Guitar tone · rock, country

Grateful Dead guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 42 Grateful Dead songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: 1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar into Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp.

Guitars Grateful Dead used

1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar11 songs
Doug Irwin 'Tiger' custom guitar3 songs
1976 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar2 songs
Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar2 songs
1957 Fender Stratocaster ('Alligator')2 songs
Martin D-28 (acoustic)2 songs
Travis Bean TB5002 songs
Fender Stratocaster (early 1970s, likely 1957 or 1965 model, used by Bob Weir on 'Truckin'' studio recording)1 song

Amps Grateful Dead used

Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp4 songs
Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s)3 songs
Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 (power amp)3 songs
Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1960s/early 1970s)2 songs
Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s, JBL speakers)2 songs
Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, early 1970s studio recording)1 song
McIntosh MC23001 song
Fender Blackface Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 (power amp)1 song

55 Grateful Dead tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Althea · riff	Riff · clean	Doug Irwin 'Tiger' (custom electric guitar)	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s)	3.5
Dancing In the Street (Live at Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 5/8/77) · clean	Clean · clean	Unknown	Unknown	0
Althea (Live) · riff	Riff · clean	Doug Irwin 'Tiger' (Jerry Garcia's custom guitar)	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s/early 1980s)	3
Eyes of the World · riff	Riff · clean	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, early 1970s)	0
Fire On the Mountain (Live at Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 5/8/77) · solo	Solo · distorted	Travis Bean TB500 #12	McIntosh MC2300	4.5
Franklin's Tower · riff	Riff · clean	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 60s/early 70s)	0
Friend of the Devil · riff	Riff · clean	Martin D-28 (1960s model, likely Jerry Garcia's primary acoustic for the session)	None (recorded direct with microphone, no amp used on original studio recording)	0
He's Gone (Live in Amsterdam) · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson 1955 Les Paul Custom	Fender Blackface Showman	3.5
Help On the Way / Slipknot! · solo	Solo · clean	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1960s/early 1970s)	0
One More Saturday Night (Live in London) · riff	Riff · distorted	Doug Irwin 'Tiger' custom guitar	Mesa/Boogie Mark IIb (head) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp and JBL E120 speakers	5
Ripple · riff	Riff · clean	Martin D-28 (acoustic)	None (recorded mic'd acoustic, no amp used on original studio recording)	0
Shakedown Street [Live At Oakland Auditorium Arena, December 26, 1979] · solo	Solo · distorted	Doug Irwin 'Tiger' Guitar	Fender Blackface Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 (power amp)	4.5
Althea · solo	Solo · clean	1977 Doug Irwin 'Tiger' custom guitar	Mesa/Boogie Mark II (likely Mark IIa or IIb) head into JBL K120 speakers	3.5
Althea · riff	Riff · distorted	Doug Irwin 'Tiger' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, late 1970s/early 1980s)	4
Althea · solo	Solo · distorted	Doug Irwin 'Tiger' custom guitar	Mesa/Boogie Mark IIb	3.5
Big Railroad Blues · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (early 1970s, likely 1957 or 1963 model, as used by Jerry Garcia on Skull & Roses)	Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp	3
Big Railroad Blues · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson SG Standard (early 1970s, likely 1971-72, as used by Jerry Garcia on Skull & Roses)	Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 (power amp)	3
Brown-Eyed Women (Live at Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 5/8/77) · riff	Riff · clean	1976 Travis Bean TB500	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface AB763, preamp only) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp, JBL K-120 speakers	0
Candyman · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1957 or 1963, as used by Garcia on American Beauty sessions)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, studio recording)	0
Casey Jones · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster 'Alligator' (1955 heavily modified)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, pre-CBS, likely 1967 model)	3.5
China Cat Sunflower (Live in Paris) · riff	Riff · clean	1957 Fender Stratocaster 'Alligator'	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, pre-CBS era, likely late 1960s model)	0
China Cat Sunflower (Live in Paris) · riff	Riff · distorted	1957 Fender Stratocaster ('Alligator')	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, pre-CBS era, likely late 1960s)	5
Deal · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1963 Sunburst, pre-Irwin custom guitars)	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, late 1960s/early 1970s model)	0
Deal (Live at Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 5/8/77) · riff	Riff · clean	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 60s/early 70s, modified with JBL speakers)	0
El Paso (Live) · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson SG Standard (early 1970s live rig, Jerry Garcia)	Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 (power amp)	0
Estimated Prophet · solo	Solo · clean	1976 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s)	0
Estimated Prophet · riff	Riff · clean	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s, with JBL speakers)	3
Estimated Prophet (Live at Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 5/8/77) · riff	Riff · clean	1976 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s, JBL speakers)	3
Fire On the Mountain · riff	Riff · clean	Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp	0
Fire On the Mountain · solo	Solo · clean	Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s)	3.5
Fire On the Mountain (Live at Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 5/8/77) · riff	Riff · clean	Travis Bean TB500	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 70s)	0
Franklin's Tower · solo	Solo · clean	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, preamp only) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp	2.5
Franklin's Tower · solo	Solo · distorted	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp	4
Friend Of The Devil (2020 Remaster) · riff	Riff · clean	Martin D-28 (acoustic)	None (mic'd acoustic guitar, no amp used on original studio recording)	0
He's Gone (Live in Amsterdam) · solo	Solo · clean	1972 Doug Irwin-modified Fender Stratocaster	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, late 60s/early 70s)	0
Help On the Way / Slipknot! (Live At the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, August 13, 1975) · solo	Solo · distorted	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1960s/early 1970s, heavily modified by Alembic)	4
I Know You Rider (Live At Veneta, OR, 8/27/72) · solo	Solo · distorted	1957 Fender Stratocaster	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, late 1960s)	3.5
Loose Lucy (Live At Philadelphia Civic Center, Philadelphia, PA, August 4-5, 1974) · riff	Riff · clean	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 60s/early 70s, McIntosh MC2300 power amp in PA, but stage amp is Twin Reverb)	3.5
One More Saturday Night (Live at the Strand Lyceum, London, England, May 24, 1972) · riff	Riff · distorted	1972 Doug Irwin 'Eagle' Custom (Jerry Garcia's main guitar at the time was a modified Fender Stratocaster or the Alligator Strat, but for this show, photographic and historical evidence confirms he used his 1957 Fender Stratocaster 'Alligator')	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, pre-CBS, with JBL D120F speakers; this was Garcia's main live amp in 1972)	4
Ramble On Rose (Live in London) · riff	Riff · clean	Doug Irwin 'Alligator' Stratocaster (heavily modded Fender Stratocaster)	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1960s/early 1970s, with JBL speakers)	0
Scarlet Begonias · riff	Riff · clean	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1960s/early 1970s)	0
Scarlet Begonias · solo	Solo · clean	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' Custom Guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, AB763 circuit) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp, JBL K-120 speakers	3.5
Scarlet Begonias (Live at Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 5/8/77) · clean	Clean · clean	Alembic custom “Mission Control” (serial 74‑00008)	Unknown (no specific amp model found for 5/8/77)	0
Shakedown Street · riff	Riff · clean	1977 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp	3.5
St. Stephen · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson SG Standard (late 1960s, likely 1967-1968, stock wiring)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, late 1960s, likely 1967-1968)	3.5
Sugar Magnolia · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson ES-335 (early 1970s, likely 1971-1972, as used by Bob Weir on 'American Beauty')	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface or Silverface, as used in studio by Bob Weir in early 1970s)	0
Sugaree (Live At Hartford, Ct, May 28, 1977) · riff	Riff · clean	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s, JBL speakers)	2.5
Tennessee Jed (Live in Paris) · riff	Riff · distorted	1957 Fender Stratocaster ('Alligator')	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, modified by Alembic, with McIntosh MC2300 power amp)	3.5
Terrapin Station (Live At Hartford, Ct, May 28, 1977) · solo	Solo · distorted	1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' Custom	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s, heavily modified by Alembic)	3.5
Terrapin Station (Live At Palladium) · riff	Riff · clean	Travis Bean TB500	Fender Twin Reverb (late 1970s silverface, likely JBL speakers)	0
Terrapin Station Medley · riff	Riff · clean	Custom Doug Irwin 'Wolf' (Jerry Garcia's main guitar for studio Terrapin Station, 1977)	Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp	0
Touch of Grey · riff	Riff · clean	Custom Doug Irwin 'Tiger' (Jerry Garcia's main guitar for studio in 1987; some sources suggest a Fender Stratocaster was also used on the riff section)	Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 (power amp)	2.5
Truckin' · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (early 1970s, likely 1957 or 1965 model, used by Bob Weir on 'Truckin'' studio recording)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, early 1970s studio recording)	0
Truckin' · solo	Solo · clean	1973 Doug Irwin 'Alligator' Stratocaster (heavily modified Fender Stratocaster)	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, with JBL D120F speakers)	0
Truckin' (Live in London) · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (early 60s, sunburst, maple neck, likely stock single coils)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, early 70s, likely with JBL speakers)	0

Grateful Dead 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 Grateful Dead use?

Across 42 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 power amp (4 songs), Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s) (3 songs), Fender Twin Reverb (preamp) into McIntosh MC2300 (power amp) (3 songs), Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1960s/early 1970s) (2 songs).

What guitar did Grateful Dead use?

Most often: 1973 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar (11 songs), Doug Irwin 'Tiger' custom guitar (3 songs), 1976 Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar (2 songs), Doug Irwin 'Wolf' custom guitar (2 songs).

How do I get Grateful Dead's tone on my amp?

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