What bass guitar did Deep Purple use on Hush?

Deep Purple used a Fender Precision Bass on "Hush." The P-Bass was a popular choice in the late 1960s and provided the thick, punchy tone that anchors the track.

Why did Deep Purple use a guitar amp for bass on Hush?

The bass on "Hush" was recorded through a Vox AC30, which is typically a guitar amplifier. This unconventional choice gave the bass a distinctive midrange character and slight overdrive that wouldn't be achieved with a traditional bass amp.

How to get Deep Purple's bass tone on Hush?

To recreate this tone, use a Fender Precision Bass through a Vox AC30 or similar guitar amp with slight overdrive. The key is the interaction between the P-Bass pickups and the AC30's midrange response and compression when pushed.

What studio recorded Deep Purple Hush?

"Hush" was recorded at Pye Studios in London, UK with producer Derek Lawrence. The studio was known for its quality recording facilities and was used by many British bands in the 1960s.

Can you play bass through a Vox AC30 safely?

While Deep Purple used an AC30 for bass on "Hush," playing bass through guitar amps can potentially damage the speakers due to low frequency content. Modern recreation should be done carefully with appropriate volume levels or use amp modeling instead.

bass guitar from "hush" by deep purple

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Tone Profile

This bass tone is thick, slightly overdriven, and sits perfectly in the mix, providing a solid foundation for the song. It has a round low-end with a subtle bite in the upper mids.

Shop This Rig

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Fender Precision Bass(instrument)
Vox AC30(amp)
Neumann U47(microphone)

The Story

The bass on Deep Purple's "Hush" was recorded at Pye Studios in London with producer Derek Lawrence. The signal chain featured a Fender Precision Bass running through a Vox AC30 amplifier, which is an unconventional choice for bass as the AC30 is typically a guitar amp. This unusual pairing contributed to the track's distinctive thick, slightly overdriven bass tone with good mid-range presence.

Production Credits

Producer: Derek Lawrence

Engineer: Barry Ainsworth

Recorded at: Pye Studios (London, UK)

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Precision BassShop on Reverb

Amp: Vox AC30Shop on Reverb

Microphone: Neumann U47Shop on Reverb

Recreation Tips

Use a Fender Precision Bass or similar bass with flatwound strings.
Dial in a clean to slightly overdriven tone on a Vox AC30 or similar amp.
Experiment with microphone placement to find the sweet spot.
A touch of compression can help even out the performance and solidify the low-end.

Original Gear

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Fender Precision BassShop on Reverb(guitar)
Vox AC30Shop on Reverb(amp)
Neumann U47Shop on Reverb(mic)

Substitutions & Recommendations

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

Alternative to: Fender Precision Bass

Provides the essential P-Bass tone with split-coil pickup for that thick, punchy sound at a budget-friendly price

Vox AC30S1Shop on Reverb$800-$900

Alternative to: Vox AC30

Single-speaker version of the classic AC30 circuit that can handle bass frequencies while providing the same chimey overdrive character

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5 Vox CollectionPlugin Boutique$80-$120

Alternative to: Vox AC30

Digital recreation of AC30 circuit allows experimentation with bass through guitar amp tones without risking speaker damage

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

Alternative to: Neumann U47

Tube condenser mic that captures the smooth, balanced frequency response similar to the vintage U47 for recording bass amps

Fender Player Precision BassShop on Reverb$750-$850