I guess you can say that there are some people who are made for the instrument and some people who aren't. I don't see how there is less freedom on a bass than a guitar, if that were the case you should look into being a pianist since they can do far more than a guitarist can. It's just a different way of playing, and hardly not schmucks. Although if I saw a bass player just playing root notes, I wouldn't think he/she was a schmuck but I wouldn't think very highly of it. Then again in rock music, especially todays music I think guitarists who only play power-chords and finger pick open chords are the same. I think you mean the player not the instrument. Listen to John Myung, Cliff Burton, or John Paul Jones if you want some kicking rock bass.