Guitar tone · rock

Tesla guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 5 Tesla songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson Les Paul Standard (late 1970s/early 1980s, likely tobacco burst, as used by Frank Hannon on 'Love Song') into Hiwatt Custom 100 (DR103) head with matching Hiwatt 4x12 cabinet.

Guitars Tesla used

Gibson Les Paul Standard (late 1970s/early 1980s, likely tobacco burst, as used by Frank Hannon on 'Love Song')1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s/80s, used by Frank Hannon on early Tesla recordings)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s, used by Frank Hannon for solos)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s, possibly Slash Appetite model as per Equipboard)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s model, possibly Slash Appetite or similar, as used by Frank Hannon)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s, Frank Hannon's main studio guitar for this era)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (1980s, likely used by Frank Hannon or Tommy Skeoch)1 song

Amps Tesla used

Hiwatt Custom 100 (DR103) head with matching Hiwatt 4x12 cabinet1 song
Marshall JCM800 (most probable for 1986 Tesla studio rhythm tones, based on era and genre, no direct source for this song's session but consistent with band/era)1 song
Marshall JCM2000 Dual Super Lead1 song
Randall RGT 100 HT1 song
Randall RGT 100 HT or Hiwatt Custom 100 Amplifier Head (studio recording, likely Randall for main riff)1 song
Marshall JCM800 (likely 2203 or 2204, standard for Tesla's 1980s studio recordings)1 song
Marshall JCM800 2203 (most likely, based on era, genre, and band interviews for Mechanical Resonance)1 song

7 Tesla tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Love Song · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s, possibly Slash Appetite model as per Equipboard)	Randall RGT 100 HT	5.5
Love Song · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Les Paul Standard (late 1970s/early 1980s, likely tobacco burst, as used by Frank Hannon on 'Love Song')	Hiwatt Custom 100 (DR103) head with matching Hiwatt 4x12 cabinet	4
Love Song · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s, used by Frank Hannon for solos)	Marshall JCM2000 Dual Super Lead	7
Modern Day Cowboy · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (1980s, likely used by Frank Hannon or Tommy Skeoch)	Marshall JCM800 2203 (most likely, based on era, genre, and band interviews for Mechanical Resonance)	7
Rock Me to the Top · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s/80s, used by Frank Hannon on early Tesla recordings)	Marshall JCM800 (most probable for 1986 Tesla studio rhythm tones, based on era and genre, no direct source for this song's session but consistent with band/era)	7
The Way It Is · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s, Frank Hannon's main studio guitar for this era)	Marshall JCM800 (likely 2203 or 2204, standard for Tesla's 1980s studio recordings)	6
What You Give · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s model, possibly Slash Appetite or similar, as used by Frank Hannon)	Randall RGT 100 HT or Hiwatt Custom 100 Amplifier Head (studio recording, likely Randall for main riff)	4.5

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Tesla use?

Across 5 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Hiwatt Custom 100 (DR103) head with matching Hiwatt 4x12 cabinet (1 song), Marshall JCM800 (most probable for 1986 Tesla studio rhythm tones, based on era and genre, no direct source for this song's session but consistent with band/era) (1 song), Marshall JCM2000 Dual Super Lead (1 song), Randall RGT 100 HT (1 song).

What guitar did Tesla use?

Most often: Gibson Les Paul Standard (late 1970s/early 1980s, likely tobacco burst, as used by Frank Hannon on 'Love Song') (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s/80s, used by Frank Hannon on early Tesla recordings) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s, used by Frank Hannon for solos) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1980s, possibly Slash Appetite model as per Equipboard) (1 song).

How do I get Tesla's tone on my amp?

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