Guitar tone · rock

Heart guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 3 Heart songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: 1966 Fender Telecaster into Fender 'Narrow Panel Tweed' Bassman 5F6 (1958-1960).

Guitars Heart used

1966 Fender Telecaster2 songs
1970s Ovation Legend 1617 Acoustic-Electric1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (1970s, likely tobacco burst, as used by Nancy Wilson on studio recording)1 song
1974 Gibson Les Paul Standard1 song
Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s-80s, as used by Howard Leese in studio era)1 song

Amps Heart used

Fender 'Narrow Panel Tweed' Bassman 5F6 (1958-1960)2 songs
Direct to console (studio), possible light EQ/comp in mix; no electric amp used for riff section1 song
Marshall Super Lead 100 (Plexi, 1970s, likely with 4x12 cabinet, as was standard for Heart's heavy studio tones)1 song
Marshall 4140 Club & Country 2x12 combo (Channel 2 High input) and Hiwatt DR105 head with Hiwatt 4x12 cab (stereo setup, both miked in studio)1 song
Marshall JCM800 2203 (most likely, as used by Howard Leese in 1980s Heart studio sessions)1 song

6 Heart tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Barracuda · riff	Riff · distorted	1966 Fender Telecaster	Fender 'Narrow Panel Tweed' Bassman 5F6 (1958-1960)	6.5
Alone · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s-80s, as used by Howard Leese in studio era)	Marshall JCM800 2203 (most likely, as used by Howard Leese in 1980s Heart studio sessions)	7.5
Crazy On You · solo	Solo · distorted	1974 Gibson Les Paul Standard	Marshall 4140 Club & Country 2x12 combo (Channel 2 High input) and Hiwatt DR105 head with Hiwatt 4x12 cab (stereo setup, both miked in studio)	5.5
Barracuda · solo	Solo · distorted	1966 Fender Telecaster	Fender 'Narrow Panel Tweed' Bassman 5F6 (1958-1960)	6.5
Crazy On You · riff	Riff · clean	1970s Ovation Legend 1617 Acoustic-Electric	Direct to console (studio), possible light EQ/comp in mix; no electric amp used for riff section	3.5
Crazy On You · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (1970s, likely tobacco burst, as used by Nancy Wilson on studio recording)	Marshall Super Lead 100 (Plexi, 1970s, likely with 4x12 cabinet, as was standard for Heart's heavy studio tones)	6

Heart songs on popular amps

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use for these songs on their own amps.

Get Heart's tone on your gear

Pick any Heart 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 Heart use?

Across 3 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender 'Narrow Panel Tweed' Bassman 5F6 (1958-1960) (2 songs), Direct to console (studio), possible light EQ/comp in mix; no electric amp used for riff section (1 song), Marshall Super Lead 100 (Plexi, 1970s, likely with 4x12 cabinet, as was standard for Heart's heavy studio tones) (1 song), Marshall 4140 Club & Country 2x12 combo (Channel 2 High input) and Hiwatt DR105 head with Hiwatt 4x12 cab (stereo setup, both miked in studio) (1 song).

What guitar did Heart use?

Most often: 1966 Fender Telecaster (2 songs), 1970s Ovation Legend 1617 Acoustic-Electric (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Standard (1970s, likely tobacco burst, as used by Nancy Wilson on studio recording) (1 song), 1974 Gibson Les Paul Standard (1 song).

How do I get Heart's tone on my amp?

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