victor wooten

[dhagler]

I'll chime in.  "Who is the best bassist?" sounds a lot like "Who is the best basketball player?" Some like Kobe's game, others prefer LeBron (me, I'll take Tim Duncan  ).

I think versatility is the mark of a good bassist. The ability to play different genres, being effective live or in the studio, these qualities make for a working bassist.  If you read enough credits on enough albums, you will find two names more consistently appearing than any others:  Nathan East and Marcus Miller.

[MrSteve]

Yeah, but even then it's tough to say someone is the best just because they get the most work. It's definitely one factor to examine but I still say that your taste is probably more important when discussing who is the best. It's like saying "Which book of the Bible is the best?" There's not one right answer to that but there's also no wrong answer either. It's whatever moves you the most and fits with your own idea of what bass playing should be about.

[emrewooten]

yeah absoluty wooten best bass playaa   my favorıte 

www.myspace.com/emreturkmenstyle

[kmcbride0003]

Victor is one of my favorites but as some of u have said the solo technique does get on my nerves after a little while. I actually prefer the style of bassists like Andrew Gouche Abraham Laboriel and others in the same field. By the way one of my friends has taken lessons from Victor and also has a fodera bass that was signed and given to him from Victor but that dont make him the greatest because every bassists style and technique has its own place when it is used at the right time

[QJJH]

His skills are on point though

[Mysteryman]

I was listening to this today. Victor Wooten is off the chain.

Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey and David "Fingers" Haynes at 2011 NAMM

[thunderkat]

If you judged every part of bass playing (pocket, plucking, soloing, tapping, composing, or whatever) on a scale of 1 to 10, Victor would not score any lower than a 8 at anything. That's why he is the best to me.

With that being said in certain situations I love to hear other bassist like Adam Blackstone and Tim Rawbiz Williams in gospel, hip hop and R&B. If we're talking uprights and traditional jazz, I love the late Neils Henning Orsted Pederson.

My point is at the end of the day we all have our favorites but, if the question is who is the best it's gotta be Vic.

He's the G.O.A.T.

[Fingers!]

If you judged every part of bass playing (pocket, plucking, soloing, tapping, composing, or whatever) on a scale of 1 to 10, Victor would not score any lower than a 8 at anything. That's why he is the best to me.

With that being said in certain situations I love to hear other bassist like Adam Blackstone and Tim Rawbiz Williams in gospel, hip hop and R&B. If we're talking uprights and traditional jazz, I love the late Neils Henning Orsted Pederson.

My point is at the end of the day we all have our favorites but, if the question is who is the best it's gotta be Vic.

He's the G.O.A.T.

Gotta be?  On all the techniques listed, would you say, outside of favoritism, that Victor is better than Stanley Clarke?  Listen to Stan before you answer the question.  I won't say who's better but I will point out that Stan has an "ease of effortlessness" when he plays unlike the other two...It almost 'looks' as if Stanley is playing down to thier level just to play with them, and I'm NOT a 'Stanley Clarke" fan.  Maybe I should start listening to him.

WOW! Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten

[mjl422]

Gotta be?  On all the techniques listed, would you say, outside of favoritism, that Victor is better than Stanley Clarke?  Listen to Stan before you answer the question.  I won't say who's better but I will point out that Stan has an "ease of effortlessness" when he plays unlike the other two...It almost 'looks' as if Stanley is playing down to thier level just to play with them, and I'm NOT a 'Stanley Clarke" fan.  Maybe I should start listening to him.

You do realize that Stanley wrote that song and has been playing it for over 30 years don't you?  They are all great musicians in their own right.  If you wanna check out Stanley, I would recommend "East River Drive".  It's a great album.

[Fingers!]

You do realize that Stanley wrote that song and has been playing it for over 30 years don't you?  They are all great musicians in their own right.  If you wanna check out Stanley, I would recommend "East River Drive".  It's a great album.

Yep.  The album has him spraying music notes onto a brick wall.  I remember when it came out back in the 70s.  Stanley Clarke ALWAYS played ANY song with that ease, then and now.  I don't think it had anything to do with him playing that song for 30 yrs.  Maybe it has something to do with that fact that he's been playing for over 30 yrs. 

What's strange about it, back in the 70s Stan didn't have 30 yrs under his belt, yet, he had the same finesse.

I'm just trying to make a point that I find it difficult to hand Vic the "Best Man" trophy when there are others out there with the same caliber chops....or maybe better.

This reminds me of the story about in the 60s, England's music scene was trying to hail Clapton as the best blue artist/guitarist in the whole wide modern world while the likes of Muddy Waters, Lightening Hopkins, Buddy Guy, Albert King, BB King, Albert Collins and others were still alive and playing over here in the United States.  But it was Hendrix, at that time a no-name, who went over there and scared Claption almost to death. 

Let's stop comparing.

[floaded27]

Let's stop comparing.

this!!!!

[malthumb]

Yep.  The album has him spraying music notes onto a brick wall.  I remember when it came out back in the 70s...........................

Let's stop comparing.

Just for the record, the album you are describing is "School Days".


 Phenomenal album.  "East River Drive" came out sometime in the 90s, I think (too lazy to go look at the CD jacket).


 People who are not yet tuned in to Stanley should also check out "I Wanna Play For You", a live 2-album set from the late 70s early 80s


and "If This Bass Could Only Talk".  That one has a picture of the bass Stanley used to record "School Days" and a bunch of other hits. 


I believe that bass is now owned by Victor Wooten, which brings this thread full circle.   

And I agree, nothing gained by comparing the greats.  They're all great.  It's not like they're gonna have a Bass-Off.

[phbrown]

They're all great.  It's not like they're gonna have a Bass-Off.

I would hate to even try to judge that.

[SavnBass]

He's the best at being Victor Wooten.

Pretty much.. there are waaaaayyy to many GREAT bassists out there some have passed, for any one to be called "the best" .... Stu Hamm,Ant Wellington,Clarke,Miller,Flea,Levin,Claypool,Jackson... Just to name a few..

[Mysteryman]

Gotta be?  On all the techniques listed, would you say, outside of favoritism, that Victor is better than Stanley Clarke?  Listen to Stan before you answer the question.  I won't say who's better but I will point out that Stan has an "ease of effortlessness" when he plays unlike the other two...It almost 'looks' as if Stanley is playing down to thier level just to play with them, and I'm NOT a 'Stanley Clarke" fan.

Stanley Clarke has some large hands compared to the other guys. I think that has something to do with why he plays the way he does. It looks like he is playing a guitar where as its different with the other two.

[ssabass]

It is really hard to say who is the best, because sometimes I like someone's style of playing better than actual technique. But I do think when it comes to just out right playing, nobody can touch Wooten. He can do what everyone else can do, but not to many people can do what he does. He has mastered most every style & technique there is. So I will give him that edge over most bass players. With that said, when it comes to style I like players Like Marcus, Gouche, Joel Smith etc.

[Mysteryman]

I also pulled this thread up because I didn't want to start another Victor Wooten thread. Not to say he is the best. I have not listened to Stanley Clark but he is definitely a master bass player. When I watch people like that I try to absorb what they are doing. He does play effortless. That's hard to achieve on any instrument.

[malthumb]

Stanley Clarke has some large hands compared to the other guys. I think that has something to do with why he plays the way he does. It looks like he is playing a guitar where as its different with the other two.

Keep in mind that he's also playing on a short scale (30.75" scale) bass.  His large hands dwarf that teenie neck.  It's about the size of a guitar.

Here's what a short scale Alembic looks like compared to a pair of 34" scale Alembics.  Stanley almost always plays a bass like the short scale in the middle.

[thunderkat]

It is really hard to say who is the best, because sometimes I like someone's style of playing better than actual technique. But I do think when it comes to just out right playing, nobody can touch Wooten. He can do what everyone else can do, but not to many people can do what he does. He has mastered most every style & technique there is. So I will give him that edge over most bass players. With that said, when it comes to style I like players Like Marcus, Gouche, Joel Smith etc.

That is the exact point that I attempted to make. His skill level is simply unmatched.

As a matter of fact I read an interview with Marcus Miller and they asked him something about doing an instructional video. His response was "Get one of Victor Wooten's videos and slow it down to half speed."

We all know how great Miller, Clarke and everyone else is but, Wooten seems to be able to do whatever he wants to do and often times twice as fast as anyone else, still managing to play notes cleanly.

I'm not saying I'd hire him for every situation but he is the most complete electric bassist ever. Hence the best.

[SavnBass]

Ya ever checked out Doug Johns?

Thanks Ddub.. I had never heard of Dough Johns.. Wow.. what a player..