Guitar tone · rock, pop
The Alan Parsons Project guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 3 The Alan Parsons Project songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Stratocaster (exact year/model unknown, classic non-locking tremolo) into Unknown (likely Fender or Marshall tube amp, typical for era and genre, but not confirmed for this recording).
Guitars The Alan Parsons Project used
- Fender Stratocaster (exact year/model unknown, classic non-locking tremolo)1 song
- Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s-early 1980s, as used by Ian Bairnson on Alan Parsons Project recordings)1 song
- Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s-early 1980s, as used by Ian Bairnson in this era)1 song
- Fender Stratocaster (likely late 1970s or early 1980s, as used by Ian Bairnson on the original recording)1 song
- Peavey T-40 (likely) or similar passive 1970s/80s bass1 song
Amps The Alan Parsons Project used
- Unknown (likely Fender or Marshall tube amp, typical for era and genre, but not confirmed for this recording)1 song
- Marshall 50-watt amplifier (likely JMP or JCM800, as per Bairnson's own statements)1 song
- Marshall amplifier (exact model unknown, likely JMP or JCM800 series typical for early 1980s studio rock recordings)1 song
- Fender Twin Reverb (likely Silverface era, commonly used for clean studio tones in early 1980s)1 song
- Peavey MegaBass (studio rackmount head, likely paired with Peavey 1820 Bass Cabinet)1 song
5 The Alan Parsons Project tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| Eye in the Sky · riff | 3.5 |
| Eye in the Sky · riff | 2.5 |
| Eye in the Sky · clean | 0 |
| Games People Play · solo | 5 |
| Limelight · solo | 5.5 |
Get The Alan Parsons Project's tone on your gear
Pick any The Alan Parsons Project song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did The Alan Parsons Project use?
Across 3 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Unknown (likely Fender or Marshall tube amp, typical for era and genre, but not confirmed for this recording) (1 song), Marshall 50-watt amplifier (likely JMP or JCM800, as per Bairnson's own statements) (1 song), Marshall amplifier (exact model unknown, likely JMP or JCM800 series typical for early 1980s studio rock recordings) (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (likely Silverface era, commonly used for clean studio tones in early 1980s) (1 song).
What guitar did The Alan Parsons Project use?
Most often: Fender Stratocaster (exact year/model unknown, classic non-locking tremolo) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s-early 1980s, as used by Ian Bairnson on Alan Parsons Project recordings) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s-early 1980s, as used by Ian Bairnson in this era) (1 song), Fender Stratocaster (likely late 1970s or early 1980s, as used by Ian Bairnson on the original recording) (1 song).
How do I get The Alan Parsons Project's tone on my amp?
Open any The Alan Parsons Project song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.