New Kid In Town amp settings
Eagles
Riff guitar tone
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The recording
New Kid in Town was written primarily by J.D. Souther with essential input from Glenn Frey in terms of words, melody, and arrangement, plus a few lyrical contributions from Don Henley. The song was recorded between March and October 1976 at Criteria Studios in Miami and the Record Plant in Los Angeles, produced by Bill Szymczyk. During the sessions, Felder and Walsh worked closely with Szymczyk in the control room, with Felder described as the ultimate technician always a tad on top of the beat. Don Felder played all electric guitars on the track while Glenn Frey handled lead vocals and acoustic rhythm guitar, and Randy Meisner played the guitarrón mexicano. The guitar parts create the song's recognizable character through Felder's layered electric guitar work over Frey's acoustic strumming and the distinctive Mexican-style bass line, wrapped in the Eagles' trademark four-part vocal harmonies that earned a Grammy for Best Vocal Arrangement.
Tuning Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E)
Signal chain · Riff
Original gear
Fender Stratocaster
Guitar · Don Felder · Riff & solo
Don Felder used a Fender Stratocaster for all electric guitar parts on the studio recording of New Kid in Town, covering both the rhythm/riff work and the lead solo lines, as documented in the Eagles Guitars forum thread and confirmed by the official liner notes crediting him with all electric guitars on the track.
Fender amp
Amp · Don Felder · Riff & solo
Don Felder was exclusively a Fender amp user from the 1970s to present, and the forum thread notes he used various Fender amps in the studio during the Hotel California era, but no specific amp model is documented for New Kid in Town.
Takamine F360S
Guitar · Glenn Frey · Riff
Glenn Frey played acoustic rhythm guitar on New Kid in Town per the official liner notes; the Takamine F360S is documented as his live acoustic guitar for the song circa 1977, but no source explicitly confirms this exact model was used in the 1976 studio session.
Alternatives
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Maintain a steady, relaxed rhythm strumming the acoustic pattern to support the laid-back groove.
- 2.Keep electric lead lines clean, precise, and slightly ahead of the beat.
- 3.Blend clean Stratocaster pickup selections with subtle tube compression for the signature 70s West Coast tone.
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the New Kid In Town guitar tone?
The available research points to Fender Stratocaster into Fender amp. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original New Kid In Town 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 New Kid In Town in?
The current research record lists Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E). ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the New Kid In Town 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.
Sources