# Best Living Bass Guitarists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 31, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803 "2003-05-31T18:45:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GUINNESS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@GUINNESS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GUINNESS)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/21 "2003-06-01T13:53:01Z")
Peter Hook…you know him from JOY DIVISION/NEW ORDER…also did side projects as REVENGE,MONOCO…also worked as a producer for INSPIRAL CARPETS and STONE ROSES…I used to sit in my room for hours and (try to) figure out JOY DIVISION and early NEW ORDER bass lines…very distinctive sound… ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/22 "2003-06-01T14:01:33Z")
I’ve seen Victor Wooten perform in person and he is incredibly proficient. A master, if you will. He is truly one with the bass guitar. Master Wooten, we worship thee. All hail the four-stringed pluckmeister. Verily I say hasten to thy music shop and purchaseth yon cd-o. Or better yet see 'im in person. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_the\_CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_the\_CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_the_CC)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/23 "2003-06-01T19:13:24Z")
Well, my friend **Quack** hasn’t shown up yet, so I’ll beat him to the punch and say Matt Freeman of **Rancid** and **Operation Ivy**. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/24 "2003-06-01T19:24:29Z")
> [@](#): > > **Chris Wood (Medeski, Martin, & Wood)** I saw MMW over in Winston-Salem a few months back, and the first set was completely OWNED by Wood. That’s hard in a band with both John Medeski and Billy Martin–I had realized how great they were, but I got a whole new appreciation for Chris Wood at that show. Victor Wooten is in a class by himself. It isn’t often that you see technical proficiency like that combined with such a great ear for the instrument. His bass solos have to be seen–not just heard, but seen–to be believed. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/25 "2003-06-01T21:22:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\*… but I’ll nominate Tony Levin, both for his outstanding work with Peter Gabriel and King Crimson and for the quality session work he’s done with everyone from Pink Floyd to John Lennon to Paul Simon. \*\* Was Levin the bassist on “You Can Call Me Al”? ---
**Author:** ![yawndave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/43a26b/32.png) [@yawndave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawndave)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/26 "2003-06-01T21:37:42Z")
Another vote for Tony Levin. King Crimson has one other veteran worth mentioning as well: John Wetton. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/27 "2003-06-01T22:56:25Z")
Bootsy and Les Claypool. I’ve seen Claypool live, and he’s incredible. Also, I’m a huge Beatles fan, but wouldn’t dream of nominating McCartney for this. He did a workman-like job of bass playing, which was exactly what the Beatles needed. But his technique isn’t anything special. ---
**Author:** ![HookerChemical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@HookerChemical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HookerChemical)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/28 "2003-06-02T01:07:19Z")
Dave LaRue I saw the last G3 tour knowing Hamm was good, and left thinking he was the worst of the three bassists that night. Sheehan was great, but Dave LaRue was the one that impressed me the most that night. Not that I wouldn’t piss blood to be as good as Hamm. ---
**Author:** ![Quack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e99b99/32.png) [@Quack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quack)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/29 "2003-06-02T01:45:43Z")
**Earl of the CC** you clever son of a bitch, you did beat me to it. Freeman rocks and that’s all there is. P.S.- Yesterday I got a sweet new bass (Jay Turser Music Man-style. Awesome bass) ---
**Author:** ![Necromancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@Necromancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necromancer)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/30 "2003-06-02T02:40:30Z")
The first person who comes to mind is Les Claypool. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/31 "2003-06-02T02:45:25Z")
Oops! I can’t believe I forgot to mention Nathan East. Not only a brilliant player but also sings like a bird. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/32 "2003-06-02T04:35:05Z")
> [@](#): > > If Carol Kaye is still alive, and I think she is, she would probably get my vote. She is indeed alive and well; I just came back from her website, [www.carolkaye.com](http://www.carolkaye.com) , where she shares her knowledge generously. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/33 "2003-06-02T04:58:03Z")
**Gassendi** , Beatles stuff tends to get taken for granted these days, but I think McCartney was better than you realize. He did some cool stuff, and also set a standard for rock bass playin that many are still following. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/34 "2003-06-02T05:06:22Z")
Cliff Burton was pretty damn good…of course he’s dead, though… My two favorite living bassists would be Geddy Lee and Les Claypool. McCartney is quite tasteful and underrated, but “greatest living” is a stretch…greatest living songwriter, maybe… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/35 "2003-06-02T05:31:13Z")
Oh, I wouldn’t call him greatest living at all, either. Just trying to give some credit. And it’s a list, so he should probably be there even if he’s not #1. ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Echo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Second\_Echo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Echo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/36 "2003-06-02T07:16:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\*Was Levin the bassist on “You Can Call Me Al”? \*\* Nope, sorry. That would be Bakithi Khumalo, who was mentioned earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/37 "2003-06-02T07:38:19Z")
All my faves mentioned, but to reiterate: Claypool, Flea, Bootsy, Watt, Hamm. (Claypool, Watt & Hamm I’ve had the good fortune to meet, yay) I’ve always considered Will Lee of Letterman’s band pretty amazing, but he hasn’t really cranked out anything original of note. ---
**Author:** ![smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoke)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/38 "2003-06-02T12:26:37Z")
Another vote for Les Claypool. Billy Sheehan. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/39 "2003-06-02T13:47:10Z")
Sting ---
**Author:** ![refusal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@refusal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refusal)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803/40 "2003-06-02T14:14:43Z")
**Kim Gordon** of Sonic Youth must qualify as a great, inventive instrumentalist. Also, **Kim Deal** ’s work in the Pixies was super-cool and very influential (I think she just plays guitar now). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-living-bass-guitarists/178803.md?page=3)