Guitar tone · other, jazz
Sade guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 4 Sade songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s-early 1980s, exact model unknown) into Unknown solid-state or clean tube amp (likely Roland JC-120 or Fender Twin Reverb, but not confirmed for this session).
Guitars Sade used
- Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s-early 1980s, exact model unknown)1 song
- Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s-early 1980s, maple neck, rosewood board, SSS configuration)1 song
- Ibanez Musician MC924 (likely, based on Paul S. Denman's known gear and period-correct studio session photos, but not definitively confirmed for this track's riff section)1 song
- Unknown (likely Fender Stratocaster or similar single-coil guitar, based on era and genre, but not confirmed for this recording)1 song
- Music Man StingRay (1978, fretted, 4-string, active electronics)1 song
Amps Sade used
- Unknown solid-state or clean tube amp (likely Roland JC-120 or Fender Twin Reverb, but not confirmed for this session)1 song
- Fender Vibroverb (1964 reissue or original, blackface circuit)1 song
- Fender Vibroverb (1964, likely studio amp for clean tones in this era/genre; no direct source for this session, but period-correct and referenced in similar session contexts)1 song
- Unknown (likely Fender Twin Reverb or Roland Jazz Chorus, based on genre/era, but not confirmed for this recording)1 song
- None (studio DI direct to mixing board; Trace Elliot AH600SMX used live, not on studio recording)1 song
5 Sade tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| Smooth Operator (Single Version) · riff | 0 |
| No Ordinary Love · riff | 0 |
| Smooth Operator · riff | 0 |
| Smooth Operator (Single Version) · clean | 0 |
| The Sweetest Taboo · riff | 0 |
Get Sade's tone on your gear
Pick any Sade song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did Sade use?
Across 4 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Unknown solid-state or clean tube amp (likely Roland JC-120 or Fender Twin Reverb, but not confirmed for this session) (1 song), Fender Vibroverb (1964 reissue or original, blackface circuit) (1 song), Fender Vibroverb (1964, likely studio amp for clean tones in this era/genre; no direct source for this session, but period-correct and referenced in similar session contexts) (1 song), Unknown (likely Fender Twin Reverb or Roland Jazz Chorus, based on genre/era, but not confirmed for this recording) (1 song).
What guitar did Sade use?
Most often: Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s-early 1980s, exact model unknown) (1 song), Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s-early 1980s, maple neck, rosewood board, SSS configuration) (1 song), Ibanez Musician MC924 (likely, based on Paul S. Denman's known gear and period-correct studio session photos, but not definitively confirmed for this track's riff section) (1 song), Unknown (likely Fender Stratocaster or similar single-coil guitar, based on era and genre, but not confirmed for this recording) (1 song).
How do I get Sade's tone on my amp?
Open any Sade song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.