What bass guitar was used on God Only Knows by The Beach Boys?

A Fender Precision Bass was used for the recording. The bass was played through a Fender Bassman amplifier and recorded at Western Recorders in Hollywood.

Did Carol Kaye play bass on God Only Knows?

Carol Kaye is widely credited with playing the bass line on "God Only Knows," though there are some conflicting sources about this attribution. She was a prominent session musician who worked on many Beach Boys recordings during this period.

How to get The Beach Boys bass tone from Pet Sounds?

Use a Fender Precision Bass with flatwound strings through a Fender Bassman tube amplifier. The tone emphasizes the fundamental frequencies with warmth and sustain, often enhanced with light compression and close-mic recording techniques.

What studio was God Only Knows recorded at?

"God Only Knows" was recorded at Western Recorders in Hollywood, California. The sessions were engineered by Chuck Britz under producer Brian Wilson's direction.

What microphone was used to record the bass on God Only Knows?

A Neumann U47 tube microphone was used to capture the Fender Bassman amplifier. This microphone choice contributed to the warm, round character of the bass sound on the recording.

bass guitar from "god only knows" by the beach boys

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Tone Profile

Warm and round, with a clear fundamental and smooth sustain. The bass provides a melodic counterpoint rather than a simple rhythmic foundation.

Shop This Rig

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Fender Precision Bass(instrument)
Fender Bassman(amp)
Neumann U47(microphone)

The Story

"God Only Knows" was recorded at Western Recorders in Hollywood, engineered by Chuck Britz under Brian Wilson's production. The bass was recorded using a Fender Precision Bass through a Fender Bassman amplifier, captured with a Neumann U47 microphone. Session bassist Carol Kaye is widely credited with playing the melodic bass line, though this attribution has some conflicting sources.

Production Credits

Producer: Brian Wilson

Engineer: Chuck Britz

Recorded at: Western Recorders, Hollywood, CA

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Precision BassShop on Reverb

Amp: Fender BassmanShop on Reverb

Microphone: Neumann U47Shop on Reverb

Recreation Tips

Use a Fender Precision Bass with flatwound strings for a warm, fundamental-rich tone.
Dial in a clean, slightly overdriven tone on a Fender Bassman or similar tube amp.
Experiment with microphone placement to find the right balance between direct amp sound and room ambience.
Use light compression to even out the dynamics and add sustain.

Original Gear

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Fender Precision BassShop on Reverb(guitar)
Fender BassmanShop on Reverb(amp)
Neumann U47Shop on Reverb(mic)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Fender Player Precision BassShop on Reverb$650-$750

Alternative to: Fender Precision Bass

Modern version of the classic P-Bass with the same fundamental tone characteristics and pickup placement for that warm, round sound

Fender Bassman 100TShop on Reverb$1200-$1400

Alternative to: Fender Bassman

Current tube version of the classic Bassman circuit that provides the warm, slightly overdriven tube saturation of the original

Warm Audio WA-47Shop on Reverb$800-$900

Alternative to: Neumann U47

Faithful recreation of the U47's warm tube sound and frequency response that captured the original bass tone

UAD Fender Bassman PluginPlugin Boutique$150-$200

Alternative to: Fender Bassman

Digital modeling of the vintage Bassman circuit for direct recording without needing the physical amplifier

Squier Classic Vibe 60s Precision BassShop on Reverb$350-$400