Guitar tone · rock

Neil Young & Crazy Horse guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 5 Neil Young & Crazy Horse songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: 1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird bridge pickup) into Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 (wide panel, early 1950s, cranked).

Guitars Neil Young & Crazy Horse used

1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird bridge pickup)1 song
1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird mini-humbucker in bridge)1 song
1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird mini-humbucker in bridge, P-90 in neck)1 song
1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (aka 'Old Black', heavily modified, with mini-humbucker in bridge)1 song
1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (modded with mini-humbucker in neck, Firebird pickup in bridge, Bigsby vibrato)1 song
1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black'1 song

Amps Neil Young & Crazy Horse used

Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 (wide panel, early 1950s, cranked)1 song
Fender Deluxe 5E3 (tweed, vintage tube combo)1 song
1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe (5E3 circuit, with Whizzer remote control device)1 song
Fender Tweed Deluxe (5E3, vintage, cranked)1 song
Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 (late 1950s model)1 song
1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe (5E3, modded with 6L6 tubes)1 song

6 Neil Young & Crazy Horse tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Cinnamon Girl · riff	Riff · distorted	1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (modded with mini-humbucker in neck, Firebird pickup in bridge, Bigsby vibrato)	Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 (late 1950s model)	7
Cortez the Killer · riff	Riff · distorted	1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird bridge pickup)	Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 (wide panel, early 1950s, cranked)	7.5
Cortez the Killer · solo	Solo · distorted	1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird mini-humbucker in bridge)	Fender Deluxe 5E3 (tweed, vintage tube combo)	8
Down by the River · riff	Riff · distorted	1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black'	1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe (5E3, modded with 6L6 tubes)	7
My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) · riff	Riff · distorted	1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird mini-humbucker in bridge, P-90 in neck)	1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe (5E3 circuit, with Whizzer remote control device)	6
Powderfinger · riff	Riff · distorted	1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (aka 'Old Black', heavily modified, with mini-humbucker in bridge)	Fender Tweed Deluxe (5E3, vintage, cranked)	7

Neil Young & Crazy Horse songs on popular amps

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

Cortez the Killer on Marshall DSL40C

Get Neil Young & Crazy Horse's tone on your gear

Pick any Neil Young & Crazy Horse song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Neil Young & Crazy Horse use?

Across 5 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3 (wide panel, early 1950s, cranked) (1 song), Fender Deluxe 5E3 (tweed, vintage tube combo) (1 song), 1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe (5E3 circuit, with Whizzer remote control device) (1 song), Fender Tweed Deluxe (5E3, vintage, cranked) (1 song).

What guitar did Neil Young & Crazy Horse use?

Most often: 1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird bridge pickup) (1 song), 1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird mini-humbucker in bridge) (1 song), 1953 Gibson Les Paul 'Old Black' (heavily modified, Bigsby vibrato, Firebird mini-humbucker in bridge, P-90 in neck) (1 song), 1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (aka 'Old Black', heavily modified, with mini-humbucker in bridge) (1 song).

How do I get Neil Young & Crazy Horse's tone on my amp?

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