Guitar tone · rock, other
Rihanna guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 8 Rihanna songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: string into string.
Guitars Rihanna used
- string1 song
- Unknown solidbody electric (studio session musician, likely Fender or Gibson type)1 song
- Unknown (session guitar, likely Fender Stratocaster or similar HSS/S-S-H configuration typical for pop/R&B studio work in 2011-2012)1 song
- Unknown (studio version uses synth for riff; live version played by Nuno Bettencourt, likely with a Washburn N4 or Strat-style guitar)1 song
- Fender Stratocaster (likely American Standard or Custom Shop, as used by Nuno Bettencourt with Rihanna in 2016 studio sessions)1 song
- Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely single coil pickups based on tone and era)1 song
- Unknown Strat-style electric guitar (exact model not confirmed for studio recording)1 song
- Fender Stratocaster (likely American Standard or similar, as used by Nuno Bettencourt on Rihanna studio recordings in this era)1 song
Amps Rihanna used
- string1 song
- Unknown, likely Marshall or Fender (studio standard for pop/rock in 2007)1 song
- Unknown (likely digital amp or direct-in with amp simulation, model unknown; no evidence of specific amp used on studio recording)1 song
- Unknown (studio version likely uses synth; live version not specified, but Nuno Bettencourt often uses Marshall amps live)1 song
- Marshall amplifier (exact model unknown, likely JCM800 or DSL series, as per Nuno Bettencourt's typical rig for Rihanna live and studio work)1 song
- Marshall-style amp (exact model unknown, likely Marshall JCM800 or similar based on genre and era)1 song
- Unknown clean amp (likely Fender or similar, exact model not confirmed for studio recording)1 song
- Marshall JCM800 (likely, based on Nuno Bettencourt's known rig and era, but not explicitly confirmed for this session)1 song
12 Rihanna tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| Kiss It Better · solo | 5.5 |
| Kiss It Better · riff | 4.5 |
| California King Bed · solo | 4 |
| California King Bed · riff | 0 |
| Don't Stop the Music · riff | 3.5 |
| Kiss It Better · solo | 3 |
| Love on the Brain · riff | 3 |
| S&M (Remix) [feat. Britney Spears] · solo | — |
| Shut Up and Drive · riff | 6.5 |
| Umbrella (feat. JAŸ-Z) · riff | 4.5 |
| Where Have You Been · riff | 5.5 |
| Where Have You Been · riff | 0 |
Rihanna songs on popular amps
Exact settings ToneAdapt players use for these songs on their own amps.
Get Rihanna's tone on your gear
Pick any Rihanna song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did Rihanna use?
Across 8 researched songs, the amps that come up most are string (1 song), Unknown, likely Marshall or Fender (studio standard for pop/rock in 2007) (1 song), Unknown (likely digital amp or direct-in with amp simulation, model unknown; no evidence of specific amp used on studio recording) (1 song), Unknown (studio version likely uses synth; live version not specified, but Nuno Bettencourt often uses Marshall amps live) (1 song).
What guitar did Rihanna use?
Most often: string (1 song), Unknown solidbody electric (studio session musician, likely Fender or Gibson type) (1 song), Unknown (session guitar, likely Fender Stratocaster or similar HSS/S-S-H configuration typical for pop/R&B studio work in 2011-2012) (1 song), Unknown (studio version uses synth for riff; live version played by Nuno Bettencourt, likely with a Washburn N4 or Strat-style guitar) (1 song).
How do I get Rihanna's tone on my amp?
Open any Rihanna song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.