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The Less I Know The Better (Tame Impala) bass tone and bass amp settings

The Less I Know The Better bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3: light drive (Drive 2.5), low gain (Gain 4), balanced lows (Bass 1), neck P pickup.

Tuning: E standard

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

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

The Less I Know The Better settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3

Fender Rumble 40 V3 settings for every song

AmpFender Rumble 40 V3

Gain4
BrightOff
ContourOff
VintageOn
OverdriveOn
Drive2.5
Level5
Bass+1
Low Mid+1
High Mid+1
Treble0
Set to your roomMaster

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)10Full P pickup level for a rounded, solid bass sound.
Bridge Volume (J)0Keep the bridge pickup out for a fuller P-style tone.
Tone6.5
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
4
Bright
Off
Contour
Off
Vintage
On
Overdrive
On
Drive
2.5
Level
5
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
6.5

A GR-55-style octave synth with delay, modulation, and reverb would help.

The Less I Know The Better 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+2
Midrange+1
Treble0

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)10Emphasizes the warm, rounded P-style low mids.
Bridge Volume (J)0Keeps the bridge pickup out for a fuller sound.
Tone6
The same settings in text

Amp

SGT
Off
Volume
Set to your room
Bass
+2
Midrange
+1
Treble
0

Passive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)
10
Bridge Volume (J)
0
Tone
6

A guitar-synth or octave unit plus delay, modulation, and reverb gets closer.

The Less I Know The Better settings on any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive

Amp

Bass6
Mid6
Treble5
Drive2

BassPassive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)10Emphasizes the round, full P-style foundation.
Bridge Volume (J)4Adds a touch of definition without thinning the sound.
Tone6
The same settings in text

Amp

Bass
6
Mid
6
Treble
5
Drive
2

Passive P/J bass

Neck Volume (P)
10
Bridge Volume (J)
4
Tone
6

Add an octave pedal or guitar synth for the GR-55-style octave-down bass sound.

Song parts

Fender Rumble 40 V3

  1. Distorted outro:

    Gain 5.5, Drive 6.5

    .

    Push the amp overdrive harder for the outro

Song parts

Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108

  1. Distorted outro:

    SGT On

    .

    Switch on SGT for a rougher, more saturated outro.

Song parts

Any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive

  1. Distorted outro:

    Drive 6

    .

    Increase amp drive for the distorted outro.

The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Why it sounds like that

Guitar strings over the frets, close up

The bass line on this record was played on a guitar, not a bass guitar. In the verses even the bass goes through the guitar synth, a Roland GR-55. The riff itself is a guitar with an octave pedal, and one take runs through the whole song. The track was demoed late at night in a hotel room with hardly any gear, and for that makeshift bass sound a guitar ran through the GR-55's P-Bass preset, pitched down an octave and driven a little.

  • Play the riff on a guitar through an octave pedal, since the record bass line is a guitar.
  • For a bass sound, run a guitar through the GR-55's P-Bass preset and pitch the signal down an octave.

What gear did Kevin Parker use on The Less I Know The Better?

A guitarist’s pedalboard, a dozen pedals cabled together

Kevin Parker

Effects
Roland GR-55[3]
  • Verse: Parker said the verse bass goes through the guitar synth. (on this song)[1]
  • Parker said the bass riff is actually a guitar with an octave pedal. (on this song)[2]
  • Mixdown reports the Roland GR-55 guitar synth was responsible for the bass on The Less I Know the Better. (on this song)[3]
  • Mixdown reports the track was demoed late at night in a hotel room with hardly any gear. (on this song)[3]
  • Mixdown reports Parker ran a guitar through the P-Bass preset on the guitar synth, pitched down an octave and driving it a little, for the makeshift bass sound. (on this song)[3]
  • Parker said he usually sends his bass through his guitar pedal chain. (on the album Currents)[1]
  • Parker said his Hofner bass has a lot to do with his bass tone on Currents. (on the album Currents)[1]
  • Premier Guitar reports Parker's Hofner bass was also a primary tool when making Currents. (on the album Currents)[1]
  • Premier Guitar reports some GR-55 patches used live also appear on Currents. (on the album Currents)[1]

Questions

What gear did Kevin Parker use on The Less I Know The Better?

The sources on this page document Kevin Parker's gear on The Less I Know The Better by Tame Impala: effects, Roland GR-55 [3]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.

What are the The Less I Know The Better settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3?

For the The Less I Know The Better bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3, set Gain 4, Vintage On, Overdrive On, Drive 2.5, Level 5, 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 6.5. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the The Less I Know The Better settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108?

For the The Less I Know The Better bass tone on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108, set Bass +2, Midrange +1, Treble 0; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 10, Bridge Volume (J) 0, 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 The Less I Know The Better 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 Less I Know The Better, 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