Guitar tone · punk, Reggae‑infused punk rock

The Clash guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 11 The Clash songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Telecaster (Joe Strummer's 1966 model, heavily modified) into Fender Twin Reverb (1970s silverface, studio recording).

Guitars The Clash used

Fender Telecaster (Joe Strummer's 1966 model, heavily modified)1 song
Fender Telecaster Thinline1 song
Fender Telecaster (likely 1966 model, Joe Strummer's main guitar on 'London Calling')1 song
Fender Telecaster (1970s, likely Joe Strummer's main guitar for debut album sessions)1 song
Fender Telecaster (likely 1970s, used by Mick Jones)1 song
1959 Gibson Les Paul Custom1 song
1970s Gibson Les Paul Standard1 song
Fender Precision Bass (mid‑1970s P‑Bass, white, personalized)1 song

Amps The Clash used

Fender Twin Reverb (1970s silverface, studio recording)1 song
Mesa/Boogie Mark I Combo1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, mid-1970s, likely studio backline for 'London Calling')1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, 1970s studio recording)1 song
Marshall Super Lead 1959 (100-watt head, likely with 4x12 cab)1 song
Marshall Super Lead 19591 song
Mesa/Boogie Mark I 100-watt combo (used as head) into Marshall 4x12 cabinet1 song
Tube bass rig (unspecified)1 song

14 The Clash tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Should I Stay or Should I Go · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster (likely 1970s, used by Mick Jones)	Marshall Super Lead 1959 (100-watt head, likely with 4x12 cab)	4.5
Clampdown · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster (likely 1966 model, Joe Strummer's main guitar on 'London Calling')	Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, mid-1970s, likely studio backline for 'London Calling')	5.5
I Fought the Law · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (late 1970s, likely 1978-79, used by Mick Jones)	Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead (100W, late 1970s, likely used in studio)	6
Should I Stay or Should I Go · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Les Paul Custom (1959, black finish)	Mesa/Boogie Mark I (100-watt combo, used as head into Marshall 4x12 cab)	2.5
Should I Stay or Should I Go (Remastered) · riff	Riff · distorted	1959 Gibson Les Paul Custom	Marshall Super Lead 1959	4.5
Complete Control · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster (Joe Strummer's 1966 model, heavily modified)	Fender Twin Reverb (1970s silverface, studio recording)	5
London Calling · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Esquire (Joe Strummer's original, heavily modified, single-pickup)	Marshall Super Lead 1959 (100-watt head, likely into Marshall 4x12 cabinet)	0
Lost In the Supermarket · riff	Riff · distorted	1970s Gibson Les Paul Standard	Mesa/Boogie Mark I 100-watt combo (used as head) into Marshall 4x12 cabinet	3.5
Protex Blue (Remastered) · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster (1970s, likely Joe Strummer's main guitar for debut album sessions)	Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, 1970s studio recording)	6
Rock the Casbah · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Telecaster (Joe Strummer's heavily modified 1966 model, black finish, maple neck)	Music Man HD-212 150W (used by Joe Strummer for Combat Rock era studio recording)	2.5
Should I Stay or Should I Go · distorted	Distorted · distorted	Fender Precision Bass	Ampeg SVT (likely vintage 1970s-early 80s model)	6
The Guns of Brixton · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Precision Bass (mid‑1970s P‑Bass, white, personalized)	Tube bass rig (unspecified)	0
The Guns of Brixton · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Telecaster	Unknown exact model (likely Fender or Marshall combo, but not confirmed for studio recording)	0
Train In Vain (Stand By Me) · solo	Solo · clean	Fender Telecaster Thinline	Mesa/Boogie Mark I Combo	3

The Clash 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 The Clash use?

Across 11 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Twin Reverb (1970s silverface, studio recording) (1 song), Mesa/Boogie Mark I Combo (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (Blackface, mid-1970s, likely studio backline for 'London Calling') (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, 1970s studio recording) (1 song).

What guitar did The Clash use?

Most often: Fender Telecaster (Joe Strummer's 1966 model, heavily modified) (1 song), Fender Telecaster Thinline (1 song), Fender Telecaster (likely 1966 model, Joe Strummer's main guitar on 'London Calling') (1 song), Fender Telecaster (1970s, likely Joe Strummer's main guitar for debut album sessions) (1 song).

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

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