Guitar tone · rock, other

The Isley Brothers guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 6 The Isley Brothers songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: 1971 Fender Stratocaster with rosewood fretboard and vibrato tailpiece into Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, early 1970s studio recording).

Guitars The Isley Brothers used

1971 Fender Stratocaster with rosewood fretboard and vibrato tailpiece3 songs
Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 1970s, likely black finish)1 song
1970s Fender Stratocaster1 song
1970s Fender Stratocaster (likely maple neck, as used by Ernie Isley in this era)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s, maple neck, as used by Ernie Isley in this era)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (early 1970s, likely stock single coils)1 song

Amps The Isley Brothers used

Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, early 1970s studio recording)1 song
1970-73 Fender Twin Reverb1 song
Unknown model (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar clean amp, as typical for Isley Brothers' studio recordings in early 1980s)1 song
c. 1970-73 Fender Twin Reverb (Vibrato Channel 1, Bright: On, unknown pair of 12-inch speakers)1 song
c. 1970-73 Fender Twin Reverb (likely 5E8 Narrow Panel Tweed or Silverface variant)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, studio recording)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (early 1970s silverface, studio recording)1 song
Early 1970s Fender Twin Reverb with unknown pair of 12-inch speakers1 song

8 The Isley Brothers tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Between the Sheets · riff	Riff · distorted	1970s Fender Stratocaster (likely maple neck, as used by Ernie Isley in this era)	Unknown model (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar clean amp, as typical for Isley Brothers' studio recordings in early 1980s)	3.5
Footsteps In the Dark, Pts. 1 & 2 · riff	Riff · clean	1970s Fender Stratocaster	1970-73 Fender Twin Reverb	4
Make Me Say It Again Girl, Pts. 1 & 2 · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 1970s, likely black finish)	Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, early 1970s studio recording)	0
Summer Breeze · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s, maple neck, as used by Ernie Isley in this era)	Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, studio recording)	3.5
Summer Breeze · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (early 1970s, likely stock single coils)	Fender Twin Reverb (early 1970s silverface, studio recording)	0
That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2 · solo	Solo · distorted	1971 Fender Stratocaster with rosewood fretboard and vibrato tailpiece	c. 1970-73 Fender Twin Reverb (Vibrato Channel 1, Bright: On, unknown pair of 12-inch speakers)	5
That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2 · riff	Riff · distorted	1971 Fender Stratocaster with rosewood fretboard and vibrato tailpiece	Early 1970s Fender Twin Reverb with unknown pair of 12-inch speakers	5.5
Voyage to Atlantis · solo	Solo · distorted	1971 Fender Stratocaster with rosewood fretboard and vibrato tailpiece	c. 1970-73 Fender Twin Reverb (likely 5E8 Narrow Panel Tweed or Silverface variant)	4

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did The Isley Brothers use?

Across 6 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Twin Reverb (silverface, early 1970s studio recording) (1 song), 1970-73 Fender Twin Reverb (1 song), Unknown model (likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar clean amp, as typical for Isley Brothers' studio recordings in early 1980s) (1 song), c. 1970-73 Fender Twin Reverb (Vibrato Channel 1, Bright: On, unknown pair of 12-inch speakers) (1 song).

What guitar did The Isley Brothers use?

Most often: 1971 Fender Stratocaster with rosewood fretboard and vibrato tailpiece (3 songs), Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 1970s, likely black finish) (1 song), 1970s Fender Stratocaster (1 song), 1970s Fender Stratocaster (likely maple neck, as used by Ernie Isley in this era) (1 song).

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

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