Guitar tone · rock

Chicago guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 6 Chicago songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: 1969 Fender Telecaster into Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, late 1960s).

Guitars Chicago used

1969 Fender Telecaster3 songs
Fender Telecaster (1966, heavily modified, original neck pickup replaced with Gibson humbucker, bridge pickup stock single coil)1 song
Fender Telecaster with humbucker in neck (Terry Kath's heavily modified Telecaster)1 song
Fender Telecaster (likely 1970s American model)1 song
Fender Telecaster (late 1960s, likely 1966-68, maple neck, stock electronics)1 song
Fender Telecaster (late 1960s, likely 1969, maple neck, stock electronics)1 song
Steve Lukather's 1979 Valley Arts Custom Pro (Strat-style, HSS configuration)1 song

Amps Chicago used

Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, late 1960s)2 songs
1967 Fender Dual Showman Reverb head with matching 2x15 cabinet1 song
Acoustic Control Corporation 260 (solid-state head) into Acoustic 261 or 262 4x12 cabinet1 song
Unknown exact model, likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar clean tube amp (1970s studio recording)1 song
Fender Dual Showman (blackface, late 1960s, 2x15 cab, no master volume, no built-in reverb)1 song
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1982)1 song
1967 Fender Dual Showman1 song
1960s Fender Dual Showman1 song

9 Chicago tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
25 Or 6 To 4 (Single) [Remastered] · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Telecaster with humbucker in neck (Terry Kath's heavily modified Telecaster)	Acoustic Control Corporation 260 (solid-state head) into Acoustic 261 or 262 4x12 cabinet	6
25 or 6 to 4 · riff	Riff · distorted	1969 Fender Telecaster	1960s Fender Dual Showman	6
25 Or 6 To 4 (Remastered) · riff	Riff · distorted	1969 Fender Telecaster	1967 Fender Dual Showman Reverb head with matching 2x15 cabinet	6
25 Or 6 To 4 (Single) [Remastered] · riff	Riff · distorted	1969 Fender Telecaster	1967 Fender Dual Showman	5.5
Call On Me · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Telecaster (likely 1970s American model)	Unknown exact model, likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar clean tube amp (1970s studio recording)	0
Hard to Say I'm Sorry / Get Away · solo	Solo · distorted	Steve Lukather's 1979 Valley Arts Custom Pro (Strat-style, HSS configuration)	Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1982)	6
Introduction · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Telecaster (1966, heavily modified, original neck pickup replaced with Gibson humbucker, bridge pickup stock single coil)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, late 1960s)	6
Introduction · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster (late 1960s, likely 1966-68, maple neck, stock electronics)	Fender Dual Showman (blackface, late 1960s, 2x15 cab, no master volume, no built-in reverb)	4
Introduction · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Telecaster (late 1960s, likely 1969, maple neck, stock electronics)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, late 1960s)	2.5

Chicago songs on popular amps

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

25 Or 6 To 4 (Single) [Remastered] on Boss Katana-100 MkII

Get Chicago's tone on your gear

Pick any Chicago song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Chicago use?

Across 6 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, late 1960s) (2 songs), 1967 Fender Dual Showman Reverb head with matching 2x15 cabinet (1 song), Acoustic Control Corporation 260 (solid-state head) into Acoustic 261 or 262 4x12 cabinet (1 song), Unknown exact model, likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar clean tube amp (1970s studio recording) (1 song).

What guitar did Chicago use?

Most often: 1969 Fender Telecaster (3 songs), Fender Telecaster (1966, heavily modified, original neck pickup replaced with Gibson humbucker, bridge pickup stock single coil) (1 song), Fender Telecaster with humbucker in neck (Terry Kath's heavily modified Telecaster) (1 song), Fender Telecaster (likely 1970s American model) (1 song).

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

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