Stand By Me (Ben E. King) bass tone and bass amp settings
Stand By Me bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3: low gain (Gain 3), forward low-mids (Low Mid 2), dark top (Treble -2), neck P pickup.
Settings for your amp
Stand By Me 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
- Off
- Contour
- Off
- Vintage
- On
- Overdrive
- Off
- Bass
- +1
- Low Mid
- +2
- High Mid
- 0
- Treble
- -2
- Master
- Set to your room
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 0
- Tone
- 5.5
For closer woody resonance, use an upright bass.
Stand By Me 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
- -2
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 0
- Tone
- 4
An upright bass would better match the original instrument.
Stand By Me settings on any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive
Amp
BassPassive P/J bass
The same settings in text
Amp
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 5
- Treble
- 3
- Drive
- 0
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 0
- Tone
- 4
An upright bass better captures the original’s woody acoustic attack.
Why it sounds like that
The bass on Stand By Me is a double bass, not an electric bass guitar. Lloyd Trotman, a jazz bassist and session musician from Boston, played the part. His line gracefully outlines the chord progression with a few perfectly diatonic passing tones.
- Outline the chord progression with a few perfectly diatonic passing tones.
What bass did Lloyd Trotman use on Stand By Me?
Lloyd Trotman
- Bass
- double bass[2]
- Bass Musician Magazine names Lloyd Trotman as the bass player on this song. (on this song)[1]
- The Music Museum of New England biography says Lloyd Trotman, the double bassist from Boston, played double bass on Stand By Me. (on this song)[2]
- The bass line outlines the chord progression with a few perfectly diatonic passing tones. (on this song)[3]
Questions
What bass did Lloyd Trotman use on Stand By Me?
The sources on this page document Lloyd Trotman's gear on Stand By Me by Ben E. King: bass, double bass [2]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Stand By Me settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3?
For the Stand By Me bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3, set Gain 3, Vintage On, Bass +1, Low Mid +2, High Mid 0, Treble -2; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 10, Bridge Volume (J) 0, Tone 5.5. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Stand By Me settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108?
For the Stand By Me bass tone on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108, set Bass +1, Midrange +2, Treble -2; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 10, Bridge Volume (J) 0, Tone 4. Set Volume to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the Stand By Me 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 Stand By Me, 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