Carol Kaye (nee Smith, born March 24, 1935) is an American musician, who is one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists in rock and pop music, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings in a career spanning over 50 years
Kaye’s main instrument during the 1960s was the Fender Precision Bass, though she also used the Danelectro bass on occasion. During the 1970s, she sometimes used the Gibson Ripper Bass, and in the 21st century she has used an Ibanez SRX700 bass. She uses flatwound strings with a high action and preferred to use guitar amps in the studio when playing bass, including the Fender Super Reverb and the Versatone Pan-O-Flex. Kaye primarily uses a pick, or plectrum, on both guitar and bass, rather than plucking the strings with her fingers. She put a piece of felt between the strings behind the bridge on her bass to enhance the sound and reduce unwanted overtones and undertones. Later she said, “for 25 cents, you could get the best sound in town”.
Kaye preferred to play melodic and syncopated lines on the bass, rather than simply covering a straightforward part. In the studio, she particularly liked to use the upper register on her bass, while a stand-up double bass would be used to cover the low end.
just...BASS! 