top 10 bassists of all time.

A few years ago, Rolling Stone released the top 10 bassists of all time. We thought recalling what equipment they use(d) might be useful for every bass players, beginner or confirmed. This might not be exhaustive, so don’t hesitate to add your own knowledge in comments! Top 10 gear for bassists, let’s get started!

10. Victor Wooten

After a start with his brothers as The Wooten Brothers Band, this philanthropist played with Prince, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller (SMV), and many others. According to his official website, he uses the following gear:

Basses:First Yin-Yang bass, Fodera Monarch (« a bit jazzier than the other YinYang bass »), Tenor Bass, First Fodera (« I call it the #1 bass« ), Compito Fret less 5 (« I’ve used this on many Flecktones recordings« ). 

Amps:Hartke HyDrive (two 4×10 and two 1×15 speaker cabinets), LH 1000 (for preamps and power).

Effects:
Boss GT6B, Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion, Rodenburg Volume Boost pedal, Peterson Strobe tuners.

09. Cliff Burton

Metallica’s former bassist has had a huge influence on young musicians that followed and received famous tributes such as « In My Darkest hour » by Megadeath and the « Among The Living » album by Anthrax. He used this equipment:

Basses:
Rickenbacker 4001, Aria Pro II SB-1000, Aria Pro II SB Black & Gold I, Alembic Spoiler.

Amps:
Mesa Boogie D180 heads, Mesa Boogie 4×12″ cabinets, 1×15″ cabinets, Ampeg SVT-1540HE Classic Series Enclosure.

Effects:
Morley Power Wah Boost pedal, Boss CS-1 Compression pedal, Boss CS-2 Compression pedal, Ibanez HD 1500 Harmonics/Delay, Electro Harmonix Big Muff π Fuzz Box, Electro Harmonix Bassballs Envelop Filter pedal, MXR M-143 Limiter, Ibanez Tube screamer TS-808.

Nota bene: Metallica released a replica of Cliff’s classic bass called « the Aria Pro II Cliff Burton Signature Bass ».

08. Jack Bruce

Before his solo career, the Scottish musician founded the famous psychedelic rock band Cream with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. Jack Bruce has been very prolific over the years and released no less than 14 solo albums in the last 35 years. Here’s the tackle he used and/or still uses today:

Basses (in chronological order):
Fender Bass VI, a 6-string bass, Gibson EB-3, Aria and Spector long-scale basses, Warwick Jack Bruce Signature Model (modified fretless 4-string Thumb Bass with MEC active pickups and LED position markers on the side of the neck), Warwick 5-string basses (for recording only), fretless Star Bass II,  Jack Bruce JB3 Signature Survivor Bass..

Amps:
In the 60’s: Marshall 4×12, Marshall 100 heads (s).
Today:  Hartke 7000 head, four Hartke XL cabinets (two 4×10 and two 1×15).

Effects:
He made Dan Armstrong add a diode into the Gibson EB-3′ to « produce the same effect without overdriving his amplifiers ».

07. Jaco Pastorius

Best known for his highly technical style and his work with Joni Mitchell, this jazz musician is widely recognized amongst musicians as a ground-breaking electric bassist.

Bass:
Fretless 1962 Fender Jazz Bass

Amps:
Variamp EQ (equalization) controls on two Acoustic 360 amplifiers (Acoustic Control Corporation), Hartke cabinets.

Effects:
Rackmount MXR digital delay unit.

Nota bene: Jaco Pastorius’ Fender Jazz Bass was acquired by Metallica’s Robert Trujillo in 2008.

06. John Paul Jones

This multi-instrumentalist is mainly known as a member of the English rock band Led Zeppelin. Afterwards he began his solo career and notably participated in the rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures.

Basses:
1962 Fender Jazz Bass (used in studio and live performances), 1952 Fender Precision Bass with the finish removed (used to play « Black Dog » and other songs live from 1971–1975), Fretless Fender Precision Bass, Gibson EB-1 (seen on the inner wheel of Led Zeppelin III), Fender Bass V, Alembic Bruce Becvar 8 string Triple Omega, Alembic Series II 4 string, Manson E-35 4 String Bass, Manson E-30 4 String Bass (Single Pickup), Manson 8 String Bass, Manson 10 String Bass, Manson 12 String Bass, Manson Bass Mandolin, Acoustic Control Corporation 360 Bass Amp, SWR SM 900 Bass Amp, SWR Goliath III Cabinet, SWR Son of Bertha Cabinet, SWR Big Ben Cabinet.

Amps:
In Led Zeppelin: three Acoustic 360 – 361PP Amplifier Combos.
Then: RS210 2×10″ drivers + 1″ tweeter, RS212 2×12″ drivers + 1″ tweeter, Combo 750 2×10″ Bass Combo.

Effects:
RH750 Compact Head with presets and tuner, RH450 Compact Head with presets and tuner, Nova System FX with analog drive section, Corona Chorus TonePrint Enabled Chorus pedal, PolyTune Classic Poly-Chromatic Tuner.

05. Les Claypool

The lead singer and bassist of the band Primus also appeared on many  peers’ records such as Tom Waits or Metallica. His playing style is said to mix « mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends, and slapping« .

Basses:Carl Thompson: Main Walnut fretted 4-string, Multi-wood fretless 6-string Rainbow Bas, Maple fretted 4-string (backup for the walnut 4-string, Ebony fretted 4-string, Fretless 4-string, Fretted 6-string, Walnut fretted 4-string (replica of the original).

Others: Fender Jazz Basses, Kramer bass, Rickenbacker 4003 bass, Semi-acoustic Eko bass, Zeta electric upright bass, Kay upright bass, NS Design electric upright bass, Tune fretless six-string bass (used primarily before he got the Carl Thompson Rainbow Bass), Whamola bass, Goldtone Bass Banjo (4 stringed combination between bass and banjo), Michael Kelly Bayou 4 Resonator Bass (with EMG pickup). 

Amps:

Ampeg bass heads and cabinets, Mesa Boogie bass cabinets, Gallien Krueger practice amps.

Effects: 
Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler, Line 6 DM4 Distortion modeler, Electro_Harmonix, Korg pedals, Sans Amp Bass DI, Korg Toneworks AX300B pedal, Boomerang Phrase Sampler.

04. Geddy Lee

Rush’s lead vocalist has had a great influence on other rock musicians such as Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris and… Les Claypool!

Basses:Fender Precision Bass, Rickenbacker 4001 and 4005-12, Geddy Lee Jazz Bass (Fender), 1972 Fender Jazz, 5 string Wal bass, Hagstrom bass, Fender Jaco Pastorius fretless replica bass. 
Amps:

Two Orange AD200 bass heads, two OBC410 4×10 bass cabinets, Sunn 2000-s head, Ampeg SVT head and V-4B cabs, Ashly preamps and BGW power amps, Gallien-Krueger amps, Trace Elliot amps, Fender Bassman 100T, Traynor Amps. 

Effects:

Tech 21 SansAmp RBI, Avalon U5 preamp/DI.

03. Paul McCartney

There can’t be top 10 bassists without The Beatles’ and Wings’ songwriter. There’s no doubt Sir Paul McCartney must be one of the most influential musicians of the XXth century. It is hard to find precisely what equipment he’s into, since he says himself he is « one of the least technical people you’re likely to meet ». In 1995 he told Bass Player:

« I don’t know the model names of basses, » he laughs, « I don’t know about amps, I don’t know about serial numbers. People say to me [adopts haughty voice]: ‘I’ve got a fantastic L35.’ I say, ‘Oh… yeah?’ It could be a motorbike for all I know. I’m just not like that, you know? With us it was always just Vox, Höfner, I never really got into the analytical end of it.« 

Anyway, his most famous bass is indeed the Höfner 500/1 model hollow-body electric bass.

02. Flea

Michael Peter Balzary aka Flea plays bass in famous band Red Hot Chili Papers, but also Jane’s Addiction. He also collaborated with The Mars Volta, Johnny Cash and many others.

Basses:
« Shell Pink » ’61 Fender Jazz Bass, Sunburst Modulus Flea Bass, « Circle Jerk Punk-Rock » Modulus Flea Bass, Blue Sparkle Modulus Flea Bass, Silver Sparkle Modulus Flea Bass, Silver Sparkle « 5-String » Modulus Flea Bass, aboriginal painted Modulus basses, New 60’s Jazz Bass.

Amps:
Three Gallien-Krueger 1×15 115RBH bass cabinets, three Gallien-Krueger 2001 RB amplifer heads, three Gallien-Krueger 410RBH 4×10 cabinets, three acoustic USA 360 pre-amplifier bass heads, three acoustic USA 361 powered cabinets.

Effects:
BOSS ODB-3 Bass Overdrive, MXR Micro Amp, Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron, Dunlop 105Q Crybaby Bass Wah, Whirlwind D1, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, Moog MF-103 12-stage phaser, Malekko BAssmaster.

01. John Entwistle

Rolling Stone readers voted for The Who’s legendary bassist as Number 1 bassist of all time. He influenced many other musicians, such as Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic and Rancid’s Matt Freeman. His whole equipment through the years is detailed on The Who’s official website, but here’s an excerpt:

Basses:1964 Fender Bassman. 
Amps:Marshall Stack with 50 watt amps, « Superleads » 100 watt Marshall amps (created especially for The Who), Marshall JTM45 head, three 4×12″ cabinets, Vox AC100s amps, Hiwatt DR103 « Hylight Electronics » Sound City L100 amplifiers (then modified into CP103 « Super Who 100″ model).