A talented bass guitarist, Billy Sheehan was known for his solo performances with Steve Vai, David lee, Mr Big and Talas. He was recognized as the "Best Rock Bass Player" named by the Guitar Magazine, Sheehan's style includes of the use of two-handed tapping, chording and controlled-feedback.

During his early music career, Sheehan used an acoustic guitar as his first ever instrument. That guitar is his sister's that he usually borrowed consistently. Due to his passion in music, Sheehan asked his grandmother to buy him an electric guitar that was denied to him that time. His grandmother never wanted Sheehan to own a guitar, not until she is alive and while Sheehan resides within her house.

Thinking that the electric guitar is the best instrument of all, Sheehan learned that bass is also a cool instrument. When he learned that Tim Bogert from Vanilla Fudge used a precession bass, Sheehan's focus from electric guitar switched to bass guitar.

Using the bass guitar, Sheehan innovated the instrument's musical capabilities. For one, he removed the Hagstrom's frets. The next years, Sheehan continuously modified his music instrument by adding neck pick up and extra support for the bolt on neck. Sheehan considered this part of the bass the weakest part. In order to modify even the sound of the instrument, he used two amps so he can create his signature tone.

All these years, Sheehan is a regular music player and a use of bass guitar. With his detailed and perfectionist precision, Sheehan constructed a kind of bass music that allowed him to drop the D pitch and raise it immediately.

Sheehan's prominent performances were in the late 1970s when he played in the band called Light Years. Talas may have been one of the most influential persona in Sheehan's career life as a musician. As a matter of fact, he performed with Talas with a drummer Mark Miller, Mitch Perry the guitarist and a vocalist Phil Naro.