Guitar tone · country

Johnny Cash guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 8 Johnny Cash songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Esquire into 1948 Silvertone 1300.

Guitars Johnny Cash used

Fender Esquire3 songs
1953 Fender Esquire2 songs
Martin D-35 (acoustic, mic'd in studio)1 song
Martin D-35 (acoustic)1 song
Fender Esquire (early 1950s, single-pickup Telecaster variant)1 song
Fender Precision Bass (likely 1950s, single-coil)1 song
Fender Esquire (early 1950s, single pickup)1 song
Fender Esquire (likely 1950s, single-pickup Telecaster variant)1 song

Amps Johnny Cash used

1948 Silvertone 13002 songs
None (acoustic direct to mic/preamp)1 song
Fender Tweed amp (likely Princeton or Deluxe, 1950s model)1 song
Sears Silvertone 1300 combo amp1 song
None (direct mic'd acoustic guitar)1 song
Fender Tweed amp (likely 1955 Princeton or 1959 Bassman, clean channel)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, likely 1965-67 model, as used on the 1968 Folsom Prison live recording)1 song
Fender Bassman (tweed, late 1950s studio amp)1 song

15 Johnny Cash tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
(Ghost) Riders In the Sky · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Esquire (early 1950s, single-pickup Telecaster variant)	Fender Tweed amp (likely 1955 Princeton or 1959 Bassman, clean channel)	0
Folsom Prison Blues · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Esquire	Silvertone 1300 (circa 1948)	0
(Ghost) Riders In the Sky · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Esquire (likely 1950s, single-pickup Telecaster variant)	Fender Tweed amp (likely Princeton, Deluxe, or Bassman; most sources cite Tweed era amps for Johnny Cash/Luther Perkins studio work)	3
(Ghost) Riders In the Sky · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Esquire (likely 1950s single-pickup model, as used by Luther Perkins on Johnny Cash recordings)	Fender Tweed Princeton or Deluxe (exact model not confirmed for this session, but period-correct and cited as used by Luther Perkins)	2.5
(Ghost) Riders In the Sky · solo	Solo · clean	Fender Esquire (likely 1950s-early 1960s, single bridge pickup, as used by Luther Perkins on Johnny Cash studio recordings)	Fender Tweed Princeton or Deluxe (exact model not confirmed for this session, but Tweed Princeton is most likely based on era and studio use)	0
Folsom Prison Blues · riff	Riff · distorted	1953 Fender Esquire	1948 Silvertone 1300	1
Folsom Prison Blues · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Precision Bass (likely 1950s, single-coil)	Fender Bassman (tweed, late 1950s studio amp)	0
Folsom Prison Blues · solo	Solo · clean	Fender Esquire (early 1950s, single pickup)	1948 Silvertone 1300	0
Folsom Prison Blues (Live) · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Esquire	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, likely 1965-67 model, as used on the 1968 Folsom Prison live recording)	0
Folsom Prison Blues (Live) · solo	Solo · clean	Fender Esquire (1950s, single bridge pickup, as used by Luther Perkins on the 1968 live recording)	Fender Deluxe Reverb (Blackface, mid-1960s, live amp on At Folsom Prison 1968)	0
God's Gonna Cut You Down · riff	Riff · clean	Martin D-35 (acoustic, mic'd in studio)	None (acoustic direct to mic/preamp)	1.5
Hurt · riff	Riff · clean	Martin D-35 (acoustic)	None (direct mic'd acoustic guitar)	0
I Walk the Line · riff	Riff · clean	1953 Fender Esquire	Fender Tweed amp (likely Princeton or Deluxe, 1950s model)	0
Ring of Fire · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Esquire (likely 1950s single-pickup model)	Fender Tweed amp (likely Princeton, Deluxe, or Bassman; exact model for 'Ring of Fire' not confirmed)	0
The Ballad of Boot Hill (Mono) · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Esquire	Sears Silvertone 1300 combo amp	0

Johnny Cash songs on popular amps

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

Folsom Prison Blues on Fender Mustang LT25

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Johnny Cash use?

Across 8 researched songs, the amps that come up most are 1948 Silvertone 1300 (2 songs), None (acoustic direct to mic/preamp) (1 song), Fender Tweed amp (likely Princeton or Deluxe, 1950s model) (1 song), Sears Silvertone 1300 combo amp (1 song).

What guitar did Johnny Cash use?

Most often: Fender Esquire (3 songs), 1953 Fender Esquire (2 songs), Martin D-35 (acoustic, mic'd in studio) (1 song), Martin D-35 (acoustic) (1 song).

How do I get Johnny Cash's tone on my amp?

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