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The recording
The song was produced by Ryan Tedder and Noel Zancanella for the album 'Native'. The guitar parts, performed by Zach Filkins and Drew Brown (often acoustic-led), rely on a clean, consistent, and compressed acoustic signal recorded directly in the studio. The production is characterized by a hybrid approach, layering organic acoustic guitar riffs with modern electronic percussion, creating a pop-folk fusion sound that defines the track.
Tuning Standard
Signal chain
Original gear
Various (High-end Studio Acoustic) Steel String Acoustic
Guitar · Riff
Used a professional acoustic guitar with a bright, balanced frequency response for studio tracking.
Dunlop/Generic Capo
Pedal · Riff
Placed on the 4th fret to play standard Am shapes (Am-C-G-F) while sounding in the key of C#m.
Avalon / Neve (Preamp/DI) Studio DI Chain
Amp · Riff
Signal was recorded through a high-quality studio DI or preamp rather than a traditional guitar amplifier.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Counting Stars guitar tone?
The available research points to Various (High-end Studio Acoustic) Steel String Acoustic into Avalon / Neve (Preamp/DI) Studio DI Chain. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Counting Stars amp settings documented?
Exact historical knob positions are not reliably documented for most recordings. ToneTwin does not publish generated values as studio fact; it creates playable settings only for the amp and pedals a player selects.
What tuning is Counting Stars in?
The current research record lists Standard. ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Counting Stars tone on my own gear?
Use the reported pickup, gain character, effects and signal-chain order as the target, then translate that target to your equipment. The matcher models controls for your selected rig rather than copying undocumented studio numbers.
Researched and reviewed by the ToneTwin Research Team.
