N.I.B. (Black Sabbath) bass tone and bass amp settings
N.I.B. bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3: medium gain (Gain 6), forward low-mids (Low Mid 2), forward high-mids (High Mid 2), neck P pickup.
Settings for your amp
The song has distinct sounds: Wah intro, Wah verse, Distorted bridge, Solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.
N.I.B. 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
- 6
- Bright
- Off
- Contour
- Off
- Vintage
- On
- Overdrive
- Off
- Bass
- +1
- Low Mid
- +2
- High Mid
- +2
- Treble
- -1
- Master
- Set to your room
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 0
- Tone
- 7
Add a wah pedal to reproduce the riff and solo wah.
N.I.B. 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
Add a wah pedal for the riff and solo’s moving vowel sweep.
N.I.B. settings on any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive
Amp
BassPassive P/J bass
The same settings in text
Amp
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7.5
- Treble
- 5
- Drive
- 3.5
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 0
- Tone
- 7
Add a wah pedal for the riff and solo filter sweep.
Song parts
Fender Rumble 40 V3
Wah intro:
Tone 8
.Raise the tone slightly to suggest a brighter wah position.
Wah verse:
Tone 8
.Keep the brighter tone through the main riff.
Distorted bridge:
Overdrive On, Drive 4, Level 5, Tone 6
.Engage overdrive and play the bridge without wah.
Solo:
Tone 9
.Open the tone for a brighter solo approximation.
Song parts
Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108
Wah intro:
Midrange 4, Treble 3, Tone 9
.Use a wah pedal for the moving vowel sweep.
Wah verse:
Midrange 4, Treble 3, Tone 9
.Use a wah pedal for the moving vowel sweep.
Distorted bridge:
SGT On
.Switch on SGT for the distorted bridge.
Solo:
Midrange 4, Treble 3, Tone 9
.Use a wah pedal for the solo’s moving vowel sweep.
Song parts
Any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive
Wah intro:
Tone 9
.Sweep your tone control manually to imitate the wah.
Wah verse:
Tone 9
.Sweep your tone control manually to imitate the wah.
Distorted bridge:
Drive 6.5
.Raise drive for the bridge’s wah-free distortion.
Solo:
Tone 9
.Sweep your tone control manually to imitate the wah.
Why it sounds like that
A bass solo with a wah pedal leads into the song, and the main riff, which also serves as the intro, the verse and, in effect, the chorus, always carries the wah. The bridges have only a distorted sound, with no wah. Geezer Butler played a Fender Precision Bass, and on the first album he used guitarist Tony Iommi's wah pedal. The riff's bluesy character comes from bending up into the B natural on the and of beat three in every second bar. The record is detuned, so it sounds in E flat minor.
- Use the main riff as the intro, the verse and, in effect, the chorus.
- Keep the wah on for the whole main riff.
What bass did Geezer Butler use on N.I.B.?
Geezer Butler
- Bass
- Fender Precision Bass[2]
- Butler said he used Tony's wah pedal on the first album. (on the album Black Sabbath)[1]
- Bonedo says Geezer Butler played a Fender Precision Bass on the original N.I.B. recording. (on this song)[2]
- Wah verse: Bonedo says the wah is always used on the main riff. (on this song)[2]
- Wah verse: Bonedo says the main riff serves as the intro, the verse and, in effect, the chorus. (on this song)[2]
- Bonedo says the original sounds in E flat minor because of detuning. (on this song)[2]
- Bonedo says the riff's bluesy character comes from Geezer bending up into the B natural on the and of beat three in each second bar. (on this song)[2]
- Wah intro: A bass solo leads into N.I.B., aided by a wah pedal. (on this song)[1]
- Distorted bridge: The bridges have only a distorted sound, with no wah. (on this song)[2]
Questions
What bass did Geezer Butler use on N.I.B.?
The sources on this page document Geezer Butler's gear on N.I.B. by Black Sabbath: bass, Fender Precision Bass [2]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the N.I.B. settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3?
For the N.I.B. bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3, set Gain 6, Vintage On, Bass +1, Low Mid +2, High Mid +2, Treble -1; 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 N.I.B. settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108?
For the N.I.B. 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. Set Volume to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the N.I.B. 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 N.I.B., 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