Guitar tone · jazz

Allan Holdsworth guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 5 Allan Holdsworth songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Charvel San Dimas-style custom Strat (early 80s, single humbucker, no pickguard, maple neck) into Jim Kelley Line Amp (early 1980s, combo, clean/lead switchable, no built-in effects except reverb).

Guitars Allan Holdsworth used

Charvel San Dimas-style custom Strat (early 80s, single humbucker, no pickguard, maple neck)1 song
Steinberger GL2T1 song
Steinberger GL2T (TransTrem-equipped, custom Allan Holdsworth spec)1 song
Carvin Holdsworth Signature (likely HF2 Fatboy or H2T, as used by Holdsworth in this era)1 song
Ibanez AH-10 Allan Holdsworth Signature1 song
Charvel San Dimas custom (Allan Holdsworth signature, 1984, with tremolo bridge)1 song
Carvin HF1 Fatboy (semi-hollow, maple neck) with Roland GK synth pickup1 song

Amps Allan Holdsworth used

Jim Kelley Line Amp (early 1980s, combo, clean/lead switchable, no built-in effects except reverb)1 song
Yamaha DG80-112 (likely), or Hughes & Kettner Cream Machine (possible, but less likely for this era/album)1 song
Yamaha DG80-112 (studio, late 1980s Holdsworth lead tone) or Hughes & Kettner Tube 100 (possible, but less likely for this specific track)1 song
Custom Audio Electronics (CAE) OD-100 Classic Plus (studio recording, as cited); Dumble also mentioned but less likely for clean riff section1 song
Hartley-Thompson Custom Amplifier1 song
Hartley-Thompson 100-watt amplifier (studio recording, 1984)1 song
Yamaha DG80-112 digital modeling amp with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker1 song

7 Allan Holdsworth tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
City Nights · riff	Riff · distorted	Steinberger GL2T	Yamaha DG80-112 (likely), or Hughes & Kettner Cream Machine (possible, but less likely for this era/album)	5
City Nights · solo	Solo · distorted	Steinberger GL2T (TransTrem-equipped, custom Allan Holdsworth spec)	Yamaha DG80-112 (studio, late 1980s Holdsworth lead tone) or Hughes & Kettner Tube 100 (possible, but less likely for this specific track)	6
Devil Take the Hindmost · solo	Solo · distorted	Charvel San Dimas-style custom Strat (early 80s, single humbucker, no pickguard, maple neck)	Jim Kelley Line Amp (early 1980s, combo, clean/lead switchable, no built-in effects except reverb)	6.5
Metal Fatigue · riff	Riff · distorted	Charvel San Dimas custom (Allan Holdsworth signature, 1984, with tremolo bridge)	Hartley-Thompson 100-watt amplifier (studio recording, 1984)	5.5
The Sixteen Men of Tain · riff	Riff · clean	Carvin Holdsworth Signature (likely HF2 Fatboy or H2T, as used by Holdsworth in this era)	Custom Audio Electronics (CAE) OD-100 Classic Plus (studio recording, as cited); Dumble also mentioned but less likely for clean riff section	0
The Sixteen Men of Tain · solo	Solo · distorted	Carvin HF1 Fatboy (semi-hollow, maple neck) with Roland GK synth pickup	Yamaha DG80-112 digital modeling amp with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker	4.5
Tokyo Dream (Remastered) · riff	Riff · distorted	Ibanez AH-10 Allan Holdsworth Signature	Hartley-Thompson Custom Amplifier	4.5

Allan Holdsworth songs on popular amps

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use for these songs on their own amps.

City Nights on Boss Katana Mini

Get Allan Holdsworth's tone on your gear

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Allan Holdsworth use?

Across 5 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Jim Kelley Line Amp (early 1980s, combo, clean/lead switchable, no built-in effects except reverb) (1 song), Yamaha DG80-112 (likely), or Hughes & Kettner Cream Machine (possible, but less likely for this era/album) (1 song), Yamaha DG80-112 (studio, late 1980s Holdsworth lead tone) or Hughes & Kettner Tube 100 (possible, but less likely for this specific track) (1 song), Custom Audio Electronics (CAE) OD-100 Classic Plus (studio recording, as cited); Dumble also mentioned but less likely for clean riff section (1 song).

What guitar did Allan Holdsworth use?

Most often: Charvel San Dimas-style custom Strat (early 80s, single humbucker, no pickguard, maple neck) (1 song), Steinberger GL2T (1 song), Steinberger GL2T (TransTrem-equipped, custom Allan Holdsworth spec) (1 song), Carvin Holdsworth Signature (likely HF2 Fatboy or H2T, as used by Holdsworth in this era) (1 song).

How do I get Allan Holdsworth's tone on my amp?

Open any Allan Holdsworth song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.