Guitar tone · other

The Weeknd guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 9 The Weeknd songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Unknown solidbody electric (exact model not confirmed for studio recording) into Fender Twin Reverb (studio recording, 2014-2015 era, typical for clean R&B/pop tones).

Guitars The Weeknd used

Unknown solidbody electric (exact model not confirmed for studio recording)2 songs
Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely standard or American series, as commonly used for R&B/pop studio sessions in the 2010s)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, as seen in live performances)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely standard or American Professional based on genre and era)1 song
Unknown solidbody electric (exact model not confirmed, likely Fender Stratocaster or similar based on genre/era/recording style)1 song
Unknown electric guitar (exact model not confirmed for studio recording)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (model not confirmed for studio recording, but Strat-type sound is most likely based on genre and era)1 song
Unknown (likely Fender Stratocaster or similar single-coil guitar, based on genre and era)1 song

Amps The Weeknd used

Fender Twin Reverb (studio recording, 2014-2015 era, typical for clean R&B/pop tones)1 song
Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212 (most commonly used live amp for The Weeknd's touring guitarist, but not confirmed for this specific song/solo)1 song
Clean tube combo amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar studio clean amp)1 song
Unknown (no direct source; likely Fender-style clean amp, possibly Fender Princeton or similar based on era and genre)1 song
Unknown (no confirmed amp model for studio recording)1 song
Unknown studio amp (exact model not confirmed, likely clean/edge-of-breakup type)1 song
Unknown (studio amp not confirmed; Orange Crush 12 used in some tutorials, but not on original recording)1 song
Unknown studio amp (no direct source, but likely a clean or edge-of-breakup amp, possibly Fender or similar; Orange Crush 12 used in YouTube cover, but not on studio recording)1 song

12 The Weeknd tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Blinding Lights · riff	Riff · clean	Unknown electric guitar (likely session musician, model not confirmed)	Unknown (likely clean solid-state or digital amp, model not confirmed)	0
Call Out My Name · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely standard or American Professional based on genre and era)	Clean tube combo amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar studio clean amp)	3.5
Call Out My Name · riff	Riff · clean	Unknown electric guitar (exact model not confirmed for studio recording)	Unknown (studio amp not confirmed; Orange Crush 12 used in some tutorials, but not on original recording)	0
Call Out My Name · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (model not confirmed for studio recording, but Strat-type sound is most likely based on genre and era)	Unknown studio amp (no direct source, but likely a clean or edge-of-breakup amp, possibly Fender or similar; Orange Crush 12 used in YouTube cover, but not on studio recording)	3
Earned It · solo	Solo · clean	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely standard or American series, as commonly used for R&B/pop studio sessions in the 2010s)	Fender Twin Reverb (studio recording, 2014-2015 era, typical for clean R&B/pop tones)	0
Save Your Tears · riff	Riff · clean	Unknown (likely Fender Stratocaster or similar single-coil guitar, based on genre and era)	Unknown (likely Fender or Roland JC-120 style clean amp, based on genre and era)	3
Shameless · solo	Solo · clean	Unknown solidbody electric (exact model not confirmed for studio recording)	Unknown (no confirmed amp model for studio recording)	0
Starboy (feat. Daft Punk) · riff	Riff · clean	Unknown (likely session musician or producer guitar; no evidence of specific model used on studio recording)	Unknown (no evidence; likely direct input or amp sim, as is common in modern pop/R&B studio recordings)	0
The Morning · riff	Riff · distorted	Unknown solidbody electric (exact model not confirmed for studio recording)	Unknown studio amp (exact model not confirmed, likely clean/edge-of-breakup type)	3
The Morning · solo	Solo · distorted	Unknown solid-body electric (exact model not confirmed, likely Fender Stratocaster or similar based on tone and era)	Unknown studio amp (exact model not confirmed, likely Fender or clean-voiced amp based on genre and era)	3.5
The Morning (Live) · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, as seen in live performances)	Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212 (most commonly used live amp for The Weeknd's touring guitarist, but not confirmed for this specific song/solo)	4
Wicked Games · riff	Riff · clean	Unknown solidbody electric (exact model not confirmed, likely Fender Stratocaster or similar based on genre/era/recording style)	Unknown (no direct source; likely Fender-style clean amp, possibly Fender Princeton or similar based on era and genre)	2.5

The Weeknd songs on popular amps

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use for these songs on their own amps.

Call Out My Name on Harley Benton HB-10G

Get The Weeknd's tone on your gear

Pick any The Weeknd song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did The Weeknd use?

Across 9 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Twin Reverb (studio recording, 2014-2015 era, typical for clean R&B/pop tones) (1 song), Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212 (most commonly used live amp for The Weeknd's touring guitarist, but not confirmed for this specific song/solo) (1 song), Clean tube combo amp (exact model unknown, likely Fender Twin Reverb or similar studio clean amp) (1 song), Unknown (no direct source; likely Fender-style clean amp, possibly Fender Princeton or similar based on era and genre) (1 song).

What guitar did The Weeknd use?

Most often: Unknown solidbody electric (exact model not confirmed for studio recording) (2 songs), Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely standard or American series, as commonly used for R&B/pop studio sessions in the 2010s) (1 song), Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely American Standard or similar, as seen in live performances) (1 song), Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely standard or American Professional based on genre and era) (1 song).

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

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