Guitar tone · rock, other
ABBA guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 7 ABBA songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: 1959 Gibson Les Paul into Music Man HD-130 (commonly used by Janne Schaffer on ABBA sessions, no direct source for this song but supported by era/session evidence).
Guitars ABBA used
- 1959 Gibson Les Paul2 songs
- Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s, used by Janne Schaffer on ABBA studio recordings)1 song
- Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s-early 1980s, as used by Lasse Wellander in ABBA studio sessions)1 song
- Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s, used by Lasse Wellander on ABBA studio recordings)1 song
- Hagstrom Swede (likely, as used by Björn Ulvaeus on ABBA recordings of this era)1 song
- Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s, as used by Lasse Wellander in ABBA studio sessions)1 song
- Fender Stratocaster (likely late 1970s, possibly American or Japanese model, as used by Janne Schaffer in ABBA studio sessions)1 song
- Fender '62 Stratocaster (with modified pickups, bridge pickup replaced with stacked humbucker)1 song
Amps ABBA used
- Music Man HD-130 (commonly used by Janne Schaffer on ABBA sessions, no direct source for this song but supported by era/session evidence)1 song
- Ampeg amplifier (exact model unknown)1 song
- Roland Jazz Chorus-120 (JC-120) (studio standard for ABBA's clean tones in this era)1 song
- Marshall JMP 50W (1970s model, likely used in Polar Studios for ABBA recordings)1 song
- Ampeg V4 (likely, as Janne Schaffer mentions using Ampeg amps on ABBA studio recordings of this era)1 song
- Music Man HD-130 (commonly used by ABBA in studio late 1970s/early 1980s, clean platform)1 song
- Fender '65 Twin Reverb (original or reissue, as used in ABBA's late 1970s studio recordings)1 song
- Ampeg amplifier (exact model unknown, likely V4 or VT-22 based on era and Swedish studio standards)1 song
9 ABBA tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| Dancing Queen · riff | 0 |
| Does Your Mother Know · riff | 3.5 |
| Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) · riff | 3.5 |
| Mamma Mia · riff | 3.5 |
| Slipping Through My Fingers · riff | 0 |
| Slipping Through My Fingers · solo | 0 |
| Take a Chance On Me · solo | 4.5 |
| The Winner Takes It All · solo | 4 |
| The Winner Takes It All · riff | 0 |
Get ABBA's tone on your gear
Pick any ABBA song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did ABBA use?
Across 7 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Music Man HD-130 (commonly used by Janne Schaffer on ABBA sessions, no direct source for this song but supported by era/session evidence) (1 song), Ampeg amplifier (exact model unknown) (1 song), Roland Jazz Chorus-120 (JC-120) (studio standard for ABBA's clean tones in this era) (1 song), Marshall JMP 50W (1970s model, likely used in Polar Studios for ABBA recordings) (1 song).
What guitar did ABBA use?
Most often: 1959 Gibson Les Paul (2 songs), Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s, used by Janne Schaffer on ABBA studio recordings) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s-early 1980s, as used by Lasse Wellander in ABBA studio sessions) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s, used by Lasse Wellander on ABBA studio recordings) (1 song).
How do I get ABBA's tone on my amp?
Open any ABBA song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.