Guitar tone · metal, rock

Buckethead guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 14 Buckethead songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson Buckethead Signature Les Paul into Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier.

Guitars Buckethead used

Gibson Buckethead Signature Les Paul4 songs
Gibson Les Paul Studio (white, mid-2000s, signature model)2 songs
Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 80s, white, stock pickups)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Custom (Buckethead Signature, white, 24-fret, 27" scale, with killswitch)1 song
Gibson Les Paul (likely Buckethead Signature or Studio, 2000s spec)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Studio (white, with arcade kill switch, as per Buckethead's signature model for this era)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Studio (Buckethead signature, white, with killswitch)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Studio (Buckethead Signature, white, with kill switch)1 song

Amps Buckethead used

Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier2 songs
Bogner Uberschall2 songs
Peavey Renown 400 (solid state combo, used for early Buckethead studio recordings)1 song
Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier (into Marshall 4x12 cab, studio recording)1 song
Marshall half-stack (likely JCM800 or JCM900, 2000s era, studio recording)1 song
Marshall half-stack (likely JCM800 or JCM2000, as per Buckethead's typical studio rig in the 2010s)1 song
Unknown (likely Marshall or Mesa/Boogie, but not confirmed for this recording)1 song
Marshall JCM900 4100 100-watt 2-channel Tube Head1 song

18 Buckethead tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Soothsayer (dedicated to Aunt Suzie) · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Studio (Buckethead Signature, white, with kill switch)	Marshall JCM900 4100 100-watt 2-channel Tube Head	8
Soothsayer (dedicated to Aunt Suzie) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (Buckethead Signature, white, 24-fret, 27" scale, with killswitch)	Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier (into Marshall 4x12 cab, studio recording)	7.5
Binge and Grab (Instrumental Version) · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Studio (Buckethead signature, white, with killswitch)	Bogner Uberschall	8
Claymation Courtyard · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson Buckethead Signature Les Paul	Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier	7.5
Claymation Courtyard · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Studio (white, with arcade kill switch, as per Buckethead's signature model for this era)	Marshall half-stack (likely JCM800 or JCM2000, as per Buckethead's typical studio rig in the 2010s)	7.5
Dancing Soul · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul (likely Buckethead Signature or Studio, 2000s spec)	Marshall half-stack (likely JCM800 or JCM900, 2000s era, studio recording)	7
Electric Tears · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Buckethead Signature Les Paul	Peavey 5150	5.5
Ghost Host · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Les Paul Studio (white, mid-2000s, signature model)	Unknown (likely Marshall or Mesa/Boogie, but not confirmed for this recording)	0
Ghost Host · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Studio (white, mid-2000s, signature model)	Marshall half-stack (model not specified, likely JCM800 or JCM900 era)	7.5
King James · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Studio (Buckethead Signature, white, with killswitch)	Scholz Research & Development Rockman XP100	8
Magellan's Maze · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Buckethead Signature Les Paul	Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier	8.5
Soothsayer (dedicated to Aunt Suzie) · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Les Paul Studio (Buckethead Signature or similar, white, with DiMarzio pickups)	Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio recording era, clean channel)	0
The Redeem Team · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Studio (24-fret, white, signature Buckethead model likely used on studio recording)	Marshall half-stack (likely JCM800 or JCM2000, typical for Buckethead's studio tones in this era; exact model not confirmed for this track)	7.5
The Robot Who Lost Its Head · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Buckethead Signature Les Paul	Bogner Uberschall	7.5
Welcome to Bucketheadland · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 80s, white, stock pickups)	Peavey Renown 400 (solid state combo, used for early Buckethead studio recordings)	8
Welcome to Bucketheadland (Live) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Studio (white, with arcade-style kill switch, as used by Buckethead live in the 2000s-2010s)	Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head	7.5
Whispers Way · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Studio (assumed, based on Buckethead's primary studio guitar for this era and genre, no direct source for this song)	Marshall half-stack (model unknown, likely JCM800 or JCM900, based on Buckethead's typical studio use in this era, no direct source for this song)	7
Wondering · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Studio (heavily modified, white, with killswitches)	Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (likely 2 or 3 channel, studio recording)	6.5

Buckethead songs on popular amps

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

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Buckethead use?

Across 14 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier (2 songs), Bogner Uberschall (2 songs), Peavey Renown 400 (solid state combo, used for early Buckethead studio recordings) (1 song), Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier (into Marshall 4x12 cab, studio recording) (1 song).

What guitar did Buckethead use?

Most often: Gibson Buckethead Signature Les Paul (4 songs), Gibson Les Paul Studio (white, mid-2000s, signature model) (2 songs), Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 80s, white, stock pickups) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Custom (Buckethead Signature, white, 24-fret, 27" scale, with killswitch) (1 song).

How do I get Buckethead's tone on my amp?

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