Lounge Act (Nirvana) bass tone and bass amp settings
Lounge Act bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3: medium gain (Gain 5), forward low-mids (Low Mid 2), balanced lows (Bass 1), neck P pickup.
Settings for your amp
Lounge Act 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
- 5
- 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)
- 6
- Tone
- 6
Lounge Act 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
- On
- Volume
- Set to your room
- Bass
- +1
- Midrange
- +2
- Treble
- -1
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 8
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 6
- Tone
- 6
Lounge Act settings on any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive
Amp
BassPassive P/J bass
The same settings in text
Amp
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 4
- Drive
- 3
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 3
- Tone
- 6
Why it sounds like that
Krist Novoselic played a blonde Ripper bass on Nevermind, through an Ampeg SVT amp. His bass was recorded with a DI and microphones combined, which made it extremely warm and fuzzy. Of the two microphones placed, only the FET 47 was kept, and it has a thumpy, mid-range sound. The bass sits chilled-out and backseat behind the main riff. This is the Nevermind album rig.
- Keep the bass chilled-out and back, letting it sit behind the main riff.
- Bend with the left thumb and add vibrato on the notes.
What amp did Krist Novoselic use on Lounge Act?
- Krist Novoselic said: ‘I played a blonde Ripper on Nevermind.’ (on the album Nevermind)[1]
- Novoselic said he used a DI on Nevermind but not on In Utero. (on the album Nevermind)[2]
- Vig said Novoselic used an Ampeg SVT amp on Nevermind. (on the album Nevermind)[3]
- Sound On Sound says the extremely warm, fuzzy bass on Nevermind came from a combination of DI and miking. (on the album Nevermind)[3]
- Vig placed a FET 47 and a Sennheiser RE20 on the bass for Nevermind and used only the 47. (on the album Nevermind)[3]
- Vig said the 47 has more of a thumpy, mid-range sound. (on the album Nevermind)[3]
- Loudersound says Novoselic's chilled-out, backseat bass perfectly complements the main riff. (on this song)[4]
- Novoselic said he uses his left thumb a lot for bending and adds vibrato on the notes. (in a later era)[2]
- Vig said he usually puts a couple of mics on the bass and ends up using only one. (in a later era)[3]
Questions
What amp did Krist Novoselic use on Lounge Act?
The sources on this page document Krist Novoselic's gear on Lounge Act by Nirvana: bass, blonde Ripper [1]; amp, Ampeg SVT [3]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Lounge Act settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3?
For the Lounge Act bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3, set Gain 5, 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) 6, Tone 6. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Lounge Act settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108?
For the Lounge Act bass tone on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108, set SGT On, Bass +1, Midrange +2, Treble -1; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 8, Bridge Volume (J) 6, Tone 6. Set Volume to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the Lounge Act 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 Lounge Act, 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