Guitar tone · rock
The Cars guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 3 The Cars songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson Les Paul Junior (likely vintage, single P-90 pickup) into Ampeg V-4.
Guitars The Cars used
- Gibson Les Paul Junior (likely vintage, single P-90 pickup)1 song
- 1977 Gibson Les Paul Standard (refinished red)1 song
- Fender Lead II (left-handed, likely stock pickups)1 song
- Gibson Les Paul Standard (1970s, likely 1976-77, used by Elliot Easton on debut album)1 song
Amps The Cars used
- Ampeg V-41 song
- Marshall (exact model unknown, likely JMP or similar, as used on debut album sessions)1 song
- Mesa/Boogie Mark I (studio recording, 1981)1 song
- Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s, studio recording)1 song
4 The Cars tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| Just What I Needed · riff | 5.5 |
| Shake It Up · solo | 6 |
| Shake It Up · riff | 5.5 |
| You're All I've Got Tonight · riff | 6.5 |
Get The Cars's tone on your gear
Pick any The Cars song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did The Cars use?
Across 3 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Ampeg V-4 (1 song), Marshall (exact model unknown, likely JMP or similar, as used on debut album sessions) (1 song), Mesa/Boogie Mark I (studio recording, 1981) (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s, studio recording) (1 song).
What guitar did The Cars use?
Most often: Gibson Les Paul Junior (likely vintage, single P-90 pickup) (1 song), 1977 Gibson Les Paul Standard (refinished red) (1 song), Fender Lead II (left-handed, likely stock pickups) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Standard (1970s, likely 1976-77, used by Elliot Easton on debut album) (1 song).
How do I get The Cars's tone on my amp?
Open any The Cars song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.