Guitar tone · rock, other

Daryl Hall & John Oates guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 5 Daryl Hall & John Oates songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: 1958 Fender Stratocaster into Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, used in studio sessions for 'Maneater').

Guitars Daryl Hall & John Oates used

1958 Fender Stratocaster2 songs
Gibson ES-335 (likely 1970s/early 1980s, semi-hollow, used by John Oates on 'Maneater' in studio)1 song
Gibson ES-335 (likely 1970s-early 1980s, semi-hollow, used by John Oates in this era)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (exact year/model unknown, but Strat-style tone is referenced and audible)1 song
Fender Telecaster (likely 1970s standard, possibly borrowed from Daryl Hall)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely late-70s or early-80s, used by G.E. Smith on this album)1 song

Amps Daryl Hall & John Oates used

Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, used in studio sessions for 'Maneater')1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, typical for Hall & Oates studio work in early 1980s)1 song
Fender Pro Reverb (likely, based on John Oates' statements about his amps for this era and song)1 song
Fender amp (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar, exact model not confirmed for studio recording)1 song
Fender Deluxe Reverb (blackface, likely studio version)1 song
Unknown clean amp (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar, based on era and genre, but not confirmed in sources)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (likely Silverface, typical for Hall & Oates studio sessions in early 80s)1 song

7 Daryl Hall & John Oates tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Maneater · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson ES-335 (likely 1970s/early 1980s, semi-hollow, used by John Oates on 'Maneater' in studio)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, used in studio sessions for 'Maneater')	3
Maneater · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson ES-335 (likely 1970s-early 1980s, semi-hollow, used by John Oates in this era)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, typical for Hall & Oates studio work in early 1980s)	2.5
I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) · riff	Riff · clean	1958 Fender Stratocaster	Fender Deluxe Reverb (blackface, likely studio version)	0
Kiss on My List · solo	Solo · distorted	1958 Fender Stratocaster	Fender amp (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar, exact model not confirmed for studio recording)	3.5
Private Eyes · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (exact year/model unknown, but Strat-style tone is referenced and audible)	Fender Pro Reverb (likely, based on John Oates' statements about his amps for this era and song)	3
Private Eyes · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely late-70s or early-80s, used by G.E. Smith on this album)	Fender Twin Reverb (likely Silverface, typical for Hall & Oates studio sessions in early 80s)	4
Sara Smile · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Telecaster (likely 1970s standard, possibly borrowed from Daryl Hall)	Unknown clean amp (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar, based on era and genre, but not confirmed in sources)	0

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Daryl Hall & John Oates use?

Across 5 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, used in studio sessions for 'Maneater') (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, typical for Hall & Oates studio work in early 1980s) (1 song), Fender Pro Reverb (likely, based on John Oates' statements about his amps for this era and song) (1 song), Fender amp (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar, exact model not confirmed for studio recording) (1 song).

What guitar did Daryl Hall & John Oates use?

Most often: 1958 Fender Stratocaster (2 songs), Gibson ES-335 (likely 1970s/early 1980s, semi-hollow, used by John Oates on 'Maneater' in studio) (1 song), Gibson ES-335 (likely 1970s-early 1980s, semi-hollow, used by John Oates in this era) (1 song), Fender Stratocaster (exact year/model unknown, but Strat-style tone is referenced and audible) (1 song).

How do I get Daryl Hall & John Oates's tone on my amp?

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