Guitar tone · jazz
Wes Montgomery guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 4 Wes Montgomery songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson L-5 CES into Fender Super Reverb (early 1960s blackface, studio recording).
Guitars Wes Montgomery used
- Gibson L-5 CES3 songs
- Gibson L-5 CES (sunburst, Venetian cutaway, 1960s)1 song
- Gibson L-5 CES (sunburst, Venetian cutaway, 1960s model)1 song
Amps Wes Montgomery used
- Fender Super Reverb (early 1960s blackface, studio recording)1 song
- Standel Super Custom XV (solid-state, JBL D-130 speaker, 1965-66 studio recording)1 song
- Fender Super Reverb (blackface, studio recording)1 song
- Standel Super Custom XV (mid-1960s, solid-state, with spring reverb)1 song
- Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, early 1960s studio model, likely no onboard reverb used for this session)1 song
5 Wes Montgomery tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| Four On Six (Remastered 2025) · solo | 0 |
| Airegin (Remastered 2025) · riff | 0 |
| Bumpin' On Sunset · riff | 0 |
| Four On Six (Remastered 2025) · riff | 0 |
| Sunny · riff | 0 |
Get Wes Montgomery's tone on your gear
Pick any Wes Montgomery song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did Wes Montgomery use?
Across 4 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Fender Super Reverb (early 1960s blackface, studio recording) (1 song), Standel Super Custom XV (solid-state, JBL D-130 speaker, 1965-66 studio recording) (1 song), Fender Super Reverb (blackface, studio recording) (1 song), Standel Super Custom XV (mid-1960s, solid-state, with spring reverb) (1 song).
What guitar did Wes Montgomery use?
Most often: Gibson L-5 CES (3 songs), Gibson L-5 CES (sunburst, Venetian cutaway, 1960s) (1 song), Gibson L-5 CES (sunburst, Venetian cutaway, 1960s model) (1 song).
How do I get Wes Montgomery's tone on my amp?
Open any Wes Montgomery song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.