Guitar tone · rock, blues
John Lennon guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 3 John Lennon songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: 1950s/60s Epiphone Casino (single P-90 pickup, likely sunburst, as used on Plastic Ono Band sessions) into Fender Deluxe Reverb (Blackface, likely 1965 or reissue, as used in Plastic Ono Band era).
Guitars John Lennon used
- 1950s/60s Epiphone Casino (single P-90 pickup, likely sunburst, as used on Plastic Ono Band sessions)1 song
- Epiphone Casino (1965, sunburst, hollowbody electric)1 song
- Epiphone Casino (1965, sunburst, stock P-90 pickups)1 song
- Epiphone Casino (1965, sunburst, stock P-90s)1 song
Amps John Lennon used
- Fender Deluxe Reverb (Blackface, likely 1965 or reissue, as used in Plastic Ono Band era)1 song
- Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, mid-late 1960s)1 song
- Fender Vibro-Champ Combo Guitar Amplifier1 song
- Fender Vibro-Champ Combo Guitar Amplifier (silverface, early 1970s)1 song
4 John Lennon tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| Hold On · riff | 3 |
| How Do You Sleep? · solo | 6.5 |
| How Do You Sleep? · riff | 5 |
| Well Well Well (Ultimate Mix) · riff | 7 |
Get John Lennon's tone on your gear
Pick any John Lennon song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did John Lennon use?
Across 3 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Deluxe Reverb (Blackface, likely 1965 or reissue, as used in Plastic Ono Band era) (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, mid-late 1960s) (1 song), Fender Vibro-Champ Combo Guitar Amplifier (1 song), Fender Vibro-Champ Combo Guitar Amplifier (silverface, early 1970s) (1 song).
What guitar did John Lennon use?
Most often: 1950s/60s Epiphone Casino (single P-90 pickup, likely sunburst, as used on Plastic Ono Band sessions) (1 song), Epiphone Casino (1965, sunburst, hollowbody electric) (1 song), Epiphone Casino (1965, sunburst, stock P-90 pickups) (1 song), Epiphone Casino (1965, sunburst, stock P-90s) (1 song).
How do I get John Lennon's tone on my amp?
Open any John Lennon song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.