Guitar tone · rock

Kino guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 10 Kino songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Yamaha SG200 into Roland Jazz Chorus-120.

Guitars Kino used

Yamaha SG2006 songs
Yamaha SG20002 songs
Yamaha SG10001 song
Yamaha SG200 (likely, as used by Viktor Tsoi in late 1980s studio recordings)1 song
Fender Jazz Bass (likely Soviet-era copy, e.g., Tonika or Jolana, but Jazz Bass style)1 song
Squier Stratocaster (black, late 1980s, used by Viktor Tsoy on 'Последний герой')1 song
Fender Stratocaster1 song
Yamaha SG200 (Soviet-era, Kasparyan's main studio guitar for Kino in late 1980s)1 song

Amps Kino used

Roland Jazz Chorus-1203 songs
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus2 songs
Yamaha G100-2122 songs
Marshall JCM800 (estimated, as Kino were known to use Marshall amps in studio in late 1980s USSR; no direct source for this song's session)1 song
Marshall JCM800 (Brit 2000 style amp, studio recording)1 song
Direct input (no amp), possibly through studio preamp1 song
Roland JC-120 (studio context, likely used for both guitar and bass in late 1980s Soviet studios)1 song
Unknown Soviet solid-state combo amp (exact model not confirmed); possibly Melodia or similar USSR amp1 song

20 Kino tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Спокойная ночь · solo	Solo · distorted	Yamaha SG2000	Marshall JCM800 2203	6.5
Спокойная ночь · riff	Riff · distorted	Yamaha SG200 (assumed based on era and known Kino studio photos, but not confirmed for this exact track)	Roland Jazz Chorus JC-120 (most commonly associated with Kino's studio sound in the late 1980s, but not confirmed for this specific track)	4
Группа крови · solo	Solo · distorted	Yamaha SG200 (Soviet-era, Kasparyan's main studio guitar for Kino in late 1980s)	Roland Jazz Chorus JC-120 (most likely, based on era, genre, and typical Soviet/post-punk studio setups; no direct source for amp on this track)	5
Группа крови · riff	Riff · distorted	Yamaha SG200	Roland Jazz Chorus-120	4.5
Звезда по имени Солнце · solo	Solo · distorted	Yamaha SG2000	Direct input (no amp), possibly through studio preamp	5
Звезда по имени Солнце · riff	Riff · distorted	Yamaha SG-200	Roland Jazz Chorus-120	4
Кончится лето · riff	Riff · distorted	Yamaha SG200 (likely, as used by Viktor Tsoi in late 1980s studio recordings)	Marshall JCM800 (estimated, as Kino were known to use Marshall amps in studio in late 1980s USSR; no direct source for this song's session)	4
Кончится лето · solo	Solo · distorted	Yamaha SG200	Marshall JCM800 (Brit 2000 style amp, studio recording)	5
Нам с тобой · solo	Solo · distorted	Yamaha SG200	Roland Jazz Chorus-120	5.5
Пачка сигарет · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster	Yamaha G100-212	5
Пачка сигарет · riff	Riff · clean	Yamaha SG200	Unknown (likely Soviet-era solid-state combo or studio amp, exact model not confirmed for this recording)	0
Пачка сигарет · solo	Solo · distorted	Yamaha SG200	Yamaha G100-212 II	5
Последний герой · riff	Riff · clean	Squier Stratocaster (black, late 1980s, used by Viktor Tsoy on 'Последний герой')	Unknown Soviet solid-state combo amp (exact model not confirmed); possibly Melodia or similar USSR amp	0
Спокойная ночь · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Jazz Bass (likely Soviet-era copy, e.g., Tonika or Jolana, but Jazz Bass style)	Roland JC-120 (studio context, likely used for both guitar and bass in late 1980s Soviet studios)	0
Спокойная ночь · riff	Riff · clean	Yamaha SG200 (1980s Japanese model, as used by Yuri Kasparyan on 'Gruppa Krovi' and 'Zvezda po imeni Solntse' era recordings, highly likely for 'Спокойная ночь' 1989 studio version)	Roland Jazz Chorus JC-120 (most likely, based on period-correct Soviet/post-punk studio setups and Kasparyan's known use in late 1980s Kino recordings)	0
Спокойная ночь · distorted	Distorted · distorted	Fender Jazz Bass (likely Soviet-era copy, e.g., Tonika or Jolana, but Jazz Bass style most probable)	Roland JC-120 (studio context, but for bass likely DI or Soviet solid-state amp; JC-120 confirmed for guitar, not bass)	5.5
Хочу перемен · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Precision Bass (Soviet or Japanese copy likely, 4-string, passive)	Soviet-era solid-state bass combo or tube head (e.g., Elektronika, Yunost, or similar); no evidence of Ampeg/Fender/Western amps in USSR studios at the time	0
Хочу перемен · riff	Riff · clean	Yamaha SG1000 (white, with Kahler tremolo and top lock)	Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus	3.5
Электричка · riff	Riff · clean	Yamaha SG1000	Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus	0
Это не любовь · riff	Riff · distorted	Yamaha SG200	Yamaha G100-212	4

Kino songs on popular amps

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

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Kino use?

Across 10 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Roland Jazz Chorus-120 (3 songs), Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (2 songs), Yamaha G100-212 (2 songs), Marshall JCM800 (estimated, as Kino were known to use Marshall amps in studio in late 1980s USSR; no direct source for this song's session) (1 song).

What guitar did Kino use?

Most often: Yamaha SG200 (6 songs), Yamaha SG2000 (2 songs), Yamaha SG1000 (1 song), Yamaha SG200 (likely, as used by Viktor Tsoi in late 1980s studio recordings) (1 song).

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

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