Unique bassists

[Bob_Ross]

I can see your point.
Ok how about Stephen Brunner aka Thundarcat?

Yeah, him I'd call "unique"!

 

[Lobster11]

I don't disagree that they're both "so good" (really freakin' good!) and that they both have "awesome artistic vision"

...but "unique"? [....]

Thanks for emphasizing the distinction. It would be all too easy for this thread to just turn into yet another who's-the-best or who's-your-favorite thread. (Actually, it almost certainly will eventually turn into that.)

In the meantime, as long as we're focusing on unique, I'm gonna say Phil Lesh. As Jerry Garcia put it, "he doesn't even play the bass like a bass." The guy was writing symphonies and playing trumpet when the then-Warlocks tapped him to be their bass player. So he picked one up and invented, from scratch, a truly unique way of playing the instrument that was not influenced by any other bassists before or since. He might or might not be one of the "best," and he might or might not be one of your "favorites," but there's no arguing that he's unique.

 

[witness66]

• Jaco
• Les Claypool
• Justin Chancellor (Tool)
  
  

 

[Neon Blues]

I think Unique to me means bringing something left field to a specific genre.

Justin Chancellor is a clear one for me. Matt Freeman from Rancid is a great example of bringing something different and Flea.