Guitar tone · rock, jazz

Steely Dan guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 12 Steely Dan songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson ES-335 into Fender 'Wide Panel Tweed' Deluxe 5C3 (1953-1955).

Guitars Steely Dan used

Gibson ES-3353 songs
Gibson 1968 ES-3352 songs
1963 Fender Stratocaster2 songs
1971 Gibson ES-3352 songs
Fender Stratocaster (likely early 60s, possibly with humbucker in neck position)1 song
1963 Fender Stratocaster (modded with Gibson PAF humbucker in neck position)1 song
1970s Fender Stratocaster (likely, Denny Dias or Elliott Randall session guitar)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (early 1970s, likely stock single coils)1 song

Amps Steely Dan used

Fender 'Wide Panel Tweed' Deluxe 5C3 (1953-1955)2 songs
Fender Deluxe Reverb (likely), or similar clean Fender combo amp1 song
Ampeg SVT 'Blue Line' (400W bass amp, 8x10 cab, miked with AKG 414)1 song
Fender Deluxe Reverb (likely, based on Steely Dan session standards of the 1970s)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, studio recording)1 song
Fender Tweed Champ (likely 1950s-60s, studio recording)1 song
Fender 5E3 Tweed Deluxe1 song
Rivera Rake Head (custom, Jay Graydon's personal amp for 'Peg' solo)1 song

20 Steely Dan tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Reelin' In The Years · solo	Solo · distorted	1963 Fender Stratocaster (modded with Gibson PAF humbucker in neck position)	Ampeg SVT 'Blue Line' (400W bass amp, 8x10 cab, miked with AKG 414)	5.5
Reelin' In The Years · riff	Riff · distorted	1963 Fender Stratocaster	Ampeg SVT (early 1970s, 300-watt tube bass amp, used for guitar in studio)	5.5
Kid Charlemagne (2025 Remaster) · solo	Solo · distorted	1971 Gibson ES-335	Fender Princeton Reverb (blackface, early 1970s)	4.5
Bad Sneakers · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson ES-335 (likely 1970s model, Larry Carlton session guitar)	Fender Deluxe Reverb (blackface, studio recording)	3.5
Deacon Blues · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (1965, with PAF humbucker in neck position)	Ampeg SVT (bass amp, mic’d with AKG 414)	0
Dirty Work · riff	Riff · clean	1963 Fender Stratocaster (retrofitted with 1960s Gibson PAF humbucker in neck position)	Ampeg SVT bass amp	0
Do It Again · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster	Fender Twin Reverb	2
Do It Again · solo	Solo · distorted	Coral Vincent Bell Electric Sitar (rental unit)	Unknown (not specified in any source; likely a clean studio amp typical of early 1970s sessions, possibly Fender Twin Reverb or similar)	3
Don't Take Me Alive · solo	Solo · clean	Gibson 1968 ES-335	Fender 'Wide Panel Tweed' Deluxe 5C3 (1953-1955)	0
Don't Take Me Alive · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson 1968 ES-335	Fender 'Wide Panel Tweed' Deluxe 5C3 (1953-1955)	5
Don't Take Me Alive (2025 Remaster) · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson ES-335	Fender 5E3 Tweed Deluxe	6.5
Green Earrings (2025 Remaster) · solo	Solo · distorted	1970s Fender Stratocaster (likely, Denny Dias or Elliott Randall session guitar)	Fender Deluxe Reverb (likely, based on Steely Dan session standards of the 1970s)	4
Kid Charlemagne · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson ES-335	Fender Tweed Deluxe (5E3)	5.5
Kid Charlemagne · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson ES-335	Fender Tweed Deluxe (5E3, late 1950s)	5
Kid Charlemagne (2025 Remaster) · riff	Riff · distorted	1971 Gibson ES-335	Fender 5e3 Tweed Deluxe	4
Only A Fool Would Say That · solo	Solo · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely early 60s, possibly with humbucker in neck position)	Fender Deluxe Reverb (likely), or similar clean Fender combo amp	0
Only A Fool Would Say That · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (early 1970s, likely stock single coils)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or silverface, studio recording)	0
Peg · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson ES-335 (likely 1963, red finish)	Fender Tweed Champ (likely 1950s-60s, studio recording)	0
Peg · solo	Solo · distorted	1970s Gibson ES-335	Rivera Rake Head (custom, Jay Graydon's personal amp for 'Peg' solo)	4.5
Reelin' In The Years · riff	Riff · clean	1963 Fender Stratocaster	Ampeg SVT (studio recording, used as a guitar amp for this session)	2

Steely Dan 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 Steely Dan use?

Across 12 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender 'Wide Panel Tweed' Deluxe 5C3 (1953-1955) (2 songs), Fender Deluxe Reverb (likely), or similar clean Fender combo amp (1 song), Ampeg SVT 'Blue Line' (400W bass amp, 8x10 cab, miked with AKG 414) (1 song), Fender Deluxe Reverb (likely, based on Steely Dan session standards of the 1970s) (1 song).

What guitar did Steely Dan use?

Most often: Gibson ES-335 (3 songs), Gibson 1968 ES-335 (2 songs), 1963 Fender Stratocaster (2 songs), 1971 Gibson ES-335 (2 songs).

How do I get Steely Dan's tone on my amp?

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