Guitar tone · rock

Collective Soul guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 9 Collective Soul songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: PRS McCarty Archtop into Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier 150W Solo Head.

Guitars Collective Soul used

PRS McCarty Archtop1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s model, as used by Ed Roland in studio)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, Ed Roland or Ross Childress's main studio guitar at the time)1 song
Unknown (likely Gibson Les Paul or PRS CE24, based on era and band history)1 song
Gibson Les Paul1 song
1990 Rickenbacker (exact model not specified, likely 330 or 360)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, used by Ross Childress on studio recordings)1 song
Jade Green Custom Guitar (Joel Kosche, model unknown)1 song

Amps Collective Soul used

Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier 150W Solo Head1 song
Marshall JCM900 (studio recording, 1995 era; Vox AC30 also mentioned as alternative but Marshall is primary for clean/riff sections per Guitar Chalk)1 song
Marshall JCM900 (typical for 1990s Collective Soul studio recordings, high-gain British amp)1 song
Unknown (likely Marshall JCM900 or Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, based on 1999 alt-rock recording trends)1 song
Marshall JCM8001 song
Soldano amplifier (exact model not specified, likely SLO-100 or similar high-gain Soldano head)1 song
Marshall JCM900 (studio, 1995 LP version recording era)1 song
SugarFuzz 30-watt tube combo (custom built by Joel Kosche) into Eminence-loaded Splawn 4x12 cabinet1 song

13 Collective Soul tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Shine · riff	Riff · distorted	Rickenbacker (exact model unknown, likely 360 or 330 based on era and sound)	Fender Twin Reverb (likely silverface, studio recording)	6
December · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul	Marshall JCM800	6
Heavy · riff	Riff · distorted	PRS McCarty Archtop	Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier 150W Solo Head	7.5
Heavy · solo	Solo · distorted	PRS Custom 22	Peavey 5150 Head	7.5
Precious Declaration · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, as used by Ed Roland on studio recordings)	Vox AC30 (Top Boost channel, as per amp settings for Ed & Dean Roland)	6.5
Shine · solo	Solo · distorted	1990 Rickenbacker (exact model not specified, likely 330 or 360)	Soldano amplifier (exact model not specified, likely SLO-100 or similar high-gain Soldano head)	7
Shine · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely early 90s, as used by Ed Roland on the original studio recording)	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, likely Silverface reissue or original, as per forum consensus and era-appropriate studio gear)	0
The World I Know · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s model, as used by Ed Roland in studio)	Marshall JCM900 (studio recording, 1995 era; Vox AC30 also mentioned as alternative but Marshall is primary for clean/riff sections per Guitar Chalk)	3
The World I Know (LP Version) · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, used by Ross Childress on studio recordings)	Marshall JCM900 (studio, 1995 LP version recording era)	0
Tremble for My Beloved · riff	Riff · distorted	Unknown (likely Gibson Les Paul or PRS CE24, based on era and band history)	Unknown (likely Marshall JCM900 or Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, based on 1999 alt-rock recording trends)	7
Where The River Flows · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, Ed Roland or Ross Childress's main studio guitar at the time)	Marshall JCM900 (typical for 1990s Collective Soul studio recordings, high-gain British amp)	6.5
Why, Pt. 2 · riff	Riff · distorted	Jade Green Custom Guitar (Joel Kosche, model unknown)	SugarFuzz 30-watt tube combo (custom built by Joel Kosche) into Eminence-loaded Splawn 4x12 cabinet	7
Why, Pt. 2 · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson Les Paul (likely Standard or Custom, as referenced by Dean Roland for studio work in this era)	Vox AC30 Custom Classic (AC30CCH, as used by Joel Kosche and referenced for both studio and live in this era)	6.5

Collective Soul 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 Collective Soul use?

Across 9 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier 150W Solo Head (1 song), Marshall JCM900 (studio recording, 1995 era; Vox AC30 also mentioned as alternative but Marshall is primary for clean/riff sections per Guitar Chalk) (1 song), Marshall JCM900 (typical for 1990s Collective Soul studio recordings, high-gain British amp) (1 song), Unknown (likely Marshall JCM900 or Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, based on 1999 alt-rock recording trends) (1 song).

What guitar did Collective Soul use?

Most often: PRS McCarty Archtop (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s model, as used by Ed Roland in studio) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s, Ed Roland or Ross Childress's main studio guitar at the time) (1 song), Unknown (likely Gibson Les Paul or PRS CE24, based on era and band history) (1 song).

How do I get Collective Soul's tone on my amp?

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