BassDistortedDistorted
Vicarious Bass Tone Settings — TOOL
TOOL · 2000s · prog
studio
Original Recording
A reconstruction of the bass tone. Gear attributions and estimated settings are explained in the research notes below.
Bass
Wal MkII 4-string
Pickups
Dual humbuckers (Wal proprietary, filter preamp)
Amp
Gallien-Krueger 2001RB (studio, 2006 era)
Pickup Position
Both pickups balanced (Wal filter preamp, likely both engaged for full-range growl)
Studio recording, 2006, album: 10,000 Days. Justin Chancellor blends amp and DI, often with parallel effects.
Amp Settings
Suggested starting points on a 0–10 scale, not documented studio knob positions. Match to your gear for controls specific to your setup.
Mids7
Bass5
Gain6.5
Treble6.5
Presence6
compression5.5
Effects Chain
- DBX 160A Compressor · compression
- Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI · preamp
- Lovetone Big Cheese · fuzz
Wal MkII → DBX 160A Compressor → SansAmp BDDI → Lovetone Big Cheese (parallel blend) → Gallien-Krueger 2001RB → DI + amp-mic blend
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Tone Character
- aggressive midrange snarl
- clanky pick attack
- growly and gritty
- tight low end
- articulate note definition
- slightly compressed
- rich harmonic content
- cutting presence
- layered distortion (not fuzz)
- punchy, not boomy
Playing Technique
- pick
Sources
Tone Story / Why This Tone Works
studio