Counting Blue Cars amp settings — Valeton GP-100
The Dishwalla guitar tone for “Counting Blue Cars”, dialed in for a Valeton GP-100 with a Fender Player Jazz Bass. Studio album cut, Pet Your Friends (1995)
Fender Jazz Bass/Precision Bass into Ampeg SVT-CL + 8x10 Cab, blended with studio tube DI and optical compression
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 4 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 7 |
01Compressor (Valeton COMP block)
Placed first in chain before amp block to even out fingerstyle dynamics
02Chorus (Valeton MOD block)
Subtle analog chorus block for classic 90s stereo width; keep mix low
The GP-100 SVT model provides the tube warmth and low-mid heft Scot Alexander used on the record. Blending both Jazz Bass pickups with the tone rolled down slightly softens the modern top-end bite to match the smooth 1995 mix. The preamp gain is kept clean at 4 to maintain punch without fuzzy distortion.
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