Guitar tone · rock
Billy Joel guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 2 Billy Joel songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Stratocaster (likely 1980s model, maple neck, used by session guitarist David Brown) into Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, 1980s studio standard, likely used for clean rhythm parts).
Guitars Billy Joel used
- Fender Stratocaster (likely 1980s model, maple neck, used by session guitarist David Brown)1 song
- Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely late 1970s or 1980, humbuckers)1 song
- 1970 Fender Telecaster (with custom out-of-phase switch, but not used for this solo)1 song
Amps Billy Joel used
- Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, 1980s studio standard, likely used for clean rhythm parts)1 song
- Marshall JMP 2203 (likely, based on era, genre, and typical studio choices for Glass Houses sessions)1 song
- 1965 Fender Super Reverb1 song
3 Billy Joel tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| We Didn't Start the Fire · riff | 4 |
| You May Be Right · riff | 5.5 |
| You May Be Right · solo | 5.5 |
Get Billy Joel's tone on your gear
Pick any Billy Joel song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did Billy Joel use?
Across 2 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, 1980s studio standard, likely used for clean rhythm parts) (1 song), Marshall JMP 2203 (likely, based on era, genre, and typical studio choices for Glass Houses sessions) (1 song), 1965 Fender Super Reverb (1 song).
What guitar did Billy Joel use?
Most often: Fender Stratocaster (likely 1980s model, maple neck, used by session guitarist David Brown) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely late 1970s or 1980, humbuckers) (1 song), 1970 Fender Telecaster (with custom out-of-phase switch, but not used for this solo) (1 song).
How do I get Billy Joel's tone on my amp?
Open any Billy Joel song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.