Guitar tone · other, rock
The Commodores guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 2 The Commodores songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson ES-335 (estimated, based on era, genre, and typical funk/R&B studio gear of late 1970s Motown sessions; no direct source confirmation for this specific recording) into Fender Twin Reverb (estimated, as this was a common studio amp for funk/R&B in the late 1970s Motown sessions; no direct source confirmation).
Guitars The Commodores used
- Gibson ES-335 (estimated, based on era, genre, and typical funk/R&B studio gear of late 1970s Motown sessions; no direct source confirmation for this specific recording)1 song
- Gibson ES-335 (likely, as used by Thomas McClary in this era, but not 100% confirmed for this session)1 song
- Gibson ES-335 (likely, based on era, genre, and typical session gear for Thomas McClary; no direct source confirmation for this song's studio recording)1 song
Amps The Commodores used
- Fender Twin Reverb (estimated, as this was a common studio amp for funk/R&B in the late 1970s Motown sessions; no direct source confirmation)1 song
- Direct to mixing board/mic preamp (no guitar amp used for solo, according to consensus from multiple sources)1 song
- Fender Twin Reverb (likely, based on Motown/funk studio standards of the 1970s; no direct source confirmation for this song's studio recording)1 song
3 The Commodores tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| Brick House · riff | 0 |
| Brick House · riff | 3 |
| Easy · solo | 5.5 |
Get The Commodores's tone on your gear
Pick any The Commodores song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did The Commodores use?
Across 2 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Twin Reverb (estimated, as this was a common studio amp for funk/R&B in the late 1970s Motown sessions; no direct source confirmation) (1 song), Direct to mixing board/mic preamp (no guitar amp used for solo, according to consensus from multiple sources) (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (likely, based on Motown/funk studio standards of the 1970s; no direct source confirmation for this song's studio recording) (1 song).
What guitar did The Commodores use?
Most often: Gibson ES-335 (estimated, based on era, genre, and typical funk/R&B studio gear of late 1970s Motown sessions; no direct source confirmation for this specific recording) (1 song), Gibson ES-335 (likely, as used by Thomas McClary in this era, but not 100% confirmed for this session) (1 song), Gibson ES-335 (likely, based on era, genre, and typical session gear for Thomas McClary; no direct source confirmation for this song's studio recording) (1 song).
How do I get The Commodores's tone on my amp?
Open any The Commodores song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.