Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder) bass tone and bass amp settings
Sir Duke 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
Sir Duke 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
- On
- 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
- 8
Sir Duke 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
- +1
- Treble
- +1
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 0
- Tone
- 8
Sir Duke 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
- Treble
- 6.5
- Drive
- 0
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 0
- Tone
- 8
Fresh roundwound strings help match the documented Rotosound-string brightness.
Why it sounds like that
Nathan Watts played bass on Sir Duke, and his bass was a 1974 P-Bass with Rotosound strings, recorded direct. The band rehearsed the song and then cut it live at Crystal Industries in Los Angeles. The bass has a unison line that is played with a bend up to the top fret, and the outro is where the bassist cut loose.
- Bend up the last fret to reach the highest note of the unison line.
- Cut loose a little on the outro.
What bass did Nathan Watts use on Sir Duke?
Nathan Watts
- Bass
- 1974 P-Bass[1]
- Watts said he recorded Sir Duke at Crystal Industries in L.A. (on this song)[1]
- Watts said the band rehearsed Sir Duke and then cut it live at Crystal Industries in L.A. (on this song)[1]
- Watts said he played a 1974 P-Bass with Rotosound strings on Sir Duke, recorded direct. (on this song)[1]
- Watts said Stevie's unison line required him to bend up the last fret to reach the highest note. (on this song)[1]
- Outro: Watts said he cut loose a bit on the outro of Sir Duke. (on this song)[1]
Questions
What bass did Nathan Watts use on Sir Duke?
The sources on this page document Nathan Watts's gear on Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder: bass, 1974 P-Bass [1]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Sir Duke settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3?
For the Sir Duke bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3, set Gain 3, Bright On, 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 8. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Sir Duke settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108?
For the Sir Duke bass tone on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108, set Bass +1, Midrange +1, Treble +1; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 10, Bridge Volume (J) 0, 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 Sir Duke 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 Sir Duke, 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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