Tone Profile

A clean, punchy, and articulate bass tone with a strong fundamental and distinct note definition, driving the song's iconic riff.

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• The bassline was composed and performed by John Deacon.
• The primary bass sound was achieved by DI'ing the Fender Precision Bass directly into the studio's Neve console, as confirmed by engineer Reinhold Mack.
• The recording took place at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland, which housed a Neve 8048 console.
• Minimal effects were used, focusing on capturing the natural tone of the P-Bass and Deacon's dynamic fingerstyle playing.
• The clarity and articulation of each note in the iconic riff are key characteristics of the recorded sound.

Recreation Tips

• Use a Fender Precision Bass or a similar instrument with a split-coil pickup.
• Install fresh roundwound strings (e.g., Rotosound Swing Bass 66 .045-.105).
• Play fingerstyle with a firm, consistent attack. Experiment with plucking slightly closer to the bridge to enhance note definition.
• Connect your bass directly to your audio interface or use a high-quality DI box.
• Emulate a Neve console preamp and EQ if possible (plugins are available). Apply a gentle cut to the low-mids (around 300-400Hz) if the sound is muddy, and a slight boost to the high-mids (1-2kHz) for attack.
• Apply light compression (e.g., an LA-2A or 1176 style plugin) with a moderate attack and release to even out dynamics and add sustain without squashing the transients.
• Focus on playing the riff with precision and consistent timing, as Deacon's performance is integral to the sound.

Recommended Gear

• Fender American Vintage II 1960 Precision Bass(guitar)
• Radial JDI Passive Direct Box(preamp)
• Universal Audio Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ Collection (Plugin)(pedal)
• Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A Leveler Collection (Plugin)(pedal)