Guitar tone · blues

Kenny Wayne Shepherd guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 5 Kenny Wayne Shepherd songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Stratocaster (Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature or vintage Strat, likely alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard) into Dumble Overdrive Special (studio), possibly Fender Vibroverb or Twin Reverb as secondary/backup.

Guitars Kenny Wayne Shepherd used

Fender Stratocaster (Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature or vintage Strat, likely alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely Custom Shop or vintage, as per Shepherd's preference)1 song
Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature Stratocaster (early 90s, stock or with custom neck, as per live rig photos and interviews)1 song
Fender Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Stratocaster (or '61 Fender Stratocaster 'Martha')1 song
Fender Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Stratocaster (Sunburst, drop D tuning)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature or '61 Stratocaster 'Martha')1 song
Fender Stratocaster (custom painted, 1990s, likely American Standard or Custom Shop)1 song
Fender Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Stratocaster with Graph Tech Ghost pickup system1 song

Amps Kenny Wayne Shepherd used

Dumble Overdrive Special (studio), possibly Fender Vibroverb or Twin Reverb as secondary/backup1 song
1964 Fender Blackface Vibroverb (studio recording, as confirmed for the album era)1 song
Fender Vibro-King (primary live amp for this era, confirmed in multiple rig rundowns for live performances of this song)1 song
Dumble-modified Fender Pro Reverb (Ultra/Rockphonix), Fender Bassman (Slidewinder), and Band Master (AC763) (studio: Dumble-style/Fender Twin Reverb highly likely)1 song
1964 Fender Blackface Vibroverb Reissue (main), Fender Super-Sonic Twin (Bassman setting), Fender Deluxe Reissue (Tweedledee Deluxe, Dumble-modded)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, vintage or reissue, or Dumble-modded Fender amp)1 song
Fender Bassman (vintage reissue, likely 4x10 combo, used in studio and live)1 song
1964 Fender Blackface Vibroverb Reissue (main), Fender Super-Sonic Twin (Bassman mode), Fender Deluxe Reissue modded by Dumble ('Tweedledee Deluxe')1 song

9 Kenny Wayne Shepherd tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Born With a Broken Heart · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (custom painted, 1990s, likely American Standard or Custom Shop)	Fender Bassman (vintage reissue, likely 4x10 combo, used in studio and live)	4.5
Baby Got Gone · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature or vintage Strat, likely alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard)	Dumble Overdrive Special (studio), possibly Fender Vibroverb or Twin Reverb as secondary/backup	4.5
Baby Got Gone · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely Custom Shop or vintage, as per Shepherd's preference)	1964 Fender Blackface Vibroverb (studio recording, as confirmed for the album era)	5
Blue On Black · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Stratocaster (Sunburst, drop D tuning)	1964 Fender Blackface Vibroverb Reissue (main), Fender Super-Sonic Twin (Bassman setting), Fender Deluxe Reissue (Tweedledee Deluxe, Dumble-modded)	5
Blue On Black · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Stratocaster with Graph Tech Ghost pickup system	1964 Fender Blackface Vibroverb Reissue (main), Fender Super-Sonic Twin (Bassman mode), Fender Deluxe Reissue modded by Dumble ('Tweedledee Deluxe')	4.5
Born With a Broken Heart · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (custom-painted, 1990s, used on 'Born With a Broken Heart')	Fender Bassman (vintage, likely 1959 reissue or original, used for studio recording)	4.5
Somehow, Somewhere, Someway · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Stratocaster (or '61 Fender Stratocaster 'Martha')	Dumble-modified Fender Pro Reverb (Ultra/Rockphonix), Fender Bassman (Slidewinder), and Band Master (AC763) (studio: Dumble-style/Fender Twin Reverb highly likely)	5
Somehow, Somewhere, Someway · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature or '61 Stratocaster 'Martha')	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, vintage or reissue, or Dumble-modded Fender amp)	3
While We Cry (Live) · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature Stratocaster (early 90s, stock or with custom neck, as per live rig photos and interviews)	Fender Vibro-King (primary live amp for this era, confirmed in multiple rig rundowns for live performances of this song)	5

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Kenny Wayne Shepherd use?

Across 5 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Dumble Overdrive Special (studio), possibly Fender Vibroverb or Twin Reverb as secondary/backup (1 song), 1964 Fender Blackface Vibroverb (studio recording, as confirmed for the album era) (1 song), Fender Vibro-King (primary live amp for this era, confirmed in multiple rig rundowns for live performances of this song) (1 song), Dumble-modified Fender Pro Reverb (Ultra/Rockphonix), Fender Bassman (Slidewinder), and Band Master (AC763) (studio: Dumble-style/Fender Twin Reverb highly likely) (1 song).

What guitar did Kenny Wayne Shepherd use?

Most often: Fender Stratocaster (Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature or vintage Strat, likely alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard) (1 song), Fender Stratocaster (likely Custom Shop or vintage, as per Shepherd's preference) (1 song), Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature Stratocaster (early 90s, stock or with custom neck, as per live rig photos and interviews) (1 song), Fender Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Stratocaster (or '61 Fender Stratocaster 'Martha') (1 song).

How do I get Kenny Wayne Shepherd's tone on my amp?

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