Good bassist, bad tone

[Nickweissmusic]

This list could as easily be titled "name all of the most influential bassists and bass tones in the history of recorded music."
The isolated track of "Helter Skelter"
simply proves that what sounds great in a mix doesn't necessarily sound "good" isolated. That's just the deal with music. I actually though Lennon's choice of down picking most of the repeated 16ths was a nice bass player move, not bad for a guitar player.

 

[Atshen]

Dusty Hill sounds great in the studio, but live it sounds like one big fart.

That's funny, as he describes his own tone as "like farting in a trash can".

 

[elBandito]

Rex Brown. You can barely hear him on the records.

 

[Marial]

Rex Brown. You can barely hear him on the records.

But when you can hear it it's fantastic.

 

[AdamR]

Rex Brown. You can barely hear him on the records.

Thats not bad tone, thats bad mixing

 

[infraviolet]

Sorry for the thread necromancy but I really liked Geddy Lee's Wal tone. One I personally do not like is Les Claypool's resonator bass sound. It sounds cool but it's so out of context in Primus IMHO.

 

[keith1r]

John Paul Jones has my favorite tone with his Jazz bass through an Acoustic 360 but the Alembic through the GK 1977-1980 was not good at all.
Not of fan f most of Geddy Lees tones. Sounds like he's playing the bass not plugged in and it's just mic'd.
Entwistles later sound before he died was too trebly and processed.
Any bassist with no mids playing with a pick or slapping sounds bad also. 70's slapping sounded good.
Not a fan of plain direct sound.

 

[woodyng]

Tal Wilkenfeld....she's a great player,very talented and capable,but every time i see a live concert video of her playing,i just don't like her sound at all. I think she uses an entire chain of EBS products to achieve that sound.

I would also throw Lemmy on the list,if i didn't just consider him to be a heavy metal guitarist that just happens to use a bass to get his sound.

 

[Ramleg85]

Rex Brown. You can barely hear him on the records.

Rex has one of my fav. bass tones for a metal player. I can see that for cowboys and some of vulgar being alittle to quiet. (I dont know if its mixing, I think dimes guitar tone had too much bottom end) but absolutely not for great beyond and great southern, great bass playing and sound.



3:55 is the start of the dime solo, always payed way more attention to what rex was doing there. Awesome.

 

[Ramleg85]

another great one off far beyond.

 

[Nykki Madd]

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

John

I respect you opinion or input in this matter,personally I love duff's sound