Stuart Hamm

As a student at Berklee's College of Music and an instructor at the Bass Institute of Technology, Hamm has proven his dominance as a premier bassist. For years, Stu Hamm has been the grounding force providing basslines beneath guitar wizards like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. During that time he has not only proven himself as a capable backing man, but also as one of the residing technical experts of bass guitar. His lightning-fast licks have set new levels for lead guitarists trapped in bass player's bodies -- and his extended techniques of popping, slapping and tapping leave aspiring rhythm sections discouraged with little blisters all over their fingers. It was The Urge that really established Hamm in the Bass Player magazine polls, but Outbound (2000) should continue his low frequency dominance.