Good bassist, bad tone

[ChopperDave]

Are there any bassists where you love their playing, but don't like their tone?

Some examples from my own preferences: Joe Lally of Fugazi. Great player, I think, but I don't like at all his sparkly Music Man tone.

Another is Andy Rourke from the Smiths. Hell of a player--but same thing: very honky tone.

Interpol's Carlos D--one of my favorite all-time, but I find his sound to be uninspiring.

And one more ... sorry, guys and gals, but Geddy Lee ... I kind of love it and hate it at the same time (I know there's scores of material; I'm thinking of some of the big hits--"Tom Sawyer", "Spirit of the Radio", etc., whereas sometimes, like in the breakdown in "Limelight," it sounds f---g amazing).

This is clearly a subjective post, but I like the juxtoposition, so, have at it. Bassists you love, with tone you hate.

(For slight contrast, bassists I love with tone I love include Nate Mendel in his SDRE days, Brian DesJeans in No Knife, Patrick Dalheimer on Live's Throwing Copper (particularly on "Iris"), Jeff Ament on Pearl Jam's Vs. If I think of any bassists I don't like but whose sound is awesome, I'll add that here or start another thread.)

 

[squidtastic]

First one who comes to mind is Wooten. Truth be told, I don't love his playing (I like it), but his virtuosity is undeniable. I almost hate his tone.

 

[JTE]

I've always hated Duff McKagan's ugly nasal honk. But I really like some of the stuff he played.

John

 

[Kmonk]

Tom Hamilton - underrated player but his tone often gets him lost in the mix. No punch or clarity to it.
Tom Petersson - too much reliance on distortion and effects.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Paul McCartney. Worshipped his bass lines as a kid, but didn't like that woody Hofner "plonk". Didn't like his Rickenbacker tone any better.

 

[ozzyismetal]

Stanley Clarke. Amazing player but tone that is as scratchy as the voice of a 60 year old street walker.

 

[nicopiano]

James Jamerson: great playing, tone ok, but far from great.

 

[jazznfusion]

Reggie Young

 

[Ekim]

(Donning flamesuit)

Les Claypool.

 

[R&B]

James Jamerson: great playing, tone ok, but far from great.

:flame: A duel, sir! Choose your weapon. Er, tone.

I love JJ's low-fi old school tone, which is rivaled only by Babbitt's IMHO. Give me tubes and '62s any day of the week.

 

[bassistjoe93]

Jack Bruce

 

[Hamlet7768]

David Ellefson's moden tone. It doesn't work as well as he thinks it does. He needs mids back in his tone.

 

[nicopiano]

:flame: A duel, sir! Choose your weapon. Er, tone.

I love JJ's low-fi old school tone, which is rivaled only by Babbitt's IMHO. Give me tubes and '62s any day of the week.

I like vintage tone, with just a little more color than that.

 

[R&B]

I like vintage tone, with just a little more color than that.

 

[Jason Hall]

Why not I'll play... flea *ducks*. His pedals sound like poop.

 

[Casting Thunder]

Paul McCartney. Worshipped his bass lines as a kid, but didn't like that woody Hofner "plonk". Didn't like his Rickenbacker tone any better.

+1 I could study his stuff all day, but I'd rather listen to silence the relax to his music.

 

[JetBlackJazz]

James Jamerson: great playing, tone ok, but far from great.

Ya, he was too stupid to use Genz Benz. What an idiot.

 

[ChopperDave]

I've always hated Duff McKagan's ugly nasal honk. But I really like some of the stuff he played.

John

+1 fo' sho'. Waaaay too up-front and nasal. One of my first big influences as a teen, though, when I didn't know anything about sound.

 

[Unrepresented]

I've always hated Duff McKagan's ugly nasal honk. But I really like some of the stuff he played.

John

+1 fo' sho'. Waaaay too up-front and nasal. One of my first big influences as a teen, though, when I didn't know anything about sound.

I guess this thread will have conflicting opinions, since I've always found Duff's tone to be one of the more inspiring ones.

I have a tough time separating tone from playing, since the playing style is a major part of what creates the tone.

 

[bkbirge]

First one who comes to mind is Wooten. Truth be told, I don't love his playing (I like it), but his virtuosity is undeniable. I almost hate his tone.

This +1000. Wooten is a monster but his tone is often (not always) like fingernails on a blackboard to me.

Chris Squire or just about anyone good playing a Ric I've never seemed to enjoy the tone too much. I've wanted so much to like Ric's and occasionally try them but the tone always puts me off.

Steve Swallow, man this guy can play but the raw DI'd sound he gets is grating.

Anyone playing any bass with piezo pups and DI'd only. I'm getting the willies just thinking about it.