Guitar tone · metal, rock

Motörhead guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 14 Motörhead songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Rickenbacker 4001 into Marshall JVM210H 100-Watt Tube Amplifier Head.

Guitars Motörhead used

Rickenbacker 40015 songs
Gibson Les Paul Deluxe3 songs
1970s Gibson Les Paul Standard2 songs
Rickenbacker 4001 Bass (Lemmy), likely Gibson Les Paul Standard or SG for guitar solo (Fast Eddie Clarke)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s/1980s, used by Phil Campbell in Motörhead studio recordings)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s-2000s, used by Phil Campbell in studio)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s, with bridge humbucker mod)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (Fast Eddie Clarke's main guitar, 1979-1982 era)1 song

Amps Motörhead used

Marshall JVM210H 100-Watt Tube Amplifier Head2 songs
Marshall Super Bass or Marshall JMP (guitar), Marshall Major (bass)1 song
Marshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 2000)1 song
Marshall JCM 800 (studio recording, Motörhead's typical amp for this era)1 song
Marshall Super Bass (likely 100W, vintage, cranked for distortion)1 song
Marshall JMP 2203 100W head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet1 song
Marshall stack (likely Marshall Super Lead or Super Bass, cranked)1 song
Marshall JMP 2203 (100W head, late 1970s/early 1980s)1 song

19 Motörhead tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Ace of Spades · riff	Riff · distorted	1970s Gibson Les Paul Standard	Marshall JMP 2203 100W head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet	7.5
Stay Clean (Live In England 1981) · distorted	Distorted · distorted	Rickenbacker 4001	Marshall Super Bass (likely 1992 model, Lemmy's main live amp in 1981)	9
Ace of Spades · clean	Clean · clean	Rickenbacker 4001	Marshall Super Bass (likely 1992 or Major, classic Marshall bass head)	0
Ace of Spades · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster	Marshall JMP 2203 or 2204 (possible early JCM800), likely Superbass II	7.5
Ace of Spades · distorted	Distorted · distorted	Rickenbacker 4001	Marshall Super Bass Head ('Murder One') into Marshall 4x12 and 4x15 cabinets	8
Ace of Spades (40th Anniversary Master) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Deluxe (mini-humbuckers), possibly Fender Stratocaster (bridge humbucker mod) for some tracks	Marshall JMP 2203/2204 or Marshall JMP Superbass II (cranked, no master volume on Superbass, likely JMP 2203 for main riff)	8
God Was Never on Your Side · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1990s-2000s, used by Phil Campbell in studio)	Marshall JCM 800 (studio recording, Motörhead's typical amp for this era)	6.5
Hellraiser · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Deluxe	Marshall JVM210H 100-Watt Tube Amplifier Head	7.5
Iron Horse / Born to Lose · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s, with bridge humbucker mod)	Marshall stack (likely Marshall Super Lead or Super Bass, cranked)	7.5
Louie Louie · solo	Solo · distorted	Rickenbacker 4001 Bass (Lemmy), likely Gibson Les Paul Standard or SG for guitar solo (Fast Eddie Clarke)	Marshall Super Bass or Marshall JMP (guitar), Marshall Major (bass)	7.5
Louie Louie · distorted	Distorted · distorted	Rickenbacker 4001	Marshall Super Bass (likely 100W, vintage, cranked for distortion)	8.5
Louie Louie · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s, used by 'Fast' Eddie Clarke)	Marshall Super Lead 1959 (100W, late 1970s, likely JMP era)	7.5
Love Me Like a Reptile · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (late 1970s, likely 1978-1979, used by 'Fast' Eddie Clarke on Ace of Spades album)	Marshall Super Lead 1959 100W (Plexi, late 1970s, likely with Marshall 4x12 cabinet, Celestion speakers)	7.5
Motörhead · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Deluxe	Marshall JMP (likely 100-watt head, late 1970s)	7.5
Orgasmatron · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Deluxe	Marshall JVM210H 100-Watt Tube Amplifier Head	7.5
Overkill · riff	Riff · distorted	1970s Gibson Les Paul Standard	Marshall Super Lead 1959 100W head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12 speakers, likely Greenbacks)	7.5
Stay Clean (Live at Hammersmith) · distorted	Distorted · distorted	Rickenbacker 4001	Marshall Super Bass (1976 'Murder One')	9
The Game (Triple H) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s/1980s, used by Phil Campbell in Motörhead studio recordings)	Marshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 2000)	7.5
Turn You Round Again · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (Fast Eddie Clarke's main guitar, 1979-1982 era)	Marshall JMP 2203 (100W head, late 1970s/early 1980s)	7

Motörhead 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 Motörhead use?

Across 14 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Marshall JVM210H 100-Watt Tube Amplifier Head (2 songs), Marshall Super Bass or Marshall JMP (guitar), Marshall Major (bass) (1 song), Marshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 2000) (1 song), Marshall JCM 800 (studio recording, Motörhead's typical amp for this era) (1 song).

What guitar did Motörhead use?

Most often: Rickenbacker 4001 (5 songs), Gibson Les Paul Deluxe (3 songs), 1970s Gibson Les Paul Standard (2 songs), Rickenbacker 4001 Bass (Lemmy), likely Gibson Les Paul Standard or SG for guitar solo (Fast Eddie Clarke) (1 song).

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

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