Background and career
Justin Gunnar Walter Chancellor (born 19 November 1971) is an English musician, best known as the bassist for rock band Tool, a position he has held since 1995. Prior to joining Tool, he played in a band called Peach. After settling in the US, along with his engagement in his musical projects, he and his wife Shelee Dykman Chancellor ran a store called Lobal Orning in Topanga, California, dedicated to music and literature "that shaped and changed" both of them. The store closed in 2008. He started the M.T.Void music project with Piotr "Glaca" Mohammed from Sweet Noise.
Chancellor is of English and Norwegian descent. He was educated at Tonbridge School in Kent, England, where he was the bass player for a school band named Slice of Life and used to perform a cover version of Corey Hart's "Sunglasses at Night" in the dining room of his boarding house. The band released an eponymous titled tape featuring a song of the same name. Chancellor went on to study at Durham University.
Chancellor later joined the band Peach. Peach released the album Giving Birth to a Stone and two EPs, and supported Tool in 1994 in Europe before breaking up in 1995. In September that year, Chancellor moved to the United States and joined Tool full-time to replace Paul D'Amour who departed during the recording of the band's second full-length album. Chancellor has been a full member of the band since the 1996 studio album Ænima.
Wal – Chancellor's main bass guitar is a Wal MKII 4-string he bought on a friend's recommendation during the recording of Ænima. Chancellor also has three other four-string Wals. He normally plays Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky strings (.045, .065, .085, .110) Music Man Stingray – Used on "Forty-Six & 2", "H.", "Pushit", "No Quarter" and "Descending". Justin has used a Stingray live on "Descending" since 2020. Gibson Thunderbird – Used once for "Prison Sex" live in 1995/1996, when he first joined the band. Warwick Streamer - As of 2017, Chancellor has his own custom shop Streamer Stage II bass.
Gallien-Krueger 2001RB head x3 (1 Dirty, 1 Clean, 1 Spare) Mesa Boogie Roadready 4x12 (For Dirty) Mesa Boogie Roadready 8x10 (For Clean) Demeter Amplification VTBP-201S Bass Preamp running direct to PA Formerly used Mesa Boogie M-2000 head Mesa Boogie M-Pulse Mesa Boogie Bass 400+ Mesa Roadready 8x10 (in place of the 4x12)
Boss TU-2 Guyatone VTX Tremolo DigiTech Bass Whammy – Used on "Eulogy" (fifth up/sixth up harmony), "Pushit (Live)" (fifth up/octave up harmony), "Third Eye" (octave up), "Schism" (octave up), "Ticks and Leeches" (fifth up/octave up harmony), "Lateralus" (octave up), "Disposition" (fifth up/octave up harmony), "Vicarious" (octave up harmony), "The Pot" (octave up), "Right in Two"(fifth up/sixth up harmony), and "Invincible" (octave up). Tech 21 SansAmp GT2 Distortion Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble Boss BF-2 Flanger Boss DD-3 Digital Delay MXR Bass Envelope Filter Prescription Electronics Rx Overdriver Colorsound Tone Bender Fuzz Foxx Fuzz/Wah/Volume-Volume Pot Removed Dunlop Justin Chancellor Cry Baby Wah
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
