Ibanez CTB-5, and a modded Fender P are my go-to basses.

 

[angrychair]

yes and no. I do play a Mike Starr LE Spector for my main bass, but not because I want to be like Mike Starr or Inez, I just love the tone and thought it was a cool bass for the $. Otherwise, I just like 80's stuff!


Charvel pointy headstock basses ROCK, 3B is on my bucket list!

 

[drummer5359]

Do you play the same brand or style of bass that your favorite bassist plays? I mean the players who most inspired you to pick up the instrument .

Yes, I mean no, well... sort of... not really.

My bass hero as a kid was Dennis Dunaway. He has played mostly a Fender Jazz bass over the years. Another favorite player of mine was Donald Duck Dunn who played some version of a P-bass for the most part. Leland Sklar is another player that influenced me a bunch. He has played a ton of different basses over the years.

I play mostly P-basses, with or without flats. My Rickenbacker gets a lot of love from me as well. This is because I like the sound that I can get out of them.

So the real answer is that although my favorite players may have influenced me to play and made me curious about their particular instruments, I play what suits me.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Do you play the same brand or style of bass that your favorite bassist plays?

Nope. Not at all.

And to be honest, except for a brief period when I was in high school (when I was totally enamored of Chris Squire & Jon Camp and so wanted a Rickenbacker 4001 desperately), it's never even occurred to me to get the same bass as what my favorite players use.

Okay, perhaps that's not entirely true: I've certainly lusted for a Wal like Mick Karn's, a Fodera like Anthony Jackson's, an Alembic like Stanley Clarke's or Jimmy Johnson's, an F Bass like Alain Caron's, and if I had the wherewithal I would own all those basses in a heartbeat...but not because those guys play those basses, but rather because those basses are totally badass.


Hmm...well, there was a brief period in the early 80s when Tony Levin played a Steinberger L-2, and I happen to own a Steinberger L-2 that I got in 1982 which I suppose if I thought about it hard enough I might concede that I bought in part because of Tony's endorsement.

But mostly, nope.