Bassists who use picks

[EugeneSmasher]

That's true but I also think playing with fingers is more trebly because the nails are there to give the twang. Picks are a little thinner and I find that pickstyle, the bass doesn't cut through the mix as easily as when using fingers.

Testament's bassist Greg Christian uses fingers to play bass. Tons of respect for the guy. And Testament's basslines are fast and technical too. So glad he's back with Testament!

 

[ruixist]

i'm used to using my fingers instead of a pick because of my classical guitar background. it's also a greater challenge and more fulfilling to fingerpick semiquavers! (and then seeing nails get filed down in the process, haha)

that said, i'd acknowledge that the picking sound is edgier, twangy-er and gives the bass tone an attack that fingers or weaker nails can't.

duff mckagan!

 

[lordie]

i am a guitarist turn bassist so naturally i uses pick, but nowadays i use fingerstyle for certain genre usually the slower stuff and use a pick for the fast stuff, fast like death metal/grindcore speed fast. cos i can't seem to play them in fingerstyle *grinz* lol.

but for recording irregardless, slow or fast, i will use a pick to accentuate the attack.

 

[shinobi]

the main idea is to understand that it is not a matter of stylistic preference, but rather to tonal preference. and in 'tonal preference' it is mainly with regards to attack more than anything else.

pick = hard attack, fast decay
fingers = soft attack, longer sustain

 

[audie]

Another underrated bassist that uses picks is Jared Followill of Kings of Leon. Do check him out.

 

[dumbcube]

Purist

I'm a bass purist, a.k.a 4-stringed bass + finger-style.

Simply because I think 4's all you need to hold down the low-end and no point fighting with the guitars who give similar attacking tones on their 6-stringers. We're here for to fill up our own frequency, not to eat into other people's territory.

The only time I pick my bass (for chords) is when I'm playing in a trio (drum, bass guitar configuration), and the guitarists need to leave his chords for solos or other riffs that fill up less sonic frequencies.

You just don't get the proper mid-growl, especially from a jazz bridge pickup when you pick a bass.

I dig Victor Wooten's innovation, Stuart Zender's style and Paul Turners tone.

 

[bruisedwee]

I'm not sure if this is counted but check American Idol judge Randy Jackson out. At 3:45 he attacks the strings with his fingernail. Sounds pretty awesome. Has more attack than when being finger picked yet not so aggressively raspy as when a pick is used.

 

[dumbcube]

Cool

Cool shit. Never knew that big man plays the coolest instrument on earth. Lol.

 

[-blink-]

Mark Hoppus -blink182 (all of their songs)
"Flea" - Red Hot Chili Peppers (i only saw when he played Fortune Faded)
Carlos Dengler - Interpol (all of their songs)

 

[Keefeology]

Jeremy Davis from Paramore.