Welcome back, it’s the second installment of the Duff Mckagan bass rig series.
Guns N' Roses - "You Could Be Mine"
So far in the series we’ve discussed the basses Duff used in Guns N Roses.
But you already know that, because you’ve watched it right?
If you want to know about Velvet Revolver that’s coming up in part 3
A link to that will be in the show notes down below.
But you’re here for amplifiers so let’s do this!
I think it’s fair to say that any fans of Duff's will recognise his amplifier setup.
Or at least the name Gallien Krueger.
Duff has always been a user of these amplifier heads and cabinets
Using his advance money from Appetite For Destruction
to buy a 400RB and two 4x10 cabinets.
Not long after, he upgraded the head to the 800RB.
This rig lasted him through Guns N' Roses up to Velvet Revolver.
Where he toured with a 2001RB head.
By the tour of the second album Libertad he briefly changed his cabinets to 4x12 Neo's
After Velvet Revolver it looked like he tried a few different setups
juggling between the 10 and 12 inch speakers as his cabinets never really settled.
In a 2014 interview with Seymour Duncan he stated he made a change
to Fender Bassman amplifiers
Whilst GK amps are solid and reliable
they sound inconsistent on stage venue to venue
and that Fender amplifiers solved this issue for him.
His current amplifier is a 300 watt Fender Super Bassman tube amp.
Alongside this he has been seen with a Fender 6x10 cabinet but more recently a full 8x10.
Pictures from Duffs Twitter also shows he's using the volume of the Fender head
and combining it with a GK MB 800.
GK are famed for their in built distortion
no doubt he is switching to that for a dirty signal.
Duff has stated in the past he isn’t really an effects person
and only uses them to enhance a song. He has however stated an interest in the UK
band “Magazine” who are known to use chorus
he since tried to emulate that sound.
He done this by using various chorus pedals.
Initially, an Ibanez CS-9
and then upgrading to a rack mounted Yamaha SPX-90.
Between these effects you have the quintessential Duff bass sound.
Duff has also mentioned using an MXR Chorus
which has a different flavour and more parameters to tweak.
Other effects that have sparling been used are an
MXR El Grande Bass Fuzz which he used in the studio
For Velvet Revolver.
In a live setting however he uses the B channel on his GK amplifiers as we mentioned.
Duff’s strings have always been made by Rotosound
specifically the the Swing Bass Set.
Originally made famous in the musical revolution of the 60s and
inspiring many classic musicians of that time.
They’re made of stainless steel and brighter then a nickel string
by comparison which aren’t as loud but are warmer.
On the subject of tone, let’s talk pickups.
Duff’s uses a Seymour Duncan Hot Stack in the bridge.
This provides an increased thick mid-range response.
A great improvement to an already subtle, quiet, stock single coil.
There isn’t information that mentions Duff
switching the humbucker on his Jazz Bass Special specifically.
Looking at his Fender Duff Signature model,
they’ve given it Vintage-Style Alnico Split coil.
So for the price tag of this bass you would hope.
it is as close to his original run of the Jazz Bass Special as possible.
It is somewhat safe to say
Duff did not swap out the humbucker on his Jazz Bass Special throughout Guns N' Roses.
If you know differently, let me know in the comments.
Alright! If you don’t know, now you know.
Through the use of a Jazz Bass special, the growl of a Gallien Krueger amplifier and a
sparkle of chorus you too can sound like Duff Mckagan
A full list of Duff’s secrets - his basses, strings and effects and amplifiers
are listed in our show notes down below.
As well as the full specifications we couldn’t include in the video.
That's for the completionists amongst us.
In the final installment of the Duff Mckagan bass rig series we talk about
Velvet Revolver, Loaded, Neurotic Outsiders, Hollywood Vampires and more.
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Thank you for watching and i'll see you in part 3!
Guns N' Roses - "Night Train"
Loadin' like a freight traiiinn
Flyin' like an aeroplaneee