Why Bill Wyman’s bass playing was the secret glue of the early Stones sound

Most people remember the Stones’ early sound for Keith Richards’ proto-punk guitar and Brian Jones’ slide, but the engine room was Bill Wyman’s bass. He played with a pick instead of fingers, giving the rhythm a sharp, percussive snap that locked tightly with Charlie Watts’ snare. That attack let the bass cut through the guitar clutter on tracks like “Satisfaction” and “Paint It Black” without turning into a muddy rumble. He also had an almost jazzy instinct for walking melodic lines underneath the vocal – listen to the descending run on “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” or the whole groove of “The Last Time.”

Wyman’s instrument setup was unorthodox for the British blues scene. His main early bass was a Framus Star – a German hollow-body with a bright, clanky tone that worked perfectly with his pick technique. Later he switched to