bass guitar from “don't stop me now” by queen | ToneDB

don't stop me now

queen

bass guitar

70% ai confidence

Tone Profile

Aggressive and punchy bass tone with a slightly overdriven character that provides a strong foundation for the song's energy.

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The Story

John Deacon recorded the bass for "Don't Stop Me Now" at Mountain Studios in Montreux using his Fender Precision Bass through an Ampeg SVT. The sound was captured with a blend of direct input and a miked amplifier, likely using a Neumann U47 microphone positioned a few feet from the cabinet. This dual-source approach gave the bass both clarity and the punchy, slightly overdriven character that drives the song's energy.

Production Credits

Producer: Queen

Engineer: Mike Stone

Recorded at: Mountain Studios, Montreux

Recreation Tips

  • Use a Fender Precision Bass or similar instrument with flatwound strings.
  • Set the Ampeg SVT or a similar bass amp model to a slightly overdriven setting.
  • Blend a direct input signal with the miked amp signal to achieve clarity and punch.
  • Use a compressor plugin to even out the dynamics and add sustain.

Original Gear

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Substitutions & Recommendations

Alternative to: Fender Precision Bass

Budget-friendly P-bass with similar pickup configuration and tone to capture Deacon's fundamental sound

Alternative to: Ampeg SVT

Modern SVT head that delivers the classic tube-like warmth and slight overdrive character of the original

Alternative to: Ampeg SVT

Plugin offering accurate SVT modeling with built-in DI blending for home recording without the massive amp

Alternative to: Direct Input blend

High-quality DI for capturing the clean direct signal that can be blended with the amp sound

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