famous bass players on flats

[JimmyM]

cliff williams of AC/DC used flats with a pick on the entire Ballbreaker album - which btw is an entirely underated album, IMO.

Cliff plays on flats on all the albums he's on but he'll occasionally record with rounds. A couple songs on the new album are a Stingray with rounds, which has primarily been his live bass (hard to believe he used to use a Steinberger!!!). Agreed about Ballbreaker, too.

 

[markdavid]

John Paul Jones has said differnt things at different times about when he stopped using flats. Decades ago in Guitar Player (yeah, that was before there were any bass magazines- I think around 1977) he said he started using rounds when he got his first Alembic because the flats just didn't do it justice. Much more recent interviews have him reporing he quit using flats in his pre-Zep studio days. I dunno...

Wilton Felder says he used LaBella flats on "I Want You Back" by the Jackson Five (on a single-coil Telecaster Bass).

jte

The bass on "I want you back" is definately strung with flats , definately not rounds.

With regards to John Paul Jones I don't think he really remembers when he switched to rounds (hence the conflicting details he has given) but some of the Zep stuff is definately flats . Regardless he is still an awesome player who is deserving of the respect that he gets

 

[One Drop]

Word!!

You and I need to talk.

I am the biggest Fully Fullwood fan ever.

I bet you've seen 'Word Sound and Power', the amazing documentary about the Soul syndicate made in the late '70s. Lots of great bass there..

He toured with the Peter Tosh all-star tribute band last summer, but I didn't get to see them. I love his Precision tone, he has such a great touch.

 

[sapblatt]

pretty sure Geezer Butler uses flats in Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell

 

[Ampeg SVT]

pretty sure Geezer Butler uses flats in Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell

No he uses DR Black Beauties and Hi-Beams

 

[ElMon]

Though I love flats for recording, I've been REAL happy using D'Addario Halfrounds on my Sadowsky PJ5 for live gigs. Fingerstyle still sounds round and thumpy but when I goose the treble knob they respond like rounds when slapped. COOL!!

 

[rymiraflores]

I believe my all time favorite Felix Pappalardi

At last !!! A man after my own heart...I took up bass after seeing Mountain in Edinburgh when I was 15 (1971 or 2) Felix is THE man....beautiful style, sound and amazing basslines....for me the best and the most underated bassist ever.
I would love to find tabs for some of his lines.

I drive my wife crazy listening to Mountain .
And yes he used flats and only changed them if they broke.
I have only ever used flats and I wouldn´t change to clanky tinny rounds if they were free.

 

[tylerwylie]

It's surprising the tone you can get out of flats now, I'm using Ernie Ball flats, 45 gauge and they can be bright yet still full at the same time. I love it

 

[Low Main]

Willie Weeks (at least some of the time), yes?

 

[CrimsonGhost]

Paul Simonon (Clash)
Graham Maby (Joe Jackson)

2 of the BEST Bass tones in Modern Music, and the reason why i run Rotosound 45-105 Flats on my P-bass and itas versatile for any style.

 

[rapidfirerob]

Berry Oakley used flatwounds with a pick.

 

[One Drop]

2 of the BEST Bass tones in Modern Music, and the reason why i run Rotosound 45-105 Flats on my P-bass and itas versatile for any style.

Graham Maby used LaBella tapewounds with JJ. Very distinctive tone with his great picking style. I like the combination of brightness with less sustain, interesting tone.

 

[randbguy]

He always had the best tone in my opinion. Almost always played a Precision, and had "the tone of terror" as he put it. I'm not positive about the flat wound thing but I think most of his recorded work was on flats. Anyone know for sure?

 

[JimmyM]

He always had the best tone in my opinion. Almost always played a Precision, and had "the tone of terror" as he put it. I'm not positive about the flat wound thing but I think most of his recorded work was on flats. Anyone know for sure?

Yes it was flats.

 

[odin70]

It's surprising the tone you can get out of flats now, I'm using Ernie Ball flats, 45 gauge and they can be bright yet still full at the same time. I love it

I agree...my sound with roto flats is really bright/agressive and with loads of bassy bass. I love it. Flats are NOT only 60s thump. They are coming back with a vengance! i prefere rounds when playing by myself, but in a band setting...it only flats for me.

 

[arjune]

Jerry Jemmott

 

[frankie5string]

I'm pretty sure Ron Carter stuck with flats on his electrics long after roundwounds were available... Check out some of the stuff he did with McCoy Tyner for some fairly loose electric bass playing... Seems like the jazz guys went to either flats or tape-wounds...

 

[C-60 Bass]

Keith Ferguson - Fabulous Thunderbirds

 

[MtManiac]

No he uses DR Black Beauties and Hi-Beams

He does *now* - what did he used *then?*

 

[Bassman316]

About Roger Waters- I agree with him maybe using flats in the earlier days, but not so later on. When they discuss "Money" on the Dark Side of the Moon Classic Albums DVD, Roger plays the bassline solo in his studio and it definitely sounds like rounds.