Guitar tone · rock, pop

David Lee Roth guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 3 David Lee Roth songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Ibanez JEM777 (early production, likely Desert Sun Yellow or Loch Ness Green finish) into Marshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1987-88 era).

Guitars David Lee Roth used

Ibanez JEM777 (early production, likely Desert Sun Yellow or Loch Ness Green finish)1 song
Fender Jazz Bass (likely 1970s or early 1980s, passive)1 song
Session player guitar (likely Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster, exact model unconfirmed)1 song
Charvel 'Green Meanie' (heavily modified Strat-style, DiMarzio pickups, Floyd Rose tremolo)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 1980s, session guitar, used by Eddie Martinez or Sid McGinnis)1 song

Amps David Lee Roth used

Marshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1987-88 era)1 song
Ampeg SVT (classic tube head, likely with 8x10 cab)1 song
Studio clean amp (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar, exact model unconfirmed)1 song
Marshall JCM900 (likely, based on era and Vai's known rig for Eat 'Em and Smile sessions)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (likely silverface, standard for LA studio sessions in 1984/85; no evidence of Marshall or high-gain amp use on this track)1 song

5 David Lee Roth tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Yankee Rose · riff	Riff · distorted	Charvel 'Green Meanie' (heavily modified Strat-style, DiMarzio pickups, Floyd Rose tremolo)	Marshall JCM900 (likely, based on era and Vai's known rig for Eat 'Em and Smile sessions)	7
Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Jazz Bass (likely 1970s or early 1980s, passive)	Ampeg SVT (classic tube head, likely with 8x10 cab)	0
Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody · riff	Riff · clean	Session player guitar (likely Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster, exact model unconfirmed)	Studio clean amp (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar, exact model unconfirmed)	0
Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 1980s, session guitar, used by Eddie Martinez or Sid McGinnis)	Fender Twin Reverb (likely silverface, standard for LA studio sessions in 1984/85; no evidence of Marshall or high-gain amp use on this track)	5
The Bottom Line · riff	Riff · distorted	Ibanez JEM777 (early production, likely Desert Sun Yellow or Loch Ness Green finish)	Marshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1987-88 era)	7

Get David Lee Roth's tone on your gear

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

Match a tone on the web iPhone app Android app

Frequently asked questions

What amp did David Lee Roth use?

Across 3 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Marshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1987-88 era) (1 song), Ampeg SVT (classic tube head, likely with 8x10 cab) (1 song), Studio clean amp (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar, exact model unconfirmed) (1 song), Marshall JCM900 (likely, based on era and Vai's known rig for Eat 'Em and Smile sessions) (1 song).

What guitar did David Lee Roth use?

Most often: Ibanez JEM777 (early production, likely Desert Sun Yellow or Loch Ness Green finish) (1 song), Fender Jazz Bass (likely 1970s or early 1980s, passive) (1 song), Session player guitar (likely Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster, exact model unconfirmed) (1 song), Charvel 'Green Meanie' (heavily modified Strat-style, DiMarzio pickups, Floyd Rose tremolo) (1 song).

How do I get David Lee Roth's tone on my amp?

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