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Know Your Enemy (Rage Against the Machine) bass tone and bass amp settings

Know Your Enemy bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3: medium drive (Drive 5.5), medium gain (Gain 5), forward high-mids (High Mid 3), bridge J pickup.

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

The song has distinct sounds: Solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.

Know Your Enemy settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3

Fender Rumble 40 V3 settings for every song

AmpFender Rumble 40 V3

Gain5
BrightOff
ContourOff
VintageOff
OverdriveOn
Drive5.5
Level5
Bass+1
Low Mid+2
High Mid+3
Treble0
Set to your roomMaster

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)4Lower blend keeps the bridge pickup prominent, StingRay-style.
Bridge Volume (J)10Full output emphasizes the tighter, growly bridge pickup.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
5
Bright
Off
Contour
Off
Vintage
Off
Overdrive
On
Drive
5.5
Level
5
Bass
+1
Low Mid
+2
High Mid
+3
Treble
0
Master
Set to your room

Passive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)
4
Bridge Volume (J)
10
Tone
8

Add a tremolo effect to approximate the documented solo sound.

Know Your Enemy 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
Bass+1
Midrange+3
Treble+1

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)5Blend in P-pickup body while favouring the bridge.
Bridge Volume (J)10Favour the bridge pickup for StingRay-like bite.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

SGT
On
Volume
Set to your room
Bass
+1
Midrange
+3
Treble
+1

Passive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)
5
Bridge Volume (J)
10
Tone
8

Add a tremolo pedal for the documented solo pulse.

Know Your Enemy settings on any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive

Amp

Bass5.5
Mid7.5
Treble6.5
Drive5.5

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)5Keep some P pickup fullness while emphasizing the bridge.
Bridge Volume (J)10Favor the bridge for a tighter, StingRay-like growl.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Bass
5.5
Mid
7.5
Treble
6.5
Drive
5.5

Passive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)
5
Bridge Volume (J)
10
Tone
8

Add a Guv’nor-style overdrive and tremolo pedal for a closer match.

Song parts

Fender Rumble 40 V3

  1. Solo:

    Drive 6.5

    .

    Add a little drive; tremolo requires an external effect.

Song parts

Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108

  1. Solo:

    Treble 3

    .

    Raise treble for added solo articulation.

Song parts

Any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive

  1. Solo:

    Drive 4.5

    .

    Add external tremolo for the documented solo pulse.

The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Why it sounds like that

Guitar strings over the frets, close up

On the band's first album, Tim Commerford played a Music Man StingRay. Distortion first appeared on his bass with that record, through a Marshall The Guv'nor pedal feeding one amp. The main riffs of this song were written on an acoustic bass.

  • Pluck with two fingers, as Commerford says he did with Rage.

What gear did Tim Commerford use on Know Your Enemy?

A guitarist’s pedalboard, a dozen pedals cabled together

Tim Commerford

Bass
Music Man StingRay[2]
Effects
Marshall The Guv'nor[3]
  • Riffology reports that Tim Commerford wrote the main riffs of Know Your Enemy on an acoustic bass. (on this song)[1]
  • Bridge: Riffology reports that Tool singer Maynard James Keenan sings the bridge of Know Your Enemy. (on this song)[1]
  • Commerford said a Music Man Stingray was the bass he used to record the first Rage record. (on the album Rage Against the Machine)[2]
  • Commerford said he used a Marshall The Guv'nor pedal with one amp on the first Rage record. (on the album Rage Against the Machine)[3]
  • The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame catalogue credits Timmy C. on bass for the album Rage Against the Machine. (on the album Rage Against the Machine)[4]
  • Commerford said that with Rage he did everything with two fingers. (in a later era)[3]

Questions

What gear did Tim Commerford use on Know Your Enemy?

The sources on this page document Tim Commerford's gear on Know Your Enemy by Rage Against the Machine: bass, Music Man StingRay [2]; effects, Marshall The Guv'nor [3]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.

What are the Know Your Enemy settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3?

For the Know Your Enemy bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3, set Gain 5, Overdrive On, Drive 5.5, Level 5, Bass +1, Low Mid +2, High Mid +3, Treble 0; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 4, Bridge Volume (J) 10, Tone 8. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Know Your Enemy settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108?

For the Know Your Enemy bass tone on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108, set SGT On, Bass +1, Midrange +3, Treble +1; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 5, Bridge Volume (J) 10, 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 Know Your Enemy 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 Know Your Enemy, 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.

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