You can do a lot more with a pick than you can with your fingers. John Entwistle and John Paul Jones used picks as well. Not only that, constant plucking will wear down your finer tips. Deacy had this habit of licking his fingers during performances; a sign his finger tips were wearing down.
i disagree, fingers are much faster for songs involving more intricate playing, hence why john only used a pick on the more heavier songs where simple bass was used. John entwistle and john paul jones rarely used a pick and as stated before, when playing hard intricate songs always used their fingers.
The Ox is the exception to the rule. That man could play the bass like no other bassist. He is truly missed.
JPJ used picks on songs like Achilles Last Stand. That song had such and crunchy fast picking sound. I guess speed depends on your taste of music. Death Metal and Trasher bassist prefer picks, at least that's what I'm told.
