Guitar tone · rock, other

Elliott Smith guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 7 Elliott Smith songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson Les Paul Standard into Allen Old Flame (Fender Blackface-style amp kit, possibly Accomplice variant).

Guitars Elliott Smith used

Gibson Les Paul Standard2 songs
Gibson ES-3302 songs
Gibson J-45 Acoustic (likely, based on era and typical Elliott Smith demos)1 song
Epiphone Crestwood Custom1 song
Vox acoustic guitar (model unknown, described as 'big cracked guitar' in studio recording)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely late 60s/early 70s, as used by Elliott Smith in XO era)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely late 60s/early 70s, used by Elliott Smith on Figure 8 sessions)1 song

Amps Elliott Smith used

Allen Old Flame (Fender Blackface-style amp kit, possibly Accomplice variant)1 song
None (recorded direct with microphone, no amp used)1 song
Fender amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar)1 song
No amp used (direct mic'd acoustic guitar in studio recording)1 song
Fender amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar, as used in studio for XO era)1 song
Allen Old Flame (Fender-style boutique amp kit, likely blackface voiced)1 song
Fender amp (exact model unknown, likely Twin Reverb or Deluxe Reverb)1 song
Fender combo amp (exact model unknown, likely Twin Reverb or Deluxe Reverb)1 song

9 Elliott Smith tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
L.A. · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard	Allen Old Flame (Fender Blackface-style amp kit, possibly Accomplice variant)	4
L.A. · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard	Allen Old Flame (Fender-style boutique amp kit, likely blackface voiced)	4
A Question Mark · riff	Riff · distorted	Epiphone Crestwood Custom	Fender amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar)	4.5
Bottle Up and Explode! · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely late 60s/early 70s, as used by Elliott Smith in XO era)	Fender amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar, as used in studio for XO era)	4.5
Clementine · riff	Riff · clean	Vox acoustic guitar (model unknown, described as 'big cracked guitar' in studio recording)	No amp used (direct mic'd acoustic guitar in studio recording)	0
Coast to Coast · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson ES-330	Fender combo amp (exact model unknown, likely Twin Reverb or Deluxe Reverb)	3.5
Cupids Trick · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson ES-330	Fender amp (exact model unknown, likely Twin Reverb or Deluxe Reverb)	6
L.A. · solo	Solo · clean	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely late 60s/early 70s, used by Elliott Smith on Figure 8 sessions)	Allen Old Flame (Fender-style boutique amp, used in studio for Figure 8 era, possibly Accomplice variant)	2
Untitled Guitar Finger Picking (Demo) · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson J-45 Acoustic (likely, based on era and typical Elliott Smith demos)	None (recorded direct with microphone, no amp used)	0

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Elliott Smith use?

Across 7 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Allen Old Flame (Fender Blackface-style amp kit, possibly Accomplice variant) (1 song), None (recorded direct with microphone, no amp used) (1 song), Fender amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar) (1 song), No amp used (direct mic'd acoustic guitar in studio recording) (1 song).

What guitar did Elliott Smith use?

Most often: Gibson Les Paul Standard (2 songs), Gibson ES-330 (2 songs), Gibson J-45 Acoustic (likely, based on era and typical Elliott Smith demos) (1 song), Epiphone Crestwood Custom (1 song).

How do I get Elliott Smith's tone on my amp?

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