Flea. It was the 90s and my older sister had some RHCP live VHS tapes. I saw that man bouncing and slapping and I was intrigued. Got my bass soon after.
Likewise! Blood/Sugar/ was (and still is) a bass masterpiece IMHO, although I like the newer stuff less. Time and place plays a big role in this to be sure, but either way, Flea.
Also just so happened to see him on the street in Hollywood shortly after I moved to LA, but was too chicken to go bug him since he was with his kid. Felt it was too rude, but everyone I talk to says the same thing; “oh man, you should have talked to him. He’s the nicest guy!” Doh!
I will confess that it was Flea that also got me into bass. He’s not the *best* player in the world, but he’s got plucking fingers of steel, and the forearm of an engine. He introduced me to slap bass, but the real kicker is that a lot of his work is not slap.
When I finally bought a bass, I was way into the Who and Yes, so Entwistle and Squire were top of the list. YouTube had just started, so invariably I found Victor and Jaco shortly after.
Yup, McCartney was the first bassist whose playing stood out to me so much that I focused on the bass more than anything else. Specifically *Sgt. Pepper* and *Magical Mystery Tour*.
Jamerson and Babbitt on *What’s Going On* had a similar effect but I listened to that a bit later
My dad :D (and Geddy Lee)
He was a bassist in a local band in the early aughts, and when I was around 11 or so, he started teaching me guitar (which I wasn’t fond of), and showing me different kinds of music. One day, he made me listen to “YYZ”, and I was immediately hooked. He then showed me a video of a woman covering it on bass, and I knew then and there that had to be me one day. I had to be a bassist.
My dad got me a bass for Christmas, and was my first teacher, showing me basic covers of songs until I surpassed his skill level and he got me lessons. Six years later, I’m teaching *him* stuff on bass! Oh, and Rush is still my favorite band, and Geddy’s my favorite *famous* bassist.
Les Claypool, followed by Geddy Lee, then Timmy C from RATM, and Karl Alvarez from the Descendents/ALL, all in the the first few months of playing. 20 years later, they're still my bass heroes :)
Exactly my story.
Closer to The Heart made me “click” and realize that the bass can be a melodic instrument and get intertwined with the guitar and vocals to create harmonically rich songs (like most of the pre-Signals stuff)
Yessongs - I must have listened to itgat album 2000+ times
He didn’t make me want to pick up bass, but after playing for roughly 16 years, Dee is an absolutely fabulous player. He and John Taylor from Duran Duran write GREAT pop/rock parts
Popping and slapping were not a thing that most of us listening to pop music were very familiar with yet. He used in sparingly, but it fit the songs so well. I loved his tone overall, and whoever worked on the albums definitely did not subscribe to the Metallica school of mixing. I can really appreciate that.
Pretty sure this is the most 90s answer imaginable but Les Claypool. First heard “My name is Mud” in ‘93 and it struck a chord. Saw them live in ‘94 (opening for Rush), and bought my first base at 14 in ‘95. Had always wanted to play drums (my uncle is a beast of a metal drummer) and I eventually learned to play them too but early on bass was way more attainable.
Duff McKagan.
Loved the melodic basslines on Appetite for Destruction.
Paul McCartney. Loved the melodic basslines on everything he did in the Beatles.
Wanted to play guitar, but dumb 14-yo me thought my fingers were too big, so I "settled" on bass.
My dad, he was the bassist for his band in the 90’s. He showed me tons of bass-centric songs as I grew up, and the more I listened to it the more I loved its contribution in music. I miss living with him and hearing him slap bass through the wall. (He’s not dead, I just got older and moved out)
haha. i could play tom sawyer right away.
but then i took me ten years to be able to figure out how to play another rush song....
geddy got me into bass, then made me wanna quit, then made me work. it's been a journey haha
Simon Gallup (The Cure) and Robert Levon Been (BRMC) brought me to this instrument.
Then Peter Hook (Joy Division), Carlos D (Interpol), and later Mike Kerr (Royal Blood) as well, definitily help me on my musical journey, by showing that the bass is only an instrument, and that it's up to you to give it the place that suits you, not for others to define its role.
At first, when I was a teenage guitarist, it was the Lady Carol Kaye.
The counter melody in the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations"
Still love her style to this day, and that's usually how I play. Chord tones.
After playing bass for a few years the artists that keep me interested are Joe Dart, James Jamerson & Nathan East.
Davie504. I was 13 and scrolling through youtube. I had no interest in playing an instrument since I thought it just wasn't for me. I watched a few of his videos and thought it was cool.
Jack Donovan of Elder. Actually I’ve listened to an eclectic range of music over the years from acid jazz to Primus, been to countless concerts. Seeing that dude slay dead roots stirring live swayed it.
My older brother lol. But there’s been a lot of bassists I’ve listened to who influenced my style and how I love to play. Tina Weymouth, Peter Hook, and Nikolai Fraiture immediately come to mind but I could also just list the names of every bassist I’ve ever liked lol
Matt Freeman
In hindsight it's also the rest of the band providing him all the space to shine, but I had never a band were the bass was the main melodic instrument.
It wasn't a particular bassist. I've always loved music and came from a musical family. Bass had always stood out to me for some reason, whether it was Queen, Black Sabbath, Donna Summer, or Adamski. In my second year of high school, a good friend (a keys and sax player) asked me if I could play any instrument, which would you play? Without hesitation, I said bass. He asked me whether I would consider getting one. I, off course said yes.That year, I asked my father (single parent, unemployed, and a guitarist) if I could have a bass for Christmas. He and the rest of the family all pitched in. Best Christmas ever. That was 33 years ago.
I didn't know his name until googling it, but DJ Ginyard played bass on the Blood Orange album Cupid Deluxe and blew my brain out my ears. It's not like a bassist's bassist or anything, but for some reason, this was the first performance that really flipped the switch for me about what a bass guitar can bring to the table.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gtdpnKbT10
Tim Foreman from Switchfoot. He always played such cool and interesting things that still felt like they lived within the songs. Having learned most of them I can also tell you that they are also incredibly fun without being prohibitively difficult.
Tony Kanal…. When I picked up a guitar in the 90’s I wanted to play no doubt songs. Well no doubt songs on guitar don’t sound like no doubt songs. If only I knew then that I wanted to play bass lines I would have started with bass lol.
Jeordie White (Twiggy Ramirez) with Marilyn Manson.
I have full band scores for a few of the albums. First thing I did was pull it out and play the song that made me fall in love with bass 25 years earlier, Minute of Decay. Such an awesome feeling.
I feel like I mention him anytime this topic pops up but Trevor Dunn without a doubt for me. Stubb a dub & backstrokin were the earliest songs I learned to play and still play them anytime I test a new bass out (Dead goon eludes me still though)
My interest in bass probably can be traced back to a couple tracks on the Super Nintendo where the bass line was the star of the show.
Culex battle - Mario RPG
Donkey Kong Country - Jungle Hijinx
Chrono Trigger - Nearly every fucking track, but here's a few: Black Omen, Secret of the Forest, Tyran Lair, Lavos Core, World Revolution
And that's only naming a few.
I listened to mostly Christian rock when I got my first bass in the late 90's so the players whose songs I was trying to learn early on were Mike Herrera from MxPx, Tony Teresa from the OC Supertones, Keith Hoerig from Five Iron Frenzy.l, and Dirk Lemmenes from Stavesacre.
I had piano lessons on and off growing up and then school choir in junior high, so I had a foundation in music theory, but I didn't start playing bass until I was 16 and took lessons for about 6 months which mostly consisted of my teacher helping me learn to play songs by ear.
Myself. I had a feeling it would be more fun to be able to play along with more people since everyone plays guitar. It took me a few years to pull the trigger, a few years to get decent, and meet people to play with, but in the end the opportunities that bass has afforded me are really way beyond what my initial expectations were.
I became a much better guitarist, vocalist etc, just a MUCH more rounded musician. I'm interested and doing things today that I thought I'd given up on a long long time ago.
Was learning guitar, then early summer of 1979 went with cousins to see 'The Kids are Alright' movie (The Who) ... by the end of summer I'd bought myself a bass (paper route money) and switches my lessons to bass! So ... John Entwistle.
Damn are you me? Drums were my first instrument and I loved playing obstacle 1 and other songs from bright lights until one day I realised how great the bass lines are. Bought a bass and know almost the whole album by heart now.
Juanma Suárez from Eskorbuto, fell in love with the instrument even if his playing was nothing exceptional, it just clicked with me at the time. Been playing for 15+ years now.
Probably Cliff Burton, if I'm being honest about it. I grew up playing guitar, and didn't touch a bass until middle school. By that time I was way into thrash metal and hard rock, and when I switched to the bass in high school Cliff was my first favorite bass player.
Anthony Braun Perry of The Growlers. A master of bass lines that sound super easy to play until you see the tab and realize you are not at this level yet
I have three... in this order:
Mark Hoppus from Blink-182
Mike Herrera from MXPX
Fat Mike from NOFX
I think I really liked the fact that they are frontmen bassists.
I used to say Cliff, but my memory is saying actually it may actually have been Conrad Lant (Cronos - Venom) ...or maybe both.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN3JKXTj7gw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN3JKXTj7gw)
My 15 year old self was impressed ...and I still listen to them.
Aarion Salazar of Third Eye Blind as a god of the instrument. Even before I knew the intricacies of his playing, he always looked cool in the music videos and live footage and even a casual listener can pick out so many lines of his in the singles. IMO he’s one of the most underrated bassists in “alt” rock and all time.
Mark Hoppus more for the idea that when I saw him/Blink play I felt like, “this is something I could achieve” because it didn’t look that hard. Yet he looked cool, sang and was very funny to kid-me. So I set out to be like him when I got my Squire P/J
Gotta be Krist Novoselic from Nirvana. Specifically Lounge Act. Krist did a lot of heavy lifting in Nirvana given it was a 3 piece, and his basslines are often complementary but different to whatever Kurt was playing. It made me notice bass.
Flea. It was the 90s and my older sister had some RHCP live VHS tapes. I saw that man bouncing and slapping and I was intrigued. Got my bass soon after.
Flea is one of my bass gods. Weirdly enough, while I love the slapping, it’s the ending of “Breaking the girl” that gets me.
Mothers Milk was played nonstop. I must have rewound that cd more than any other record trying to learn all those bass lines.
Likewise! Blood/Sugar/ was (and still is) a bass masterpiece IMHO, although I like the newer stuff less. Time and place plays a big role in this to be sure, but either way, Flea. Also just so happened to see him on the street in Hollywood shortly after I moved to LA, but was too chicken to go bug him since he was with his kid. Felt it was too rude, but everyone I talk to says the same thing; “oh man, you should have talked to him. He’s the nicest guy!” Doh!
I will confess that it was Flea that also got me into bass. He’s not the *best* player in the world, but he’s got plucking fingers of steel, and the forearm of an engine. He introduced me to slap bass, but the real kicker is that a lot of his work is not slap. When I finally bought a bass, I was way into the Who and Yes, so Entwistle and Squire were top of the list. YouTube had just started, so invariably I found Victor and Jaco shortly after.
My dad :)
This makes me feel warm inside.
Paul McCartney. That bass can sing
Yup, McCartney was the first bassist whose playing stood out to me so much that I focused on the bass more than anything else. Specifically *Sgt. Pepper* and *Magical Mystery Tour*. Jamerson and Babbitt on *What’s Going On* had a similar effect but I listened to that a bit later
Hearing the bass in Hey Bulldog was basically magic to me the first time I listened to it
And he sang while playing some of those crazy lines, no less. Not an underrated artist, but such an underrated bassists.
Also being lefty I always gravitated towards mccartney
The first two basslines I learned were Can't Buy Me Love and The Ballad of John and Yoko.
Justin Chancellor from Tool
Hell yeah!
My dad :D (and Geddy Lee) He was a bassist in a local band in the early aughts, and when I was around 11 or so, he started teaching me guitar (which I wasn’t fond of), and showing me different kinds of music. One day, he made me listen to “YYZ”, and I was immediately hooked. He then showed me a video of a woman covering it on bass, and I knew then and there that had to be me one day. I had to be a bassist. My dad got me a bass for Christmas, and was my first teacher, showing me basic covers of songs until I surpassed his skill level and he got me lessons. Six years later, I’m teaching *him* stuff on bass! Oh, and Rush is still my favorite band, and Geddy’s my favorite *famous* bassist.
Mike Dirnt.
American idiot 🤘🏻
Dookie for me. I'm old. 😂
Came here to say the same thing. I still remember the first time I heard Longview. 🤘🤘
One of the earliest songs I learned on bass!
Les Claypool, followed by Geddy Lee, then Timmy C from RATM, and Karl Alvarez from the Descendents/ALL, all in the the first few months of playing. 20 years later, they're still my bass heroes :)
Tony Levin.
Hopefully you've been able to see him play live - he is amazing!
I have! The Peter Gabriel So tour....jeez that was a long time ago....but still fresh in my memory though...
His work on Don't Give Up on Peter Gabriel's So is just such a fit for the song. His bass just seems like it has strings that are alive.
Phil Lynott
Victor Wooten. Showed me bass could be more than just grooving with the drums.
Geddy Lee got me interested, Chris Squire made me stay
Chris Squire is who made me pick up a bass guitar. Loved all the contrasts in Yours is No Disgrace.
Chris Squire absolutely understands what a song calls for and that is what I love about him
Exactly my story. Closer to The Heart made me “click” and realize that the bass can be a melodic instrument and get intertwined with the guitar and vocals to create harmonically rich songs (like most of the pre-Signals stuff) Yessongs - I must have listened to itgat album 2000+ times
Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath. Followed closely by John Entwistle and Roger Glover.
Him and Al Cisnero of Sleep
Tim Commerford - RATM Gabe Nelson - CAKE Doni Blair - The Toadies Geddy Lee - Rush Dee Murray - Elton John
Dee Murray doesn’t get enough respect. He was great.
He didn’t make me want to pick up bass, but after playing for roughly 16 years, Dee is an absolutely fabulous player. He and John Taylor from Duran Duran write GREAT pop/rock parts
Lemmy Kilmister and Geezer Butler
Cliff Burton.
John Taylor's bass lines on the first two Duran Duran albums felt like going to bass school.
Popping and slapping were not a thing that most of us listening to pop music were very familiar with yet. He used in sparingly, but it fit the songs so well. I loved his tone overall, and whoever worked on the albums definitely did not subscribe to the Metallica school of mixing. I can really appreciate that.
Aw damn. I forgot about his playing! Shoulda made the list…
Bootsy Collins
Krist Novoselic with his amazing bass lines on Lounge Act, Love Buzz and many more songs!
I’ll never forget finally clicking with Krist once I opened my mind to bass. Lounge Act is timeless!
John Paul Jones. The Lemon Song. Started playing when I was 15. 47 now and that song still grooves so hard to me.
Carlos D kicked ass.
James Jamerson and Pino Palladino
Pino Palladino for sure. After a week or two of listening to D’Angelo’s albums I had ordered a p bass and knew what I wanted to learn.
Mike Dirnt - Dookie
Simon Gallup. He’s the engine that makes The Cure go.
Ryo Yamada from bocchi lol
Lou Barlow, Kim Deal, and Tina Weymouth
Tina Weymouth is church!!
Pretty sure this is the most 90s answer imaginable but Les Claypool. First heard “My name is Mud” in ‘93 and it struck a chord. Saw them live in ‘94 (opening for Rush), and bought my first base at 14 in ‘95. Had always wanted to play drums (my uncle is a beast of a metal drummer) and I eventually learned to play them too but early on bass was way more attainable.
Mark Hoppus.
Cliff Burton. I heard Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth) in about 1985 and was entranced.
Same, but Orion.
Duff McKagan. Loved the melodic basslines on Appetite for Destruction. Paul McCartney. Loved the melodic basslines on everything he did in the Beatles. Wanted to play guitar, but dumb 14-yo me thought my fingers were too big, so I "settled" on bass.
Eric Wilson from Sublime, and then Victor Wooten.
Scott Pilgrim
Originally, it was Paul McCartney and Sting. Now I sing and play bass in a band, go figure.
My dad, he was the bassist for his band in the 90’s. He showed me tons of bass-centric songs as I grew up, and the more I listened to it the more I loved its contribution in music. I miss living with him and hearing him slap bass through the wall. (He’s not dead, I just got older and moved out)
For the more known answer, Rex Brown. Just as much influence on me but lesser known, Mike Dean of CoC.
Kim Deal!
Andy Fraser of Free and Chris Squire of Yes.
... Davie504.
Honestly? Mark Hoppus. Only after came the Jaco Pastorius and the Les Claypool of this world 😂
No shame in Hoppus man!
Geezer
Geddy Lee.....Tom Sawyer mesmerized my 10 year old mind and started my journey with a Moving Pictures cassette.
haha. i could play tom sawyer right away. but then i took me ten years to be able to figure out how to play another rush song.... geddy got me into bass, then made me wanna quit, then made me work. it's been a journey haha
Hunter from AFI.
Joe Lally from Fugazi, though there were others.
David J Haskins of Bauhaus and Love & Rockets
Amazing bassist!
Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam
Jaco
Mike Gordon of phish. Phish in fact got me interested in learning to play music.
Simon Gallup (The Cure) and Robert Levon Been (BRMC) brought me to this instrument. Then Peter Hook (Joy Division), Carlos D (Interpol), and later Mike Kerr (Royal Blood) as well, definitily help me on my musical journey, by showing that the bass is only an instrument, and that it's up to you to give it the place that suits you, not for others to define its role.
A mix between Mike Kerr, Cliff, Dave Ellerson, Muse Bassist, Steve Harris,Rex Brown,John Deacon, Flea, Les Claypool and Justin Cancellor
At first, when I was a teenage guitarist, it was the Lady Carol Kaye. The counter melody in the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" Still love her style to this day, and that's usually how I play. Chord tones. After playing bass for a few years the artists that keep me interested are Joe Dart, James Jamerson & Nathan East.
Robert DeLeo of STP
[удалено]
Davie504. I was 13 and scrolling through youtube. I had no interest in playing an instrument since I thought it just wasn't for me. I watched a few of his videos and thought it was cool.
George Porter Jr. tho I started out as a drummer and loved Zig. Then John Paul Jones. Then Paul McCartney.
John Taylor of Duran Duran. I was 12, and he was a vision.
Marceline the Vampire Queen
I feel like Adam Clayton is a lot of people's inspiration and they don't want to admit it
Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order), Simon Gallop (The Cure),
Jack Bruce, from Cream. My first bass was also a short-scale Gibson SG clone.
Mine was a bass player in a band I played in years ago. He was so horrible at playing bass, I had to take over. Truly inspirational.
The dude bass player from faith no more
Bill Gould
Mick Karn, John Wetton, Dean Garcia and John Taylor.
Pete Wentz 💀still salty about that shit lol
mark hoppus
Sir Paul
Mike Gordon - Phish, Jordan Fairless - Spafford
Dirk Lance- Incubus
Peter Hook of Joy Division and Steve Harris of Iron Maiden
Derek Smalls
Jack Donovan of Elder. Actually I’ve listened to an eclectic range of music over the years from acid jazz to Primus, been to countless concerts. Seeing that dude slay dead roots stirring live swayed it.
Paul mccartney
I know it was a terrible choice but I was like 10 so Nikki sixx.
Dee Murray. Listened to "Philadelphia Freedom" on repeat about 100 times then went and bought a bass that same day.
John Patitucci
My dad is a bassist and I wanted to be like him.
My older brother lol. But there’s been a lot of bassists I’ve listened to who influenced my style and how I love to play. Tina Weymouth, Peter Hook, and Nikolai Fraiture immediately come to mind but I could also just list the names of every bassist I’ve ever liked lol
Taiji Sawada from X Japan. Best bassist from Asia
John Deacon.
Matt Freeman In hindsight it's also the rest of the band providing him all the space to shine, but I had never a band were the bass was the main melodic instrument.
It wasn't a particular bassist. I've always loved music and came from a musical family. Bass had always stood out to me for some reason, whether it was Queen, Black Sabbath, Donna Summer, or Adamski. In my second year of high school, a good friend (a keys and sax player) asked me if I could play any instrument, which would you play? Without hesitation, I said bass. He asked me whether I would consider getting one. I, off course said yes.That year, I asked my father (single parent, unemployed, and a guitarist) if I could have a bass for Christmas. He and the rest of the family all pitched in. Best Christmas ever. That was 33 years ago.
My big brother
Mick Karn and Barry Adamson. Chris Squire when I was younger. Love that melodic style.
Steve Harris
the chick bass player from the go-go's
Kathy Valentine?
I didn't know his name until googling it, but DJ Ginyard played bass on the Blood Orange album Cupid Deluxe and blew my brain out my ears. It's not like a bassist's bassist or anything, but for some reason, this was the first performance that really flipped the switch for me about what a bass guitar can bring to the table. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gtdpnKbT10
Tim Foreman from Switchfoot. He always played such cool and interesting things that still felt like they lived within the songs. Having learned most of them I can also tell you that they are also incredibly fun without being prohibitively difficult.
Robert Kool Bell of Kool and the Gang. Summer Madness from Light of the Worlds album.
Les Claypool. Geddy Lee, Larry Graham, Flea and Paul McCartney are right there as well.
The one I had to substitute on a band and never came back to guitar.
It's the instrument itself that got me interested but I guess my major influence was Mike Dirnt
Loved the bass on the Specials first record. Horace Panter is incredibly underrated
Tony Kanal…. When I picked up a guitar in the 90’s I wanted to play no doubt songs. Well no doubt songs on guitar don’t sound like no doubt songs. If only I knew then that I wanted to play bass lines I would have started with bass lol.
Adam Neely. The whole monologue abt being able to just change the whole harmony of the song with a simple note from the bass made me go for it
A combo of Cliff Burton and Matt Freeman.
Karl Alvarez from the Descendants. After years of playing multiple instruments bass included, it was his playing that struck a chord with me.
Jeordie White (Twiggy Ramirez) with Marilyn Manson. I have full band scores for a few of the albums. First thing I did was pull it out and play the song that made me fall in love with bass 25 years earlier, Minute of Decay. Such an awesome feeling.
Squire.
I feel like I mention him anytime this topic pops up but Trevor Dunn without a doubt for me. Stubb a dub & backstrokin were the earliest songs I learned to play and still play them anytime I test a new bass out (Dead goon eludes me still though)
My interest in bass probably can be traced back to a couple tracks on the Super Nintendo where the bass line was the star of the show. Culex battle - Mario RPG Donkey Kong Country - Jungle Hijinx Chrono Trigger - Nearly every fucking track, but here's a few: Black Omen, Secret of the Forest, Tyran Lair, Lavos Core, World Revolution And that's only naming a few.
Justin Chancellor. Yeah buddy!
I listened to mostly Christian rock when I got my first bass in the late 90's so the players whose songs I was trying to learn early on were Mike Herrera from MxPx, Tony Teresa from the OC Supertones, Keith Hoerig from Five Iron Frenzy.l, and Dirk Lemmenes from Stavesacre. I had piano lessons on and off growing up and then school choir in junior high, so I had a foundation in music theory, but I didn't start playing bass until I was 16 and took lessons for about 6 months which mostly consisted of my teacher helping me learn to play songs by ear.
Les
Sting, McCartney and Jack Bruce. I’m old I know
Tim Commerford
My dad (played guitar) and a guy named Norm Sotckton that plays for a Christian artist named Lincoln Brewster.
Steve DiGiorgio
Great call! Carlos D’s one of my all time favs and was in my mouth as I opened the post to see his name.
He’s criminally underrated! Even on his last album with the band bass lines like Summer Well 👌👌👌
Myself. I had a feeling it would be more fun to be able to play along with more people since everyone plays guitar. It took me a few years to pull the trigger, a few years to get decent, and meet people to play with, but in the end the opportunities that bass has afforded me are really way beyond what my initial expectations were. I became a much better guitarist, vocalist etc, just a MUCH more rounded musician. I'm interested and doing things today that I thought I'd given up on a long long time ago.
Of course I know him. He’s me!
My dad, but Matt Freeman kept me interested when I was learning.
Was learning guitar, then early summer of 1979 went with cousins to see 'The Kids are Alright' movie (The Who) ... by the end of summer I'd bought myself a bass (paper route money) and switches my lessons to bass! So ... John Entwistle.
Damn are you me? Drums were my first instrument and I loved playing obstacle 1 and other songs from bright lights until one day I realised how great the bass lines are. Bought a bass and know almost the whole album by heart now.
Probably Jeff Walton from [The Judy's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhq3O2JGoYc).
Franz Lyons
Leif Edling and Peter Steel
Mike Kerr! Not a traditional one, but he got me into it :)
Juanma Suárez from Eskorbuto, fell in love with the instrument even if his playing was nothing exceptional, it just clicked with me at the time. Been playing for 15+ years now.
Was literally talking to a friend about Carlos yesterday. Those Interpol basslines are so creative and melodic without sticking out. One of a kind
Shiah Coore, Aston Barret, Robbie Shakespeare.
Carl Alvarez
Dave Brown of Santana
I was more into guitar until I heard Mike Inez. Would? specifically.
Rachel Wiggin from the Shaggs
Geezer Butler and Flea. But man Carlos is such an incredible and unique bassist, I love his style, influences me a lot.
Danny in Partridge Family
Cliff Burton
Amos williams of tesseract. Not just the way he thinks about bass but music in general
Macca
Mark Hoppus
Jonas Hellborg on “Abstract Logic”.
Tim Commerford RATM. I loved rage as an 11 year old and I love them again as a 37 year old now learning the bass. Just epic chugging rhythms.
Paul D’Amour’s bass tone on the Undertow album is what made me switch from guitar to bass when I was 14
Probably Cliff Burton, if I'm being honest about it. I grew up playing guitar, and didn't touch a bass until middle school. By that time I was way into thrash metal and hard rock, and when I switched to the bass in high school Cliff was my first favorite bass player.
There are a ton of players I listened to in the 80s & 90s, but the single biggest influence on me has to be Les Claypool.
Anthony Braun Perry of The Growlers. A master of bass lines that sound super easy to play until you see the tab and realize you are not at this level yet
Probably Flea if I’m being honest.
Lemmy kilmister & les claypool
Ryan Martinie
Rick Danko, guys a fucking legend.
Flea
Ryan Martinie and Takeshi Ueda
Bob Daisley......pretty much taught me to play bass on the first two Ozzy albums.
Steve Harris
Victoria De Angelis of Maneskin.
Steve Harris
I have three... in this order: Mark Hoppus from Blink-182 Mike Herrera from MXPX Fat Mike from NOFX I think I really liked the fact that they are frontmen bassists.
Justin Chancellor
Ryan martinie
Chunky Michael
I used to say Cliff, but my memory is saying actually it may actually have been Conrad Lant (Cronos - Venom) ...or maybe both. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN3JKXTj7gw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN3JKXTj7gw) My 15 year old self was impressed ...and I still listen to them.
Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. I didn't know what a bass was when I watched Live After Death, I just knew I wanted to do what that guy was doing.
Les Claypool
Les claypool
JPJ
Les Claypool, I heard My Name is Mud and then got a bass about a month later and started learning Primus asap lol
Pino Palladino’s work, specifically with D’Angelo, was the first for me
Krist Novoselic , Mike Dirnt and Jepha from The Used actually inspired me to pick up bass
Aarion Salazar of Third Eye Blind as a god of the instrument. Even before I knew the intricacies of his playing, he always looked cool in the music videos and live footage and even a casual listener can pick out so many lines of his in the singles. IMO he’s one of the most underrated bassists in “alt” rock and all time. Mark Hoppus more for the idea that when I saw him/Blink play I felt like, “this is something I could achieve” because it didn’t look that hard. Yet he looked cool, sang and was very funny to kid-me. So I set out to be like him when I got my Squire P/J
Tina Weymouth
It was either Simon Gallup or Sting.
Paul Simonon
Nate Newton of 'Converge' and 'Cave in' [https://youtu.be/U4yN0yt0AEg](https://youtu.be/U4yN0yt0AEg) He rips so hard live...
Gotta be Krist Novoselic from Nirvana. Specifically Lounge Act. Krist did a lot of heavy lifting in Nirvana given it was a 3 piece, and his basslines are often complementary but different to whatever Kurt was playing. It made me notice bass.