Sourced gear profiles for the bassists who shaped rock, metal, prog, funk, jazz, indie, reggae, and session work. Each page lists the instrument, the strings, and the records, with citations where the public record allows, and past-tense framing for historical players.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Cliff Burton used with Metallica from 1982 until his September 1986 death. Rotosound Swing Bass 66 documented use, Rickenbacker 4001 + Aria SB-1000 + Alembic basses, Morley wah pedal effects. Historical, with citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Cliff Williams uses with AC/DC since 1977. Music Man Stingray + Fender Precision Bass, hard-rock pocket discipline. With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Flea uses with Red Hot Chili Peppers. GHS Bass Boomers Flea Signature M3045-F nickel-plated steel (.045–.105). With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Frank Bello uses with Anthrax (1984-present) and Altitudes & Attitude. D'Addario artist roster, Fender Jazz Bass signature model, four-string contexts. With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Geddy Lee uses with Rush on his Fender Jazz Bass and Wal basses. Rotosound Swing Bass 66 RS66LD (.045–.105). With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Geezer Butler used with Black Sabbath (1968-2017) and across his solo + Heaven & Hell catalog. Signature TR Bass Strings (Geezer Butler Signature line), Vigier signature bass, defining doom + heavy-metal bass voice. With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Jaco Pastorius used with Weather Report (1976-1981) and across his solo + session catalog. Rotosound Swing Bass 66 documented historical use, fretless Fender Jazz Bass, multi-genre virtuoso lineage. Historical, with citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings James Jamerson used with the Motown Funk Brothers. La Bella Deep Talkin' flatwound family, the lineage to the modern 760FL stainless flat (.043–.104). With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Jason Newsted has used across Metallica (1986-2001), Voivod, and Newsted. D'Addario artist roster, Spector + Sadowsky basses, four-string + five-string contexts. With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings John Entwistle used with The Who (1964-2002). Rotosound Swing Bass 66 documented historical use, multiple Fender + Alembic + Status Graphite basses, defining lead-bass voice in rock. Historical, with citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings John Myung uses with Dream Theater. Ernie Ball Slinky bass family, 5- and 6-string roundwound contexts, the prog-metal 5-string canon. With citations from Ernie Ball's String Theory feature.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings John Paul Jones used with Led Zeppelin (1968-1980) and across his post-Zeppelin catalog. Rotosound Swing Bass 66 documented historical use, Fender Jazz Bass + Manson 8/12-string + Wal basses, multi-instrumental session legacy. Historical, with citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Justin Chancellor uses with Tool since 1995. Rotosound Swing Bass 66 documented use, Wal Mark II + Mark III basses, Demeter / Mesa Boogie heads, pedal-heavy signal chain. With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Lemmy Kilmister used with Motörhead from 1975 until his December 2015 death. Rotosound Swing Bass 66 documented use, Rickenbacker 4001/4003 customized basses, Marshall stack overdrive. Historical, with citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Les Claypool uses with Primus + his solo + side projects since 1984. Carl Thompson 4-string + 6-string custom basses, La Bella signature relationship, defining cross-genre bass-virtuoso vocabulary. With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Marcus Miller uses across his solo + Miles Davis + Luther Vandross + David Sanborn + session catalog. DR Strings signature relationship, Fender Jazz Bass primary instrument, defining slap-bass + jazz-fusion tradition. With citations.
Documented gear Mark Hoppus runs with Blink-182: the Limited Edition Fender Mark Hoppus Jaguar Bass with reversed Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickups, Ernie Ball Super Slinky Bass strings (.045 to .100), and a Neural DSP Quad Cortex rack. Sourced from Premier Guitar's January 2026 Rig Rundown.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Mike Dirnt uses with Green Day on his Fender Precision Basses. Fender Super 7250 nickel-plated steel (.045 to .105) and Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinky bass strings. With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Paul McCartney has used with the Beatles, Wings, and across his solo catalog. La Bella flatwound documented historical use on the Höfner 500/1 violin bass, Rickenbacker 4001S documented mid-Beatles era. With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Pino Palladino uses across The Who (post-2002), John Mayer Trio, Hall & Oates, D'Angelo, Adele, Nine Inch Nails, and many more. Fender Precision + Music Man StingRay primary basses, defining late-70s fretless + modern R&B session voice. With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Robert Trujillo uses with Metallica. D'Addario artist, Fender Custom Shop signature Precision Bass, primarily four-string E and Eb standard. With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Steve Harris uses with Iron Maiden. Rotosound SH77 Steve Harris Signature Monel flatwound (.050–.110). With citations.
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Victor Wooten uses with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones (1989-present) and across his solo + session catalog. Fodera Yin Yang signature bass, defining modern bass-virtuoso vocabulary. With citations.
