Guitar tone · rock, Indie rock / alternative rock

The Backseat Lovers guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 13 The Backseat Lovers songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, as seen in live photos and typical for the band's era and genre) into Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (likely, based on genre, era, and typical indie/alternative setups; no direct source for exact amp on studio recording).

Guitars The Backseat Lovers used

Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, as seen in live photos and typical for the band's era and genre)1 song
Fender Jazzmaster (exact model unknown, likely American Professional or Classic Player series based on era and band photos)1 song
Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster (likely, based on fan and forum consensus for this era and live photos)1 song
Fender Telecaster (exact model unspecified, but Telecaster confirmed for album era)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American or Mexican Standard based on era and genre conventions)1 song
Fender Mustang (exact model not specified, but confirmed in tutorial video)1 song
Fender Jazzmaster (exact model unknown, but Jazzmaster shape and tone is widely referenced for this song and era)1 song
Unknown (likely Fender-style single coil electric, possibly Fender Stratocaster or Jazzmaster)1 song

Amps The Backseat Lovers used

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (likely, based on genre, era, and typical indie/alternative setups; no direct source for exact amp on studio recording)1 song
Fender Hot Rod DeVille (probable, based on era, genre, and typical indie/alternative setups; no direct source for studio amp)1 song
Fender tube amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Blues Junior based on genre, era, and fan reports)1 song
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe1 song
Unknown tube combo amp (likely Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or similar, no direct source for exact model)1 song
British TM 45 (likely Marshall-style amp, as referenced in TikTok amp settings video)1 song
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (estimated, as Fender combos are most commonly associated with the band's sound and era; no direct source for exact amp on studio recording)1 song
Unknown (likely Fender or Vox combo amp, model not confirmed)1 song

21 The Backseat Lovers tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Kilby Girl · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Jazzmaster (exact model unknown, but Jazzmaster shape and tone is widely referenced for this song and era)	Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (estimated, as Fender combos are most commonly associated with the band's sound and era; no direct source for exact amp on studio recording)	4
Maple Syrup · riff	Riff · distorted	Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster (likely, based on fan and forum consensus for this era and live photos)	Fender tube amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Blues Junior based on genre, era, and fan reports)	4
Kilby Girl · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American or Mexican Standard based on era and genre conventions)	Unknown tube combo amp (likely Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or similar, no direct source for exact model)	4
Dugout · riff	Riff · distorted	Unknown model (likely Fender-style or offset, exact model not confirmed for studio recording of 'Dugout')	Unknown (no confirmed amp model for 'Dugout' studio recording)	4.5
Intro (Live) · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster (exact model unknown, but Telecaster confirmed for live use)	Fender tube amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Fender Twin Reverb based on genre and era)	5.5
Just a Boy · riff	Riff · distorted	Unknown model (no direct source for 'Just a Boy' riff section; likely Fender-style single coil or similar indie/alternative guitar based on genre and band style)	Watkins WEM Dominator MKIII 15-Watt Guitar Amplifier	4.5
Kilby Girl · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, as seen in live photos and typical for the band's era and genre)	Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (likely, based on genre, era, and typical indie/alternative setups; no direct source for exact amp on studio recording)	3
Maple Syrup · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Telecaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, as seen in live/backstage photos from the era)	Fender tube amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Fender Twin Reverb based on genre and community consensus for clean tones)	2.5
Pool House · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Jazzmaster (exact model unknown, likely American Professional or Classic Player series based on era and band photos)	Fender Hot Rod DeVille (probable, based on era, genre, and typical indie/alternative setups; no direct source for studio amp)	4.5
Davy Crochet · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (exact model not confirmed, but Strat-style single coil evident in tone and band’s typical gear)	Fender tube amp (exact model not confirmed, likely Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Fender Twin Reverb based on genre and band’s gear history)	3
Elevator Days · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Jazzmaster (exact model unknown, but Jazzmaster shape and pickups are visually confirmed in multiple live and session photos from the era)	Fender Hot Rod DeVille (probable, based on artist's known studio/live use in this era and visible in live videos, but not explicitly confirmed for this song's studio recording)	4
Intro (Live) · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Telecaster (exact model unknown, but Telecasters are visually confirmed in live performances of this song/era)	Fender Concert Rivera Era Combo (1981-1987)	5
Maple Syrup · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender American Ultra Telecaster	Fender tube amp (exact model unknown, likely Deluxe Reverb or Hot Rod series)	4.5
Out of Tune · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely Squier Strat, as referenced in user and forum sources)	Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (referenced as used on the album in Reddit AMA)	4.5
Pool House · solo	Solo · distorted	Unknown (likely Fender-style single coil electric, possibly Fender Stratocaster or Jazzmaster)	Unknown (likely Fender or Vox combo amp, model not confirmed)	4.5
Pool House · distorted	Distorted · distorted	Fender Jazz Bass	Ampeg SVT‑CL Classic	6.5
Sinking Ship · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Jazzmaster (model not explicitly confirmed, but most commonly used by The Backseat Lovers on studio recordings in this era)	Fender Hot Rod DeVille (model not explicitly confirmed, but consistent with band's live/studio rig and typical indie rock tones of era)	4.5
Sinking Ship (Live) · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely standard or American Professional series based on era and genre)	Fender Princeton Reverb (original issue, 1963-1981; likely reissue or vintage used live)	5.5
Still a Friend · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Mustang (exact model not specified, but confirmed in tutorial video)	British TM 45 (likely Marshall-style amp, as referenced in TikTok amp settings video)	5
Watch Your Mouth · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Telecaster (exact model unspecified, but Telecaster confirmed for album era)	Fender Hot Rod Deluxe	5.5
Watch Your Mouth · riff	Riff · distorted	Unknown (likely Fender-style single coil guitar, model not confirmed for this recording)	Fender Blues Junior III 15W 1x12 Tube Guitar Combo Amp	5

The Backseat Lovers songs on popular amps

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did The Backseat Lovers use?

Across 13 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (likely, based on genre, era, and typical indie/alternative setups; no direct source for exact amp on studio recording) (1 song), Fender Hot Rod DeVille (probable, based on era, genre, and typical indie/alternative setups; no direct source for studio amp) (1 song), Fender tube amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Blues Junior based on genre, era, and fan reports) (1 song), Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (1 song).

What guitar did The Backseat Lovers use?

Most often: Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, as seen in live photos and typical for the band's era and genre) (1 song), Fender Jazzmaster (exact model unknown, likely American Professional or Classic Player series based on era and band photos) (1 song), Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster (likely, based on fan and forum consensus for this era and live photos) (1 song), Fender Telecaster (exact model unspecified, but Telecaster confirmed for album era) (1 song).

How do I get The Backseat Lovers's tone on my amp?

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