Famous bassists who use picks

[x-Konan-x-]

James Newstead-(Metallica)

 

[Hamlet7768]

Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones used a pick for some songs, like Black Dog, Achilles Last Stand, and Nobody's Fault but Mine.

 

[sideshowant]

LEMMY!!!!!

 

[arthur31686]

Joe lally and paul McCartney were my two favorite bass player growing up. They both use picks. The music wouldn't sound good without the attack.

 

[f.c.geil]

Ed Friedland
Sting (at least, it sure looks and sounds like it in a few videos)

 

[roadkill2309]

Joe lally and paul McCartney were my two favorite bass player growing up. They both use picks. The music wouldn't sound good without the attack.

I think I also remember seeing McCartney also use his thumb.

 

[GRAHAM SG1]

Stu West of The Damned

 

[lweastdad]

Many bass players in the old days did double duty. Recorded with a pick and played live with fingers.

John Entwhistle in older photos also played with a pick and converted his style later on.

 

[Evil Undead]

James Newstead-(Metallica)

Or Jason Newsted

 

[Floridabwoy]

Cactus.





Aka. Mike Gordon

 

[bassgod76]

Gene Simmons

Mike Gordon

Justin Chancellor

Playing with a pick is way more challenging for me. It's like you have less fingers when you go to a pick.

 

[mrkrinkledude]

Lemmy Kilmister - Motorhead
Jeff Ament - Pearl Jam
Roger Glover - Deep Purple
David Ellefson - Megadeth

 

[coronado3]

Sting was always a pick player when he was in the Police. He later developed his finger/thumb approach....

Dave Hope is "the man" with a pick!!!!! Check out an old Kansas youtube clip of "Song For America"

 

[GRAHAM SG1]

Klaus Fluoride
JJ Burnel

 

[Sam Evans]

John Wetton sometimes.

Greg Lake

 

[Spirit of Ox]

Rob Wright from Nomeansno. Phil Lesh, Doug Pinnick, Tom Peterson, Noel Redding, and Jack Blades.

 

[phillybass101]

Mel Schacher from Grand Funk does it for me although I've grown to like other forms of music. I'm more into funk, R&B, and Fusion now. Check out Casiopea and the song called Princess Moon. The bass player plays a funky riff with a pick and he kills it. bass player is Tetsuo Sakarai. he's a bad boy.

 

[RickenTalker]

Peter hook of Joy division and Jessie F Keeler from Death from Above 1979 are two of my favorite bassists. Of course I use my fingers with lighter gauge strings and somehow it sounds like I'm playing with a pick xD

 

[Rockin Mike]

Why does it have to be one or the other? Some songs we do sound better played in finger-style and some sound better with pick-style.

this ^

 

[Rockin Mike]

I tried using one of those "spin" toothbrushes, but found out they don't really spin (they just oscillate back and forth) so they don't really vibrate the string, but I could hear the little electric motor through the pickups for a weird little special effect.