Top Bass Guitar Players All Time

[Blaster]

Jack Bruce
Carol Kaye

 

[pknopp]

Best is purely subjective but dang Entwistle has to be in the conversation and I'm not even a huge Who fan.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Arthur Barrow

Sure, people can now play what he played, but how many have the skills and imagination to make it up on the spot playing alongside Frank Zappa and Vinnie Colaiuta?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Best is purely subjective but dang Entwistle has to be in the conversation and I'm not even a huge Who fan.

I’d have to say the same about McCartney

 

[okfine]

Jack Bruce
Carol Kaye

Lee Sklar, but you probably never heard of him.

 

[Blaster]

I’d have to say the same about McCartney

McCartney?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

McCartney?

Yes. John Paul Jones too.

The skill of inventing and composing a melody, on bass or vocals (Robert Plant, e.g.) is completely separate from being able to replay it

Many of these lists feel like the now eliminated technical portion of Olympic figure skating. There are undoubtedly great bass players who can play Van Halen’s “Eruption” but they’re replaying what someone else already laid down.

My view is what did they do in real time when they had to let the music flow through them?

 

[pknopp]

McCartney?

He is far better than people give him credit for. The best? No, but he is better than most.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Lee Sklar, but you probably never heard of him.

Wife and I saw James Taylor at Tanglewood last summer

 

[pknopp]

Wife and I saw James Taylor at Tanglewood last summer

My daughter plays bass. She has got to see Sklar and Jack Casady.

 

[Blaster]

He is far better than people give him credit for. The best? No, but he is better than most.

He is okay but doesn't rank among the best.

 

[Blaster]

Yes. John Paul Jones too.

The skill of inventing and composing a melody, on bass or vocals (Robert Plant, e.g.) is completely separate from being able to replay it

Many of these lists feel like the now eliminated technical portion of Olympic figure skating. There are undoubtedly great bass players who can play Van Halen’s “Eruption” but they’re replaying what someone else already laid down.

My view is what did they do in real time when they had to let the music flow through them?

John Paul Jones is very good.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

John Paul Jones is very good.

The first time I heard "What is and what should never be" in 1969 I thought, "this guy has been playing bass for 100 years"

 

[GMCGeneral]

As a bottomfeeder myself. I can spout an entire encyclopedia of bassists.
However, my top five are:
Verdine White
Tom T-Bone Wolk
Steve Rodby
Paul Spencer Denman
Donald "Duck" Dunn

 

[Blaster]

The first time I heard "What is and what should never be" in 1969 I thought, "this guy has been playing bass for 100 years"

I play bass guitar and so I have a good perspective regarding the better bass guitar players. I always had great admiration for John Paul Jones.

 

[Blaster]

Verdine White
Tom T-Bone Wolk
Steve Rodby
Paul Spencer Denman
Donald "Duck" Dunn

Duck Dunn was a fabulous bass guitar player.

 

[Blaster]

 

[GMCGeneral]

Duck Dunn was a fabulous bass guitar player.

Him and Steve Cropper were inseparable. He was also a part of the Big 3 of R&B bassists of the 1960s which also included James Jamerson of Motown and Louis Satterfield of Chess.

 

[Blaster]

Him and Steve Cropper were inseparable. He was also a part of the Big 3 of R&B bassists of the 1960s.

 

[GMCGeneral]

Duck Dunn was a fabulous bass guitar player.

If you like Pat Metheny, then you will thoroughly enjoy Rodby's no nonsense and very tasteful playing.