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The Chain (Fleetwood Mac) bass tone and bass amp settings

The Chain bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3: low gain (Gain 3.5), balanced lows (Bass 1), even low-mids (Low Mid 1), neck P pickup.

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

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

The Chain settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3

Fender Rumble 40 V3 settings for every song

AmpFender Rumble 40 V3

Gain3.5
BrightOff
ContourOff
VintageOff
OverdriveOff
Bass+1
Low Mid+1
High Mid+1
Treble0
Set to your roomMaster

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)10Emphasizes the punchy, rounded P-pickup foundation.
Bridge Volume (J)3Adds a little articulation without making the blend thin.
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
3.5
Bright
Off
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)
3
Tone
7

Add a light chorus effect for the documented outro.

The Chain settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108

Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108 settings for every song

AmpAmpeg Rocket Bass RB-108

SGTOff
Set to your roomVolume
Bass+1
Midrange+2
Treble+1

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)8.5Keep the P pickup dominant for punchy, rounded low mids.
Bridge Volume (J)3.5Add a little bridge pickup for picked articulation.
Tone6.5Retain enough treble for clear pick attack.
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)
8.5
Bridge Volume (J)
3.5
Tone
6.5

A light chorus effect is needed to reproduce the outro modulation.

The Chain settings on any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive

Amp

Bass5
Mid6
Treble5
Drive1

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)8Prioritize the round, punchy P pickup.
Bridge Volume (J)2Keep bridge pickup low for a fuller blend.
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Bass
5
Mid
6
Treble
5
Drive
1

Passive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)
8
Bridge Volume (J)
2
Tone
7

Add a subtle chorus pedal for the outro.

Song parts

Fender Rumble 40 V3

  1. Chorused outro:

    Bright On

    .

    Add light chorus for the outro if available.

Song parts

Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108

  1. Chorused outro:

    Treble 1.5

    .

    Add light chorus externally; fill motif gaps with picked notes.

Song parts

Any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive

  1. Chorused outro:

    Treble 6, Bridge Volume (J) 3

    .

    Fill the motif gaps with quarter- and eighth-note figures.

The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Why it sounds like that

Guitar strings over the frets, close up

John McVie played The Chain on a one-of-a-kind Alembic Series 1 fretless with a stainless steel fingerboard, a bass he used in the studio and on stage from 1976 to 1980, when Alembic was his favoured brand. He plays it with a pick and makes little use of the fretless character, so nearly any fretted bass gets close. He rests through the first-half verse, and a light chorus effect on the outro gives the sound its width.

  • Rest through the verse rather than filling it.
  • Open the chorus with heavy staccato quarter notes, then let longer notes take over after two bars.

What bass did John McVie use on The Chain?

A guitarist’s pedalboard, a dozen pedals cabled together

John McVie

Bass
Alembic Series 1 custom fretless bass[1]
  • Guitar World reports that McVie’s one-of-a-kind Alembic Series 1 custom fretless bass was used to record The Chain. (on this song)[1]
  • Bonedo reports that during the Rumours era McVie’s favoured bass brand was Alembic. (on the album Rumours)[2]
  • Bonedo reports that the bass on The Chain is an Alembic Series One fretless with a stainless steel fingerboard. (on this song)[2]
  • Bonedo reports that Die Strings werden von John offensichtlich mit einem Plektrum angeschlagen. (on this song)[2]
  • Chorused outro: Bonedo reports that a light chorus effect comes in on the outro. (on this song)[2]
  • Verse: Bonedo reports that McVie pauses in the verse of the first half. (on this song)[2]
  • Chorus: Bonedo reports that in the chorus McVie plays heavy staccato quarter notes that give way to longer notes after two bars. (on this song)[2]
  • Chorused outro: Bonedo reports that McVie fills the gaps in his outro motif with quarter and eighth notes. (on this song)[2]
  • Bonedo reports that McVie does not make much use of the fretless character on this track. (on this song)[2]
  • Bonedo reports that nearly any fretted bass gets close to McVie’s sound on this track. (on this song)[2]
  • Caillat said McVie came up with the bass line for The Chain during a run-through. (on this song)[3]

Questions

What bass did John McVie use on The Chain?

The sources on this page document John McVie's gear on The Chain by Fleetwood Mac: bass, Alembic Series 1 custom fretless bass [1]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.

What are the The Chain settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3?

For the The Chain bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3, set Gain 3.5, Bass +1, Low Mid +1, High Mid +1, Treble 0; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 10, Bridge Volume (J) 3, Tone 7. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the The Chain settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108?

For the The Chain 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) 8.5, Bridge Volume (J) 3.5, Tone 6.5. Set Volume to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

Can I get the The Chain 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 The Chain, 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