Guitar tone · rock, Alternative rock / indie rock / psychedelic rock

Cage the Elephant guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 10 Cage the Elephant songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Mustang (likely 1960s reissue, as used by Brad Shultz in studio era) into Fender Hot Rod DeVille.

Guitars Cage the Elephant used

Fender Mustang (likely 1960s reissue, as used by Brad Shultz in studio era)1 song
Silvertone 1449 Electric Guitar1 song
Gibson Les Paul1 song
Fender Mustang (likely vintage or reissue, as used by Brad Shultz in studio era)1 song
Fender Telecaster (likely American Standard or similar, single-coil pickups)1 song
Fender Classic Series '65 Mustang Electric Guitar1 song
Fender Player Mustang Bass (used for mellower numbers including this era)1 song
Fender Mustang (Dakota Red, likely 1970s reissue or vintage)1 song

Amps Cage the Elephant used

Fender Hot Rod DeVille2 songs
Fender Super Bassman head into Fender 8x10 cab (studio and live rig for Tell Me I'm Pretty era)1 song
Fender Pawn Shop Mustang Special (amp model used in studio, not live)1 song
Marshall JMP head (with Metropoulos Metro head also possible, both through Fryette PS-100 attenuators, into Marshall 4x12 cab)1 song
Studio tube preamps and compressors (Thermionic Culture Phoenix SB stereo valve compressor and The Rooster 2 preamp), no traditional amp used1 song
Fender Super Bassman 300W head into Bassman 810 Neo cabinets1 song
Fender Deluxe Reverb (Blackface, likely vintage or reissue)1 song
Unknown (not specified for studio recording of this song; live amps not confirmed for studio use)1 song

13 Cage the Elephant tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked · riff	Riff · distorted	Gretsch G5422TDCG Electromatic Hollowbody	Unknown (not specified for studio recording of this song; live amps not confirmed for studio use)	5.5
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson J-45 Standard (acoustic, burst finish)	Not explicitly stated; likely direct-in or through a clean preamp/console for studio, possibly Fender-style amp for live	0
Cigarette Daydreams · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Mustang (Dakota Red, likely 1970s reissue or vintage)	Fender Deluxe Reverb (Blackface, likely vintage or reissue)	0
Cold Cold Cold · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Mustang (likely 1960s reissue, as used by Brad Shultz in studio era)	Fender Super Bassman head into Fender 8x10 cab (studio and live rig for Tell Me I'm Pretty era)	5.5
Cold Cold Cold · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Mustang (Nick Bockrath's main studio guitar for this era)	Fender Super-Sonic 60 head with 2x12 cabinet (Celestion Vintage 30 speakers)	6.5
Come a Little Closer · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Player Mustang Bass (used for mellower numbers including this era)	Fender Super Bassman 300W head into Bassman 810 Neo cabinets	0
Come a Little Closer · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster	Fender '59 Bassman Reissue	5.5
Mess Around · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster (likely American Standard or similar, single-coil pickups)	Fender Hot Rod DeVille	6
Portuguese Knife Fight · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Mustang (likely vintage or reissue, as used by Brad Shultz in studio era)	Fender Hot Rod DeVille	7
Shake Me Down · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson SG Standard 120th Anniversary Electric Guitar	Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp	5
Spiderhead · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul	Marshall JMP head (with Metropoulos Metro head also possible, both through Fryette PS-100 attenuators, into Marshall 4x12 cab)	6.5
Sweetie Little Jean · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Classic Series '65 Mustang Electric Guitar	Studio tube preamps and compressors (Thermionic Culture Phoenix SB stereo valve compressor and The Rooster 2 preamp), no traditional amp used	5.5
Trouble · riff	Riff · clean	Silvertone 1449 Electric Guitar	Fender Pawn Shop Mustang Special (amp model used in studio, not live)	2

Cage the Elephant 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 Cage the Elephant use?

Across 10 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Hot Rod DeVille (2 songs), Fender Super Bassman head into Fender 8x10 cab (studio and live rig for Tell Me I'm Pretty era) (1 song), Fender Pawn Shop Mustang Special (amp model used in studio, not live) (1 song), Marshall JMP head (with Metropoulos Metro head also possible, both through Fryette PS-100 attenuators, into Marshall 4x12 cab) (1 song).

What guitar did Cage the Elephant use?

Most often: Fender Mustang (likely 1960s reissue, as used by Brad Shultz in studio era) (1 song), Silvertone 1449 Electric Guitar (1 song), Gibson Les Paul (1 song), Fender Mustang (likely vintage or reissue, as used by Brad Shultz in studio era) (1 song).

How do I get Cage the Elephant's tone on my amp?

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