100 Greatest Rock Bass Guitarists

Ariel · **Joined:** Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:19 am **Posts:** 1392

jfauser wrote:

Ariel wrote:

Squier was actually going to be my first recommendation. What's your price range, like $200-$300? $500? Less than $200?

Probaby $300 and under, preferably around $200.

Squier. Yep. That's it.

At least from my experience. But you know what, cheap Yamahas are really killer too. I've played some and was very impressed.

Go to a Guitar Center and try all the brands you can find and see what tone you like. Try different pickup configurations, etc. That's my strongest recommendation.

Ariel · **Joined:** Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:19 am **Posts:** 1392

StuBass wrote:

Ready Freddie Washington...yes all of that. Also remember that Freddie was chosen to play the award winning Motown 25 Special (with a near death Jamerson watching from the balcony). That's the show where Michael Jackson went beyond our world with his moonwalking, one gloved version of Billie Jean. In addition to his touring with Steely Dan...Freddie is currently on tour with Walter Becker (Steely Dan founder), Boz Scaggs, and Michael McDonald...and the show they're touring with. Freddie is the man around L.A for playing various styles and genres.

Oh yeah...not only played Forget Me Nots...but co-wrote it with Patrice Rushen as well. Had a long collaboration with Rushen.

That story with Jamerson is so touching and poetic.

Freddie sounds really killer and a big deal. He'll get a strong spot. Thanks for filling me in.

Ariel · **Joined:** Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:19 am **Posts:** 1392

Were you at that Motown 25 show Stu?

Ariel · **Joined:** Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:19 am **Posts:** 1392

Nathan East
Freddie Washington
Andy Fraser
Phil Lynott (apparently a bigger deal than I thought, he was on the cover of Bass Player recently)
Gary "Mani" Mounfield
David Ellefson
Juan Alderete
Robert Trujillo
Dug Pinnick
Doug Wimbish
Bill Wyman

K, so Washington and Wimbish get very good spots here. Wyman is a definite for this range out of these names. Fraser I'm inclined to say gets a good spot here.

Very rough/semi random ordering/guessing:

51. Doug Wimbish
52. Andy Fraser
53. Freddie Washington
54. Phil Lynott
55. David Ellefson
56. Dug Pinnick
57. Robert Trujillo
58. Bill Wyman
59. Gary "Mani" Mounfield
60. Nathan East

StuBass · **Joined:** Mon Oct 11, 2010 7:06 pm **Posts:** 794

Ariel wrote:

Were you at that Motown 25 show Stu?

I believe I was still newscasting back in Detroit at the time just prior to moving to L.A... I do remember MJ introducing the moonwalk on that show, Diana Ross and Mary Wilson of The Supremes almost coming to blows...and wondering why in the world Adam Ant was asked to appear lol.

Bruce · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2012 4:52 pm

I'm not a musicain, but someone who is posted this about the discussion that we've had on here before about Elvis playing the first solo on electric bass on a rock record.

> The question is who played the first electric bass solo on a rock
> record?

How are we defining "solo?" Yes, Elvis did begin "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" on unaccompanied electric bass, but I wouldn't call his two-note intro riff a "solo" in the sense commonly understood by musicians and music fans, anymore than I'd call one of D.J. Fontana's snare fills on "Hound Dog" a "drum solo."

I would think that it's how simple or complicated the playing was that defines a "solo." I would think it would be defined by how long the player was playing for by himself. The Fontana snare fills on "Hound Dog" are only a bit longer than one second (like 1.2 maybe). The Elvis intro is about 5 seconds.

StuBass · **Joined:** Mon Oct 11, 2010 7:06 pm **Posts:** 794

I can tell you that my dear departed friend Bob Babbitt played the LONGEST bass solo on a rock/pop top 40 record in history...Dennis Coffeys Scorpio and Babbitts classic solo.

Bruce · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2012 11:31 pm

StuBass wrote:

I can tell you that my dear departed friend Bob Babbitt played the LONGEST bass solo on a rock/pop top 40 record in history...Dennis Coffeys Scorpio and Babbitts classic solo.

Do you agree with this guy who says that the intro that Elvis plays here does not constitute a solo? (ignore what you see in the video).

StuBass · **Joined:** Mon Oct 11, 2010 7:06 pm **Posts:** 794

Bruce wrote:

StuBass wrote:

I can tell you that my dear departed friend Bob Babbitt played the LONGEST bass solo on a rock/pop top 40 record in history...Dennis Coffeys Scorpio and Babbitts classic solo.

Do you agree with this guy who says that the intro that Elvis plays here does not constitute a solo? (ignore what you see in the video).

I would personally classify that as a bass intro as opposed to a bass solo. There are thousands of examples of a single instrument setting the tone for a song with a "solo" intro for a few bars, but I generally consider a solo as a featured part within the song (bridge or verse)...not an intro.

Ariel · **Joined:** Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:19 am **Posts:** 1392

Yea that's defo not a solo hehe.

51. Doug Wimbish
52. Andy Fraser
53. Freddie Washington
54. Phil Lynott
55. David Ellefson
56. Dug Pinnick
57. Robert Trujillo
58. Bill Wyman
59. Gary "Mani" Mounfield
60. Nathan East

Wimbish definitely seems to deserve the top spot here. Blown away by Trujillo's tech skill which is insane.

Neg where are you. I want some Lynott song recommendations

DJ I want some Mani song rec's too

D.J. · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 10:33 am **Posts:** 725

I don't know if others agree but I can see East fitting the top 40 very comfortably; he counts ton of collaborations with some of the best artists on the planet and he got various awards for his work during his long career.

Negative Creep · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:21 pm **Posts:** 11747

Ariel wrote:

Neg where are you. I want some Lynott song recommendations

Whoa, how did you know I was a Lynott fan?

To be fair though, I really haven't heard a lot of Thin Lizzy, definitely way less than I should. But the small amount I've heard has really impressed me. I couldnt give you any recommendations beyond the 'classic' tunes really.
I remember someone on the old ddd forum (I think it was Taro) posted a live performance from Lizzy though, and man Lynott's bass was just storming. I'll try to find the link and put it here for you.

D.J. · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 10:33 am **Posts:** 725

Mani is a very tasteful bass player with a lot of groove in his playing:

Ariel · **Joined:** Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:19 am **Posts:** 1392

Wow Mani is really good. Impressed. Very creative. Far more than people give him credit for I reckon.

Not sure he stays top 60 though. But he'll probably stay on the list.

Ariel · **Joined:** Sun Oct 10, 2010 12:19 am **Posts:** 1392

And dammit Pandora is not being generous giving me songs by the artists whose bassists I need to evaluate :-(

100 Greatest Rock Bass Guitarists

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