Bass tone · rock
Roy Orbison bass tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 2 Roy Orbison songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Jazzmaster (Wayne Moss, main riff), plus additional guitars layered (Roy Orbison: Epiphone 12-string, Jerry Kennedy: Gibson ES-335 or similar red Gibson) into Gibson amplifier (exact model not specified, likely GA series, as per Wayne Moss interview).
Basss Roy Orbison used
- Fender Jazzmaster (Wayne Moss, main riff), plus additional guitars layered (Roy Orbison: Epiphone 12-string, Jerry Kennedy: Gibson ES-335 or similar red Gibson)1 song
- Fender Precision Bass (likely, but not confirmed)1 song
- Upright Double Bass (Henry Strzelecki, session player)1 song
Amps Roy Orbison used
- Gibson amplifier (exact model not specified, likely GA series, as per Wayne Moss interview)1 song
- Ampeg B-15N Portaflex (likely, era-appropriate studio amp)1 song
- None (direct mic'ing of upright bass, no amp used on original 1964 studio recording)1 song
3 Roy Orbison tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| Oh, Pretty Woman · riff | 3.5 |
| Oh, Pretty Woman · clean | 0 |
| wicked game · clean | 0 |
Roy Orbison songs on popular amps
Exact settings ToneAdapt players use for these songs on their own amps.
Get Roy Orbison's tone on your gear
Pick any Roy Orbison song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own bass, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did Roy Orbison use?
Across 2 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Gibson amplifier (exact model not specified, likely GA series, as per Wayne Moss interview) (1 song), Ampeg B-15N Portaflex (likely, era-appropriate studio amp) (1 song), None (direct mic'ing of upright bass, no amp used on original 1964 studio recording) (1 song).
What bass did Roy Orbison use?
Most often: Fender Jazzmaster (Wayne Moss, main riff), plus additional guitars layered (Roy Orbison: Epiphone 12-string, Jerry Kennedy: Gibson ES-335 or similar red Gibson) (1 song), Fender Precision Bass (likely, but not confirmed) (1 song), Upright Double Bass (Henry Strzelecki, session player) (1 song).
How do I get Roy Orbison's tone on my amp?
Open any Roy Orbison song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own bass, amp, pickups and pedals.