Get this tone on your rig
Tuned to the exact gear you own
The recording
Billy Gibbons recorded the iconic riff and solo on a 1955 Fender Stratocaster with a stop‑tailpiece, using the bridge pickup. The guitar was plugged into a 100‑watt Marshall Super Lead amp that was mated to a 4×12 cabinet loaded with Celestion Greenback speakers, giving a raw tube‑driven overdrive with no pedals. The rhythm guitars were double‑tracked and panned left/right, while the clean intro features a short delayed reverb added in the studio.
Tuning Standard (E A D G B E)
Signal chain
Reported gear
1955 Fender Stratocaster
Guitar
Gibbons used his sunburst 1955 Fender Stratocaster equipped with a stop‑tailpiece, playing the bridge pickup for the riff and solo.
Marshall Super Lead 100
Amp
The Strat fed a 100‑watt Marshall Super Lead amp, delivering the raw overdriven tone heard on the track.
Marshall 4x12 Cabinet (Celestion Greenback)
Cabinet
The amp was paired with a Marshall 4×12 cabinet loaded with Celestion Greenback speakers, providing tight mids and punchy low end.
Alternatives
Fender Player Stratocaster
Modern equivalent · for the 1955 Fender Stratocaster
Marshall 1960A 4x12 Cabinet (Celestion G12M)
Modern equivalent · for the Marshall 4x12 Cabinet (Celestion Greenback)
Marshall 1959 SLP Plexi Super Lead Reissue
Reissue · for the Marshall Super Lead 100
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Select the bridge pickup and keep the guitar’s tone and volume knobs at full.
- 2.Use a heavy pick or a coin for a percussive attack on the strings.
- 3.Drive the Marshall Super Lead to full gain and let the amp’s volume push the tubes into natural overdrive.
- 4.Double‑track the rhythm parts and pan each take hard left and right for width.
- 5.Add a short room reverb to the clean intro if you want the studio ambience.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the La Grange guitar tone?
The available research points to 1955 Fender Stratocaster into Marshall Super Lead 100. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original La Grange 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 La Grange in?
The current research record lists Standard (E A D G B E). ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the La Grange 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.
