Guitar tone · other, rock

Bruno Mars guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 13 Bruno Mars songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Ernie Ball Music Man Albert Lee SSS into Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb-Amp Combo.

Guitars Bruno Mars used

Ernie Ball Music Man Albert Lee SSS2 songs
Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, based on genre and era)2 songs
Martin D-28 (2010)1 song
Unknown1 song
Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, as per era and genre conventions)1 song
Acoustic guitar (exact model unknown, likely studio-grade, possibly Martin or Gibson based on era and genre)1 song
Acoustic guitar (exact model unknown, likely nylon-string or steel-string acoustic based on Latin/Mariachi influence)1 song
Fender Precision Bass (likely, not confirmed for this session)1 song

Amps Bruno Mars used

Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb-Amp Combo3 songs
None (direct mic'd acoustic guitar, no amp used on studio recording)1 song
Unknown1 song
Fender Hot Rod DeVille (estimated based on genre, era, and typical Bruno Mars band gear for studio work)1 song
No amp (direct mic or DI acoustic in studio recording)1 song
None (direct mic'd acoustic, no electric guitar amp used on studio recording)1 song
Unknown (no explicit source for amp model used on 'Risk It All' solo section)1 song
Ampeg SVT (likely studio standard for this genre/era, not explicitly confirmed)1 song

22 Bruno Mars tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Treasure · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar)	Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb-Amp Combo	3.5
Locked Out of Heaven · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, as per era and genre conventions)	Fender Hot Rod DeVille (estimated based on genre, era, and typical Bruno Mars band gear for studio work)	3.5
Locked Out of Heaven · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, as seen in live performances and typical for this style/era)	Fender Hot Rod DeVille (likely, based on live performances and genre conventions; no direct studio confirmation found)	4
Treasure · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, based on genre and era)	Tube combo amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or similar clean tube amp, based on genre and era)	3
Finesse (Remix) [feat. Cardi B] · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, based on genre and era)	Fender Twin Reverb (exact model not confirmed, inferred from genre and tone)	0
Grenade · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Precision Bass (likely, but not confirmed for this session)	Ampeg SVT Classic (studio standard, inferred)	0
I Just Might · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Precision Bass (likely, not confirmed for this session)	Ampeg SVT (likely studio standard for this genre/era, not explicitly confirmed)	0
I Just Might · riff	Riff · clean	Unknown (likely Fender Stratocaster or similar single-coil guitar, based on genre and Bruno Mars' typical choices for retro funk/R&B clean tones)	Unknown (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar clean amp, based on genre and era)	3
Just the Way You Are · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, single-coil pickups typical for session work of this era)	Fender Twin Reverb (model not confirmed, but highly likely based on genre, era, and clean tone requirements)	0
Locked Out of Heaven · clean	Clean · clean	Unknown	Unknown	0
On My Soul · riff	Riff · clean	—	—	3.5
On My Soul · riff	Riff · distorted	Ernie Ball Music Man Albert Lee SSS	Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb-Amp Combo	4
Risk It All · solo	Solo · clean	Acoustic guitar (exact model unknown, likely nylon-string or steel-string acoustic based on Latin/Mariachi influence)	None (direct mic'd acoustic, no electric guitar amp used on studio recording)	2
Risk It All · solo	Solo · distorted	Ernie Ball Music Man Albert Lee SSS	Unknown (no explicit source for amp model used on 'Risk It All' solo section)	5.5
Risk It All · riff	Riff · distorted	Collings I-35	Unknown (studio amp not specified, likely boutique clean/edge-of-breakup combo)	4
Risk It All · riff	Riff · clean	Unknown (likely Fender Stratocaster or similar single-coil guitar, but not confirmed for this recording)	Unknown (likely Fender or similar clean amp, but not confirmed for this recording)	3.5
Runaway Baby · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (exact model for studio recording unknown, but Strat-style single coil evident in tone and confirmed for live use by Bruno Mars' band in this era)	Fender Hot Rod DeVille (likely, based on era, genre, and live band use; studio amp not explicitly confirmed)	5.5
That's What I Like · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely American Standard or Custom Shop, single-coil pickups)	Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb-Amp Combo	3.5
The Lazy Song · riff	Riff · clean	Martin D-28 (2010)	None (direct mic'd acoustic guitar, no amp used on studio recording)	0
When I Was Your Man · riff	Riff · clean	Acoustic guitar (exact model unknown, likely studio-grade, possibly Martin or Gibson based on era and genre)	No amp (direct mic or DI acoustic in studio recording)	0
Why You Wanna Fight? · solo	Solo · distorted	—	—	5
Why You Wanna Fight? · riff	Riff · distorted	—	—	4

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Bruno Mars use?

Across 13 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb-Amp Combo (3 songs), None (direct mic'd acoustic guitar, no amp used on studio recording) (1 song), Unknown (1 song), Fender Hot Rod DeVille (estimated based on genre, era, and typical Bruno Mars band gear for studio work) (1 song).

What guitar did Bruno Mars use?

Most often: Ernie Ball Music Man Albert Lee SSS (2 songs), Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, based on genre and era) (2 songs), Martin D-28 (2010) (1 song), Unknown (1 song).

How do I get Bruno Mars's tone on my amp?

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