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Frank Bello's bass strings: the Anthrax + Altitudes & Attitude rig, sourced

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.

Anthrax · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·

Frank Anthony Bello has been Anthrax's bassist since 1984, with one brief hiatus 2004-2005 when Joey Vera filled in (Bello toured with Helmet during the gap). Documented D'Addario artist on the manufacturer's roster + Fender signature artist with the Frank Bello Jazz Bass production model. Co-founded Altitudes & Attitude with David Ellefson (Megadeth) in 2014. Anthrax catalog spans Among the Living (1987) through For All Kings (2016) plus extensive touring; the band's defining thrash-metal bass tone runs on his pick-driven attack.

Thrash metalMetalHardcore crossoverRockHard rockE Standard (4-string)Eb Standard (4-string)Drop D (4-string)

Strings Frank Bello plays

Documented use · last verified 2026-04-29 · Affiliate links

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Frank's set
D'Addario EPS230 ProSteels Bass Light (.045–.100) .45–.100 strings
D'Addario

EPS230 ProSteels Bass Light (.045–.100)

.45 – .100
Price tier: $$
E Standard (4-string)Eb Standard (4-string)Rock
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At a glance

Role

Bassist

Active

1984–present

Based

Yonkers, New York

Genres

Affiliations

Notable credits

  • Anthrax, Among the Living (1987)
  • Anthrax, State of Euphoria (1988)
  • Anthrax, Persistence of Time (1990)
  • Anthrax, Sound of White Noise (1993)
  • Anthrax, We've Come for You All (2003)
  • Anthrax, Worship Music (2011)
  • Anthrax, For All Kings (2016)
  • Altitudes & Attitude, Get It Out (2019)
Sourcing6 citations · reviewed 2026-04-29· by Change Your Strings editorial team

Who Frank Bello is

Frank Anthony Bello, born July 9, 1965, in The Bronx, New York, has been Anthrax's bassist since 1984, replacing Dan Lilker (who left to co-found S.O.D. with Anthrax's Scott Ian + Charlie Benante + Billy Milano). Across the band's defining catalog (Among the Living, 1987, through For All Kings, 2016), his pick-driven attack defines Anthrax's thrash-metal bass tone.

Co-founded Altitudes & Attitude with David Ellefson (Megadeth) in 2014; the bass-led collaborative project's debut full-length is Get It Out (2019).

Documented D'Addario artist on the manufacturer's roster + Fender signature artist with the Frank Bello Jazz Bass production model.

Style signatures

Three things across the Anthrax + Altitudes & Attitude catalogs you can identify as Bello's:

  1. Pick attack as canonical right-hand technique. Anthrax's catalog runs on Bello's pick-driven attack; the technique anchors the band's faster passages.

  2. Counter-melodic bass lines. Not just root-note thrash bass; Bello's parts complement Scott Ian's rhythm-guitar work with melodic counterpoint.

  3. Cross-genre flexibility. The Altitudes & Attitude collaboration demonstrates broader rock + hard-rock vocabulary beyond Anthrax's thrash context.

Related

Documented strings. D'Addario EPS230 ProSteels Bass Light (.045-.100) as the recommended-fit set. The specific D'Addario line attribution takes a current rig-rundown citation to confirm; brand-level relationship is documented on D'Addario's artist roster.

Bandmates. Charlie Benante (drummer, Anthrax + S.O.D.). Co-collaborator: David Ellefson (Megadeth, Altitudes & Attitude).

Bassist hub. Bassists index. Metal-bass canon parallel: Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica), Steve Harris (Iron Maiden).