Born Under a Bad Sign (Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan) bass tone and bass amp settings

Born Under a Bad Sign bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3: low gain (Gain 4), forward low-mids (Low Mid 2), balanced lows (Bass 1), neck P pickup.

The original gear on this recording is not documented by a source we trust.

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

Born Under a Bad Sign settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3

Fender Rumble 40 V3 settings for every song

AmpFender Rumble 40 V3

Gain4
BrightOff
ContourOff
VintageOn
OverdriveOff
Bass+1
Low Mid+2
High Mid+1
Treble-1
Set to your roomMaster

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)10Keep the P pickup dominant for a round, solid blues foundation.
Bridge Volume (J)3Blend lightly for definition without thinning the low end.
Tone6
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
4
Bright
Off
Contour
Off
Vintage
On
Overdrive
Off
Bass
+1
Low Mid
+2
High Mid
+1
Treble
-1
Master
Set to your room

Passive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)
10
Bridge Volume (J)
3
Tone
6

Born Under a Bad Sign settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108

Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108 settings for every song

AmpAmpeg Rocket Bass RB-108

SGTOn
Set to your roomVolume
Bass0
Midrange+2
Treble+1

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)10Full neck pickup gives the thickest, roundest blues foundation.
Bridge Volume (J)3A little bridge blend adds definition without thinning the sound.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

SGT
On
Volume
Set to your room
Bass
0
Midrange
+2
Treble
+1

Passive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)
10
Bridge Volume (J)
3
Tone
8

A guitar with a neck pickup gets closer to the original lead timbre.

Born Under a Bad Sign settings on any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive

Amp

Bass5
Mid7.5
Treble5.5
Drive3.5

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)8.5Favors the round, punchy neck pickup for a warm blues foundation.
Bridge Volume (J)3.5Adds a little bridge definition without thinning the tone.
Tone6.5
The same settings in text

Amp

Bass
5
Mid
7.5
Treble
5.5
Drive
3.5

Passive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)
8.5
Bridge Volume (J)
3.5
Tone
6.5

An electric guitar and blues overdrive are needed for the signature lead tone.

The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Questions

What are the Born Under a Bad Sign settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3?

For the Born Under a Bad Sign bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3, set Gain 4, Vintage On, Bass +1, Low Mid +2, High Mid +1, Treble -1; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 10, Bridge Volume (J) 3, Tone 6. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Born Under a Bad Sign settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108?

For the Born Under a Bad Sign bass tone on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108, set SGT On, Bass 0, Midrange +2, Treble +1; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 10, Bridge Volume (J) 3, Tone 8. Set Volume to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

Can I get the Born Under a Bad Sign 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 Born Under a Bad Sign, 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

Settings are AI-assisted starting points, updated on October 18, 2026.

Photographs: “A close view of a vintage guitar amplifier”, Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Fender, Ampeg and the other gear names on this page are trademarks of their owners; KnobMaster is not affiliated with them.