The way bass "should" sound

[mexicanyella]

I really like how the bass fits into the overall mix on Dio songs like Rainbow in the Dark:



And Holy Dive-AH!!!:



Maybe a pretty gnarly/ugly sound when soloed, but fits around distorted Les Pauls and Marshalls pretty well. It’s pretty much what I shoot for with the guys in my band, using a P with chrome flats and a digital emulation of a slightly overdriven Marshall Superbass.

 

[landry.bass]

Best. Bass. Tone. EVER.

But also, I love how the first few posts in this thread all have wildly different bass tones - all great.

 

[Max Bogosity]

One each for upright and electric bass:

 

[James Collins]

 

[leegreenman]

Here’s a good one

And another

 

[juancaminos]

Best. Bass. Tone. EVER.

But also, I love how the first few posts in this thread all have wildly different bass tones - all great.

This this this this this this this this this this

 

[Ulf Buck]

Dio cover. Nails that Jimmy Bain Tone

 

[Bassheart365]

This has to be on the list

 

[Spectrum]

DO I have to pick just one?

Because my first thought is this:



But also, miles in the other direction, is this:

 

[FatStringer52]

Clean . . .



. . . and with some dirt . . .

 

[GretschWretch]

The fattest, mellowest P bass tone I have ever heard.

 

[juancaminos]

Clean . . .



. . . and with some dirt . . .

One of my very first influences was Mel

 

[CallMeAl]

The 2 bass players who made me want to play the bass the most:

Duck Dunn


Joe Lally


My gear and my style is much more Duck these days, but I know @NoSlapForYou will appreciate a post for Joe

(can’t remember, did Joe play the stingray on waiting room?)

 

[hennessybass]

This one got me going when I was starting out. Love the bass tone on Zeppelin II


@leegreenman - revolution blues is killer. Love the song, the bass line and tone are so great. Rick Danko!

 

[NoSlapForYou]

The 2 bass players who made me want to play the bass the most:

Duck Dunn


Joe Lally


My gear and my style is much more Duck these days, but I know @NoSlapForYou will appreciate a post for Joe

(can’t remember, did Joe play the stingray on waiting room?)

Yeah, he mostly played a StingRay in Fugazi. And with a pick too. But somehow it doesn't sound too bright.

 

[bassobrutto]

Upright:


Electric:

 

[Tony In Philly]

The fattest, mellowest P bass tone I have ever heard.

Funny you mentioned it. Steve Stills + barbecue sauce coated strings. It's well documented.

 

[Altitude]

No single favorite. Many.

Big fan of the active J sound, like Skeet on this Maceo record:



or the passive 70s J tone Geddy got on Counterparts:



or the really pure Stingray slap tone on this Squarepusher song:



or Patitucci’s old 6-string tone when he was still stringing roundwounds:



or the similar 6-string tone Will Greer gets on the solo in the middle of this song:

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or what Doug Johns pulls out of his PJ Pedullas:



or, finally, the wicked chunky P tone Kai Eckhardt uncharacteristically whipped out on this Garaj song:

 

[Flooflox]

 

[SactoBass]

Ric:


P bass:


J bass: