Guitar tone · rock
The Doobie Brothers guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 4 The Doobie Brothers songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: 1972 Fender Stratocaster into Fender Vibroverb (blackface, 1960s era).
Guitars The Doobie Brothers used
- 1972 Fender Stratocaster1 song
- 1971 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe1 song
- 1970s Gibson ES-335 (Tom Johnston's main guitar on studio recording)1 song
- Gibson SG (early 1970s, Tom Johnston's main studio guitar)1 song
- Fender Stratocaster (likely early 1970s, possibly stock or custom, as per era and visual evidence)1 song
Amps The Doobie Brothers used
- Fender Vibroverb (blackface, 1960s era)1 song
- Fender Vibroverb (blackface, likely 1964 model, cranked for overdrive)1 song
- Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, studio recording)1 song
- Fender Twin Reverb (likely studio amp for clean tone, era-correct and widely cited for Doobie Brothers clean tones)1 song
- Fender Vibrolux Reverb (most likely, based on era, genre, and typical Doobie Brothers studio gear; no direct source confirmation for this song, but solid-state amp also suggested in forums)1 song
5 The Doobie Brothers tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| China Grove · riff | 6.5 |
| Long Train Runnin' (2016 Remastered) · riff | 4.5 |
| Listen to the Music · riff | 3.5 |
| Long Train Runnin' · riff | 0 |
| Long Train Runnin' · riff | 3.5 |
The Doobie Brothers songs on popular amps
Exact settings ToneAdapt players use for these songs on their own amps.
Get The Doobie Brothers's tone on your gear
Pick any The Doobie Brothers song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did The Doobie Brothers use?
Across 4 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Vibroverb (blackface, 1960s era) (1 song), Fender Vibroverb (blackface, likely 1964 model, cranked for overdrive) (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, studio recording) (1 song), Fender Twin Reverb (likely studio amp for clean tone, era-correct and widely cited for Doobie Brothers clean tones) (1 song).
What guitar did The Doobie Brothers use?
Most often: 1972 Fender Stratocaster (1 song), 1971 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe (1 song), 1970s Gibson ES-335 (Tom Johnston's main guitar on studio recording) (1 song), Gibson SG (early 1970s, Tom Johnston's main studio guitar) (1 song).
How do I get The Doobie Brothers's tone on my amp?
Open any The Doobie Brothers song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.