Guitar tone · blues

Freddie King guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 5 Freddie King songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson ES-345 (early 1960s, stereo, Varitone circuit, likely stop tailpiece, sunburst finish) into Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, mid-1960s, likely with JBL speakers).

Guitars Freddie King used

Gibson ES-345 (early 1960s, stereo, Varitone circuit, likely stop tailpiece, sunburst finish)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (1957-58, P-90 pickups, as seen on the cover of 'Let's Hide Away and Dance Away')1 song
Gibson ES-3451 song
Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (1953-1956, P-90 pickups)1 song
1965 Gibson Melody Maker D1 song
Gibson ES-3351 song
Gibson ES-345 (early 1960s, likely 1961-63, as used by Freddie King on Federal recordings)1 song
Gibson ES-355TDC1 song

Amps Freddie King used

Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, mid-1960s, likely with JBL speakers)1 song
Fender Twin (late 1950s tweed 5F8-A or early 1960s brownface, 4x12 combo, cranked)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface era, likely 1965-1967)1 song
Fender Tweed Twin (late 1950s, 5E8-A circuit)1 song
Blonde Fender Bandmaster1 song
Fender Quad Reverb (mid-1970s, silverface, non-drip edge)1 song
Fender Tweed Twin (narrow panel, late 1950s, likely 5E8-A circuit)1 song
Vox AC-100 head into Marshall 1982A and 1982B 'Tall Bottom' cabinets1 song

8 Freddie King tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Going Down · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson ES-335	Fender Quad Reverb (mid-1970s, silverface, non-drip edge)	5.5
Going Down · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson ES-355TDC	Vox AC-100 head into Marshall 1982A and 1982B 'Tall Bottom' cabinets	5.5
Have You Ever Loved a Woman · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson ES-345 (early 1960s, likely 1961-63, as used by Freddie King on Federal recordings)	Fender Tweed Twin (narrow panel, late 1950s, likely 5E8-A circuit)	6
Hide Away (Live) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (1953-1956, P-90 pickups)	Fender Tweed Twin (late 1950s, 5E8-A circuit)	6
I'm Tore Down · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson ES-345 (early 1960s, stereo, Varitone circuit, likely stop tailpiece, sunburst finish)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, mid-1960s, likely with JBL speakers)	4.5
I'm Tore Down · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (1957-58, P-90 pickups, as seen on the cover of 'Let's Hide Away and Dance Away')	Fender Twin (late 1950s tweed 5F8-A or early 1960s brownface, 4x12 combo, cranked)	5.5
Me and My Guitar · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson ES-345	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface era, likely 1965-1967)	6
Me and My Guitar · riff	Riff · distorted	1965 Gibson Melody Maker D	Blonde Fender Bandmaster	4.5

Get Freddie King's tone on your gear

Pick any Freddie King 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 Freddie King use?

Across 5 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, mid-1960s, likely with JBL speakers) (1 song), Fender Twin (late 1950s tweed 5F8-A or early 1960s brownface, 4x12 combo, cranked) (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface era, likely 1965-1967) (1 song), Fender Tweed Twin (late 1950s, 5E8-A circuit) (1 song).

What guitar did Freddie King use?

Most often: Gibson ES-345 (early 1960s, stereo, Varitone circuit, likely stop tailpiece, sunburst finish) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (1957-58, P-90 pickups, as seen on the cover of 'Let's Hide Away and Dance Away') (1 song), Gibson ES-345 (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (1953-1956, P-90 pickups) (1 song).

How do I get Freddie King's tone on my amp?

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