Guitar tone · blues
John Lee Hooker guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 3 John Lee Hooker songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Epiphone John Lee Hooker Sheraton into Unknown tube combo amp (likely Fender or Gibson, model not specified for this session).
Guitars John Lee Hooker used
- Epiphone John Lee Hooker Sheraton1 song
- Epiphone Zephyr (1959 or 1961, blonde finish)1 song
- Gibson ES-125 (P-90 pickup, hollowbody electric)1 song
- Gibson ES-335 (likely, based on era and Hooker's known studio use in the 1960s)1 song
Amps John Lee Hooker used
- Unknown tube combo amp (likely Fender or Gibson, model not specified for this session)1 song
- Unknown vintage tube amp (likely Gibson or Valco, model not confirmed for this recording)1 song
- Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface era, likely studio version)1 song
- Fender Tweed amp (likely, based on Hooker's typical studio setup in the 1960s; exact model not confirmed for this session)1 song
4 John Lee Hooker tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| Boom Boom · riff | 3.5 |
| I’m In the Mood (feat. Bonnie Raitt) · riff | 4 |
| One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer · solo | 3.5 |
| One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer · riff | 3 |
Get John Lee Hooker's tone on your gear
Pick any John Lee Hooker song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did John Lee Hooker use?
Across 3 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Unknown tube combo amp (likely Fender or Gibson, model not specified for this session) (1 song), Unknown vintage tube amp (likely Gibson or Valco, model not confirmed for this recording) (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface era, likely studio version) (1 song), Fender Tweed amp (likely, based on Hooker's typical studio setup in the 1960s; exact model not confirmed for this session) (1 song).
What guitar did John Lee Hooker use?
Most often: Epiphone John Lee Hooker Sheraton (1 song), Epiphone Zephyr (1959 or 1961, blonde finish) (1 song), Gibson ES-125 (P-90 pickup, hollowbody electric) (1 song), Gibson ES-335 (likely, based on era and Hooker's known studio use in the 1960s) (1 song).
How do I get John Lee Hooker's tone on my amp?
Open any John Lee Hooker song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.