Guitar tone · rock

Catfish and the Bottlemen guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 9 Catfish and the Bottlemen songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Telecaster Standard into Vox AC30.

Guitars Catfish and the Bottlemen used

Fender Telecaster Standard2 songs
Fender Japanese Jazzmaster (early era, likely used on 'Red' studio recording)1 song
Squier Jim Root Telecaster (matte black, dual humbuckers, single volume knob, no tone knob)1 song
Gibson ES-3351 song
Fender American Standard Telecaster1 song
Fender Modern Player Telecaster Plus (charcoal transparent)1 song
Epiphone 1966 Worn Wilshire1 song
2002 Gibson Les Paul Custom (double bound, black, with Bigsby, used by Johnny Bondy)1 song

Amps Catfish and the Bottlemen used

Vox AC304 songs
Marshall Class 5 combo amp1 song
Marshall Class 5 combo1 song
Fender Hot Rod DeVille 2121 song
Fender Supersonic 22 Combo1 song
Marshall '87 Plexi head with Orange cab (studio/live era), possible use of Vox AC30C2 by Van McCann (less likely for riff section)1 song
Vox AC30 (likely C2 or CC2, as confirmed by Johnny Bond's rig for The Balcony era)1 song
Bad Cat Hot Cat 50W Guitar Amp Head1 song

13 Catfish and the Bottlemen tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Tyrants · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Modern Player Telecaster Plus (charcoal transparent)	Vox AC30	6.5
Tyrants · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely standard or American Standard, as seen in era photos and live footage)	Vox AC30 (likely C2 or CC2, as confirmed by Johnny Bond's rig for The Balcony era)	0
Tyrants · solo	Solo · distorted	Epiphone 1966 Worn Wilshire	Fender Supersonic 22 Combo	6
7 · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster (likely American Standard or similar, single coil, as used by Van McCann on 'The Balcony')	Vox AC30C2 (studio recording, 2014 era, as used on 'The Balcony')	6
cocoon · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster (likely American Standard or similar, as used by Van McCann during the 'The Balcony' era)	Vox AC30 (likely, based on era and genre; no direct source for studio amp, but this is the most commonly associated amp for Catfish and the Bottlemen in this period)	6.5
Conversation · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender American Standard Telecaster	Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212	6
Conversation · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Telecaster Standard	Vox AC30	0
Longshot · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson B.B. King Lucille Semi-Hollow	Bad Cat Hot Cat 50W Guitar Amp Head	6
Pacifier · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster Standard	Vox AC30	6
Red · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Japanese Jazzmaster (early era, likely used on 'Red' studio recording)	Marshall Class 5 combo amp	0
Red · riff	Riff · distorted	2002 Gibson Les Paul Custom (double bound, black, with Bigsby, used by Johnny Bondy)	Marshall '87 Plexi head with Orange cab (studio/live era), possible use of Vox AC30C2 by Van McCann (less likely for riff section)	6
Sidetrack · riff	Riff · clean	Squier Jim Root Telecaster (matte black, dual humbuckers, single volume knob, no tone knob)	Marshall Class 5 combo	0
Soundcheck · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson ES-335	Vox AC30	6.5

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Catfish and the Bottlemen use?

Across 9 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Vox AC30 (4 songs), Marshall Class 5 combo amp (1 song), Marshall Class 5 combo (1 song), Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212 (1 song).

What guitar did Catfish and the Bottlemen use?

Most often: Fender Telecaster Standard (2 songs), Fender Japanese Jazzmaster (early era, likely used on 'Red' studio recording) (1 song), Squier Jim Root Telecaster (matte black, dual humbuckers, single volume knob, no tone knob) (1 song), Gibson ES-335 (1 song).

How do I get Catfish and the Bottlemen's tone on my amp?

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