Sure, there’s nothing more gratifying than coining a riff or a style that seems distinctly your own, yet most of the world’s best guitarists developed their defining sound by first emulating many other guitarists.
Here are 26 feature stories chock full of home recording and tone tips, rig explanations and trade secrets to getting the tone of some of the world's most iconic guitarists.
The ABCs of Tone
Click on the artists whose tone you want to recreate and have at it!
A — Aerosmith: "When it comes to amps, Joe Perry is best known for his Marshalls ― but then, most rockers who came up during the ’70s and ’80s were. Of course, he's used other amps as well, especially for his clean tones, but the Marshall epitomized that rock crunch that we’ve come to love." More...
B — Black Stone Cherry: "Guitarist Ben Wells uses a Peavey 6505 amp, which is a later generation model of the Eddie Van Halen-developed 5150. He also uses an MXR Zakk Wylde Overdrive, a Cry Baby Wah, Rotovibe and a Budda Wah, as well as several Les Pauls, including Les Paul Customs, Standards and Studio models." More...
C — Billy Corgan (of Smashing Pumpkins): "Besides his Signature Fender Billy Corgan Stratocaster, Corgan has an enviable collection of Gibson guitars that include the ES-335, Les Paul Special, SG Special, SG Standard, Flying V, Epiphone SG, Hummingbird Acoustic and a Gibson 12 string acoustic." More...
D — Dan Donegan (of Disturbed): "Donegan spreads out his love of amps to some of the most classic models around―he’s used Marshalls, Mesa/Boogie, and Randalls over his career. Digitech has a Dan Donegan pedal, which is an important part of the guitarist’s overall sound." More...
E — Elvis Presley guitarist Scotty Moore: "Early on with Elvis, Moore played a Gibson ES-295, then briefly an L-5, but is most famously seen with a Super 400CES. Moore gets a lot of bite and sizzle out of his early ’50s Gibson Super 400CES. This was a pre-humbucker guitar, so it carried two cutting, aggressive P-90 pickups." More...
F — Foo Fighters: "Guitarist Chris Shiflett works with many Gibsons, including a ‘57 Les Paul Goldtop, a Les Paul Junior, Les Paul Custom, ES-335 and a Firebird. When it comes time to amp all those guitars, Shiflett has turned to Marshall and Mesa Boogie." More...
G — Green Day: "Billie Joe Armstrong has quite a collection of Gibson guitars that he uses, including a signature Les Paul Junior. He also uses the ES-135, ES-335, 1959 Les Paul Special, SG and Fender Strats, among others." More...
H — John Hiatt: "Hiatt is known for playing his Gibson J-45 acoustic guitars for his many acoustic songs, but he also plugs in and plays electric too. Hiatt’s electric tone is just like the rest of his music ― tasteful. John uses Genz Benz amps." More...
I — In This Moment: "Blake Bunzel uses quite a bit of new gear like Schecter guitars and TC Electronics racks. He also uses a Dunlop Wah, a Maxon OD808 and a Smart Gate from Dunlop. As you would expect from the tone on the songs, Bunzel also uses Mesa Boogie amps and cabs." More...
J — John Mayer: "John gets his tone from his signature Fender Strat, although he also plays a signature Stevie Ray Vaughn Strat as well. (He’s been spotted with a Gibson ES-335, too.) He gets a lot of his tone from his Two Rock amp heads, a collection of Fender amps, Leslie cabinets and Two Rock 2×12 guitar cabinets." More...
K — KISS: "Ace Frehley’s guitar tone was as classic as his songs. He had a variety of Les Pauls – including his very own signature model – and still uses them today. He was also known to use Marshall amps throughout his career, although rumors had Frehley plugged into Fender amps under the stage, using the Marshalls as show." More...
L — Led Zeppelin: "The visual that persists alongside his sonic imprint is of Jimmy Page strutting an arena stage with a Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard or EDS-1275 Double-Neck in front of a pair of roaring Marshall amp stacks. And live, this is indeed how a major part of the tone was generated." More...
M — Metallica: "One of James Hetfield’s most famous pieces of gear was his Gibson Explorer, although he also used a Les Paul, as well. In later years James added several ESP guitars to his collection. Hetfield’s collection of amps has varied over the years." More...
N — Keith Nelson (of Buckcherry): "Keith has a lot of gear and has said himself that he has every vintage Marshall and Vox you’ll need. When it comes to guitars, Nelson has a large collection of Gibsons but also plays various Fender, Zemaitis and Gretsch models." More...
O — Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads: "When it comes to guitars, Rhoads is best known for his collection of Gibson Les Pauls and his Jacksons. He was definitely a Marshall man when it came time to plug in and while he didn’t use too many pedals, MXR seemed to be his choice for chorus and distortion." More..
P — Pink Floyd:"David Gilmour uses many different guitars, including a few Gibson Les Pauls, but it’s his use of the rest of his gear that’s really astounding. By looking at his rig, you might think there isn’t an effect he hasn’t or wouldn’t use." More...
Q — Queen: "Brian May is a diehard Vox amp user. It’s no wonder he stuck with Vox over the years. That sound has become a staple of rock music and one that is instantly recognizable." More...
R — Tony Rombola (of Godsmack):"Rombola utilizes either a Drop D or Drop C tuning for the majority of Godsmack’s songs. Using this type of tuning really gives him the ability to come up with a deep chug when playing his riffs. Add in a Gibson Les Paul, Marshall and Mesa Boogie amps and you’ve got the makings of a great tone." More...
S — Slash: "To get his full rich tone, Slash has always had a no-nonsense, stripped-down approach to his gear. Distortion pedals and a trusty wah-wah were part of his sonic arsenal early on, but even as Guns N’ Roses were being courted by labels and tearing up clubs on L.A.’s Sunset Strip, Slash was already relying exclusively on Marshall amps and cabinets." More...
T — Pete Townshend: "Townshend made an enormous sonic impact with simple tools and a very basic — if undeniably inspired and energetic — technique. He has used a variety of guitar and amp combinations throughout his career, but at heart Townshend plus Gibson SG Special plus Hiwatt amp stack equals colossal tone." More...
U — U2: "Chiming and chimerical, a sound this unorthodox could only come from a guitarist who knew that rules had no place in the creation of exciting and groundbreaking rock ’n’ roll, and his choice of guitar reflected this mindset." More...
V — Stevie Ray Vaughan: "SRV played several guitars throughout his career, but far and away his favorite and the most played was the one he called 'Number One,' which was purchased in the mid 1970s at Ray Hennig’s Heart of Texas Music Store in Austin, Texas. This guitar is often described as being a 1959 Fender Stratocaster with a slab rosewood fingerboard." More...
W — Zakk Wylde: "In his later years, Zakk switch out his Boss gear in favor of his signature Dunlop overdrive and an MXR Chorus. He also added a Dunlop Rotovibe at some point in his career as well. The end result is a setup that punches out a fat tone worthy of some of Ozzy Osbourne’s greatest songs." More...
X — Extreme: "Nuno Bettencourt used quite a bit of equipment over the years, although he stayed true to his guitar and amp choices throughout his career. Pretty much from the beginning Bettencourt used Washburn guitars. Washburn now has several Nuno Bettencourt signature models." More...
Y — Angus Young: "Plug in a great SG with powerful yet clear humbuckers, crank up the amps so a cutting lead tone is always on tap, and simply roll down the volume control to clean it up. End of story… Or is it? Actually, as straightforward as his sound chain is, there are still some nuances to consider." More...
Z — ZZ Top: "When it comes to guitar tone, Billy Gibbons uses what you would expect any rockin’ blues man to have in his arsenal, including Gibson guitars and Marshall amps. He has also been known to use a Fuzz pedal and a couple of other devices too." More...