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Duff McKagan Sound

#4
Late 80's early 90 i used a fender power jazz bass special with a peavey tnt 130 and got that sound so much so every bass player from the bands on before and after would say wow that sound is just like Duff.
 
#11
rag said:
Duff has been using GK 2001RB' s and RBH cabinets for years now but any GK head will produce the basic sound. The rest in in your fingers.
RAG
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i dont know if its just his personal choice or the change in heads, but he never had the same sharpness in his tone with velvet revolver as he did in gnr. his tone had great definition from gnr to his solo album believe in me, i think his last great bass tone was on his unreleased album beautiful disease. after that, his tone is still a great bass tone, but it lost a some of the 'duff'ness in it.
 
#15
Agree. I've got a Fender Jazz Bass Special and a GK 800rb. He uses the mid scoop button on the amp, then slightly boosts his low mids and slightly cuts the hi mids. Pick over the jazz pickup with a medium thickness pick (0.73 or 1 mm). Chorus for stuff after AFD as needed.

I read an interview where he said he also used a Marshall guitar amp in addition for grit, but I don't know if that was for GNR or later stuff.
 
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#16
musicman666 said:
Gibson Thunderbirds and Hiwatt amps..^^^^don't listen to these noobs....
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I now use mostly gibson bass's i go for a more 70's sound and play in a 3 piece so i don't need to cut threw the mix as much as i did in a 5 piece but you will never get that G-N-R Duff sound with a Gibson Thunderbird no matter what amp you play threw not with out heavy mods.
 
#19
rag said:
Duff has been using GK 2001RB' s and RBH cabinets for years now but any GK head will produce the basic sound. The rest in in your fingers.
RAG
Click to expand...
I'm very happy with my 700RB-II. The reason I bought was that it was a modernized, more powerful version of the 800RB while still capable of recreating the "classic" tones.

The reason I wanted the tones of the 800RB is because of Duff's playing with GN'R.
 
#20
Pick is a must for the Duff sound, so as the Roto Stainless strings. He uses downstrokes most the time like Hetfield, and that's a special flavor. Arrangements are a huge factor too. The song needs to be crafted the way they do, to be able to hear his signature turnarounds and fills.
You can get pretty close with almost any GK head, NEO 12"s are his current speakers, and they can replicate his old tone pretty well.
And the most important: ATTITUDE.
 

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