Editing Les Claypool (section)

== Artistry ==
Claypool is well known for his "quirky and eccentric" style of bass playing, and is noted for his musical versatility.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-05 |title=Ranking the greatest bass players of all time |url=https://www.yardbarker.com/entertainment/articles/the_best_bass_players_of_all_time_ranked/s1__38665918#slide_3 |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=Yardbarker |language=en}}</ref> In addition to the sheer prominence of his bass playing on recorded works throughout his discography, Claypool's style also incorporates several other unusual techniques, such as [[flamenco]]-style strumming, [[Guitar tapping|tapping]], [[Slap-bass|slapping]], and guitar-like chording. He has made prominent use of a Kahler "bass tremolo" vibrato system, as well as [[Guitar effects|effects]] such as [[Fuzz pedal|fuzz boxes]] and [[envelope filter]]s. For most of his career, Claypool has played four-stringed basses, but has experimented with [[extended-range bass]]es, most notably six-stringed models, as heard on songs like "[[Jerry Was a Race Car Driver]]", which features Claypool tapping the main melody on a fretless six-string bass; Claypool noted he was "getting more into the six-string" during the making of ''[[Pork Soda]]'', giving the album a heavier edge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/rank-your-records-primus-les-claypool/|title=Rank Your Records: Les Claypool Rates Primus' Albums|first=Bill|last=Jones|date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>

Claypool has cited [[Rush (band)|Rush]] and their bassist [[Geddy Lee]],  [[Larry Graham]], [[Chris Squire]], [[Tony Levin]], [[Roger Waters]], [[Paul McCartney]], [[Geezer Butler]], [[Bootsy Collins]], [[Stanley Clarke]], [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]], and [[the Residents]] as being musical influences.<ref name="bio">Prato, Greg. (September 29, 1963) [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/les-claypool-p64967 Les Claypool]. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2012-04-07.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://residentsmovie.com/a-bold-statement-from-les-claypool/ |title=A Bold Statement from les Claypool - Theory of Obscurity |access-date=November 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324080115/http://residentsmovie.com/a-bold-statement-from-les-claypool/ |archive-date=March 24, 2018 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

===Equipment===
[[File:20060614 - claypool playing the whamola.jpg|thumb|upright|Claypool playing the [[Whamola]] in 2006]]
Claypool has, for a long time, endorsed [[Carl Thompson (luthier)|Carl Thompson]] basses, but also uses a custom "Pachyderm" bass built by [[luthier]] Dan Maloney, and an [[Ned Steinberger|NS Design]] [[upright bass]]. He uses [[Mesa/Boogie]] amplifiers, and an extensive set of effect pedals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/gear-rundown-les-claypool/|title=Gear Rundown: Les Claypool|first=Eli|last=Duxson|date=September 14, 2018|website=Mixdown Magazine}}</ref>