Famous bassists who use picks

[GM60466]

Peter Cetera

 

[adi77]

mike gordon

 

[RandomBox]

I play using both, because it really doesnt matter.


I know some of these have probably been said already, but:
Craig Montoya
Nate Mendel
Krist Novoselic

 

[iriegnome]

I made the switch from pick to finger style many years ago. Probably about 25 years ago. I seem to do well either way. I look at the whole pick/finger thing as just a huge joke. Who really cares either way. Great tone is great tone. Grooving bottom end is the player not the pick. Yea, I joke with pick players, but it is just in sport. I even have a shirt "Picks are for Pu$$ies".. Cause it's just funny. Quality of the player isn't from a pick. Proven over and over again. Mike Gordon, Phil Lesh, Paul McCartney and on and on. I still grab a pick on occasion. Especially on super humid days when I get a huge blister on my fingers from the sweat and moisture. Picks come through just fine

 

[FaithNoMan]

Billy Gould. Lots of picking, especially in the Chuck Mosely days.(and on King for a Day)

 

[socialleper]

Shane Embury - Napalm Death
Jeff Walker - Carcass
Danny Lilker - Anthrax, SOD, Nuclear Assault, etc
Jimmy Bain - Dio
Mariusz Duda - Riverside

 

[Xero Tolerance]

Doesn't matter what you use as long as you get er done. A true bassist uses what he's comfortable with to accomplish his goal and lay down killer low end and have a blast while you do it.

On that note
Peter Steele, Jason Newsted, Paulo jr, lemmy, David Ellefson, Tom Araya, Chris Squire, Tom Angelripper, and youll also see it in a lot of the neo thrash bassists. Several of the bassists in Death used picks, most vivid in my memory is the bassist from the sound of perseverance lineup. Robert Trujillo occasionally uses them, and Geezer butler himself occasionally used them! (Don't believe me watch their live in New York 1980 film- neon knights you get great shots of geezer using a pick!)

I personally play with both pick and fingers, really all depends on the song, how I'm feeling, tone I'm going for, etc. I primarily use my fingers and only use fingers live (except for in my new band where I also handle vocal duties- using a pick really helped me improve on vocals/bass simultaneously as a frontman.) but it annoys me to no end to see pick bass get ripped on when pick bass gives a killer attack and bright/ growly tone.

 

[bluesdogblues]

Jerry Peek (Steve Morse Band)

 

[drdog]

99% of time, I use fingerstyle. However, only recently I started using pick on some songs. The reason is because the way I hold my wrist when I fingerpick I sometimes get wrist fatigue and I'm trying to avoid the future development of carpal tunnel. So playing with a pick sometimes relieves my right hand wrist area for a song or two.

 

[bassplayer2014]

Cliff Williams AC/DC

 

[godofthunder59]

Actually EntWISTLE used both his fingers and a pick throughout his career. There's all kinds of footage of him using a pick, even later on. He used whatever fit the song best.

Correct thanks for posting ! In the first 10 years of The Who pick or fingers was about 50/50.

 

[warrplayer]

Not famous enough, but Grog from Die So Fluid. Great tone. Sings and plays effortlessly.

 

[Cole Louis Allar]

I'm not famous but I use a pick

 

[Cascanicoff]

Check this out. Music starting on 1:14



Carles Benavent, my favourite pick bass player. And one of my very top favourite players in any style.

 

[RyanKW]

In my experience, the bassists who make silly statements about 'real' bass players not using picks, usually have no game with a pick, or are scared to try and work on their pick playing as it may prove challenging. I think it can only make you a better bassist, being able to play with your fingers and I pick.

I regularly use a pick on sessions with my P bass strung with flats, and always get complimented on my tone, and how the note sits against the kick drum. Plus its just kinda fun to be able switch between pick/fingers live to change it up and explore ways to control both. And yeah, you dont have to look very far to garner a pretty big list of famous/pro players who use plectrums as part of their tone

Yeah, I'm the first to admit that I don't use a pick because I'm not comfortable with it and don't feel I can play it at the level that I'm expected to play. I was a purist when I was young because.........????????????????????????????????? because young people are f***ing stupid sometimes, and I'm no exception. I wish I had developed my pick game while I was developing the rest.

 

[Spigot]

,ver'm jumping in here way after the last post before me, and am new to this TB posting thing. I don't think anyone has mentioned Mrs. John Murphy - Kim Deal - of the Pixies. A very underrated player and singer, I think. I can't recall his name, but the guy that played live with the Beach Boys for many years sounds like he used a pick, and managed to get that sound of Carol Kaye mixed with upright all by himself on the London live 1968 recording. I'm glad someone mentioned Joe Osborne. I met Jesse Chambers back when he played with Ricky Skaggs in 1986, and he told me all about how he used the Joe Osborne approach: tandem-knob early Jazz Bass, bass pickup only with chrome cover over it as it influenced the magnetic field (treble pickup volume all the way down), dead flats, and a Dorito-shaped big Fender heavy pick. Supposedly Dick Dale had all his bassists use a P-Bass with flats and a pick, striking all the notes with downstrokes. Some of that Doobie Brothers stuff, like "Listen To The Music" and "Taking It To The Streets" almost has to be a pick on flats by the sound of it. I personally use both pick and fingers, even thumb, and probably prefer the pick overall.

 

[cnltb]

Steve Swallow
Anthony Jackson
Bobby Vega
Carles Benavent

 

[KoaFodera]

Just in case this name was not mentioned yet... Graham Maby from Joe Jackson. Classic songs such as "Sunday Papers" & "I'm the Man" have great driving bass lines.

Graham Maby: Still the Man with Joe Jackson

My all time favorite bassist that used a pick would have to be Chris Squire. Great tone and some of the best melodic lines ever.

McCartney on "Goodnight Tonight"

Mike Rutherford on "Get'em Out By Friday"

Justin Chancellor, great tone on that Wal bass

another great musician worth mentioning: Nick Beggs

Billy Sherwood, who was personally asked by Chris Squire, to perform with Yes

Dave Meros from Spock's Beard. Check out Walking On The Wind

 

[Cole Louis Allar]

Dee Dee Ramone
Mat Freedman( sorry if I spelled his name incorrectly)

 

[PGeorge61]

Haven't seen a thread on this yet. I have often heard that real bass players use their fingers and NEVER use a pick (shudder) but I have learned that a good number of famous bassists actually use picks and that a pick is a part of their signature sound.

I started out using a pick (because I am a guitar player, after all) but weaned myself off because I wanted to become a "Real" bass player!

Here are some iconic bass players who use a plectrum (Pick).:

Chris Squire - Yes (Not just that "Rick" giving that signature sound)

Mel Schacher - GFR

John Lodge - Moody Blues

Tommy Shannon - SRV and Double Trouble

Roger Waters - Pink Floyd

Paul McCartney - The Beatles



I do not know about anyone else here but I will not be telling these guys they are not bass players because they use a pick!

Phil Lynott. Thin Lizzy