bass guitar from “seven nation army” by the white stripes | ToneDB
seven nation army
the white stripes
bass guitar
AI generatedv1.0
Tone Profile
A fuzzy, distorted bass sound achieved by unconventional means. It emulates the low-end frequencies typically associated with a bass guitar.
Gear
- Kay Hollowbodyinstrument
- Reverb$600Sweetwater
- Silvertone 1485amp
- Reverb$1099Sweetwater
- AKG D12microphone
- ReverbSweetwater
- DigiTech Whammy IVprocessing
- ReverbSweetwater
- Silverstone 1485amp
- ReverbSweetwater
ToneDB may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
The Story
Jack White created the iconic "Seven Nation Army" bassline by running a Kay hollowbody guitar through a DigiTech Whammy IV pedal, pitching it down an octave to create a synthetic bass sound. The guitar was then amplified through a Silvertone 1485 tube amp for additional fuzz and distortion, with the sound captured using an AKG D12 microphone at Toe Rag Studios in London. Engineer Liam Watson recorded this unconventional approach, which became one of the most recognizable bass tones in rock history despite not actually using a bass guitar.
Production Credits
Producer: Jack White
Engineer: Liam Watson
Recorded at: Toe Rag Studios, London
Signal Chain
Instrument: Kay Hollowbody
Amp: Silvertone 1485
Microphone: AKG D12
Processing: DigiTech Whammy IV
Recreation Tips
- Start with a hollow-body guitar; a similar model to the Kay is ideal.
- Use a pitch-shifting pedal like the DigiTech Whammy to drop the guitar's pitch by an octave.
- Experiment with different amp settings to get the right amount of fuzz and distortion.
- Consider using a microphone with good low-frequency response to capture the bass tones.
Original Gear
- Kay Hollowbody(guitar)
- Silverstone 1485(amp)
- DigiTech Whammy IV(pedal)
- AKG D12(mic)
Substitutions & Recommendations
Alternative to: Kay Hollowbody guitar
Hollow-body construction provides similar resonant qualities and natural compression that helped create the original's thick, woody tone
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: DigiTech Whammy IV
Direct successor with improved tracking and the same octave-down capability that's essential for creating the bass effect
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Silvertone 1485 amp
15-watt tube amp that can achieve similar vintage fuzz and natural tube compression when pushed
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Silvertone 1485 amp
Vintage Fender modeling provides the tube saturation and fuzz characteristics needed for this tone in a more affordable package
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: AKG D12 microphone
Industry-standard dynamic mic with excellent low-frequency response that can capture the punch and fuzz of the amplified signal
ReverbSweetwaterSources
Frequently Asked Questions
Community Insights
No community insights yet. Be the first to contribute!