Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) bass tone and bass amp settings
Bohemian Rhapsody bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3: low gain (Gain 3), balanced lows (Bass 1), even low-mids (Low Mid 1), neck P pickup.
Settings for your amp
Bohemian Rhapsody settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3
Fender Rumble 40 V3 settings for every songAmpFender Rumble 40 V3
BassPassive P/J bass
The same settings in text
Amp
- Gain
- 3
- Bright
- Off
- Contour
- Off
- Vintage
- Off
- Overdrive
- Off
- Bass
- +1
- Low Mid
- +1
- High Mid
- +1
- Treble
- 0
- Master
- Set to your room
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 0
- Tone
- 7
Bohemian Rhapsody settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108
Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108 settings for every songAmpAmpeg Rocket Bass RB-108
BassPassive P/J bass
The same settings in text
Amp
- SGT
- Off
- Volume
- Set to your room
- Bass
- +1
- Midrange
- +2
- Treble
- +1
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 0
- Tone
- 7.5
Blend a clean DI with a cabinet-mic-style signal for studio layering.
Bohemian Rhapsody settings on any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive
Amp
BassPassive P/J bass
The same settings in text
Amp
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6
- Drive
- 2
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 0
- Tone
- 7
Why it sounds like that
John Deacon played against the wall with a Marshall bass stack, and his bass was taken direct, with a microphone on the cabinet to pick up a bit of air. He played a Fender Precision Bass: his sunburst P-Bass gave way to a pair of natural-finish Precisions around the A Night at the Opera period, and the isolated bass track has him on a Precision.
What amp did John Deacon use on Bohemian Rhapsody?
- Baker said John Deacon was against the wall, with his Marshall bass stack on the right as you looked out of the control room window. (on this song)[1]
- Baker said John Deacon's bass was DI'd, and that studios tended to make their own DI boxes then. (on this song)[1]
- Baker said an Electro-Voice 666, and sometimes a Neumann U67, was used on Deacon's cabinet to pick up a bit of air. (on this song)[1]
- MusicRadar says Deacon's sunburst Precision remained in favour until the A Night at the Opera period, when he was seen with a pair of natural-finish P-Basses. (on the album A Night at the Opera)[2]
- Bonedo says John Deacon plays a Fender Precision Bass on the song's isolated bass track. (on this song)[3]
Questions
What amp did John Deacon use on Bohemian Rhapsody?
The sources on this page document John Deacon's gear on Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen: bass, Fender Precision Bass [3]; amp, Marshall bass stack [1]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Bohemian Rhapsody settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3?
For the Bohemian Rhapsody bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3, set Gain 3, Bass +1, Low Mid +1, High Mid +1, Treble 0; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 10, Bridge Volume (J) 0, Tone 7. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Bohemian Rhapsody settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108?
For the Bohemian Rhapsody bass tone on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108, set Bass +1, Midrange +2, Treble +1; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 10, Bridge Volume (J) 0, Tone 7.5. Set Volume to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the Bohemian Rhapsody tone on my own amp?
Yes. The settings above cover 2 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, bass and pedals for Bohemian Rhapsody, using only the controls your gear has.
Get it for your exact rig
KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, bass and pedals for this song.
Download KnobMaster on the App Store