What tuning is Steady, As She Goes in?

The research record lists the tuning as Standard. Check the cited evidence and correction note if the recording has competing published accounts.

How can I recreate the Steady, As She Goes tone on my own amp?

Start from the reported guitar, pickup, gain character, effects and signal-chain order, then translate that target to your own equipment. ToneTwin models the controls for the amp and pedals you actually choose.

Steady, As She Goes

Q: What gear was used for the Steady, As She Goes guitar tone?

The available research points to Gretsch Triple Jet into Fender Twin Reverb. See the full signal chain and individual evidence notes on this page.

The Raconteurs

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The recording

Recorded at Le Grande Studios in Detroit, Michigan, Jack White tracked the rhythm guitar on a 1958 Airline Town & Country using the bridge pickup. The signal ran straight into a vintage Marshall JTM45 head paired with a 1960 4×12 cabinet, giving the song its punchy mid‑range crunch. The part was double‑tracked and panned left/right for width.

Signal chain

Reported gear

1958 Airline Town & Country

Guitar

According to Uncut’s making‑of article, White played the main riff on a 1958 Airline Town & Country, the same guitar seen in the video, providing the track’s raw single‑coil bite.

Marshall JTM45 (circa 1965)

Amp

White drove the guitar into a vintage Marshall JTM45 tube head, cranked to achieve natural overdrive without additional distortion pedals.

Marshall 1960 4x12 Cabinet

Cabinet

The JTM45 was paired with a classic 1960 Marshall 4×12 speaker cabinet, delivering the thick, mid‑range push heard on the track.

Alternatives

Gretsch G6136 Jet

Modern equivalent · for the 1958 Airline Town & Country

$600 to $800

Marshall 1960 4x12 Cabinet (reissue)

Still made · for the Marshall 1960 4x12 Cabinet

$1,200 to $1,600

Marshall JTM45 Reissue (2020)

Reissue · for the Marshall JTM45 (circa 1965)

$2,300 to $2,800

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1.Select the bridge pickup for maximum bite.
2.Play the riff with a tight, staccato attack, letting the strings ring briefly.
3.Crank the amp’s volume to achieve natural tube saturation while keeping the gain low.
4.Double‑track the rhythm part and pan each take hard left/right for a wider stereo image.
5.Apply a light amount of compression to tighten the dynamics.

Sources

The Making Of… The Raconteurs’ Steady As She Goes - Uncut Gear/The Raconteurs - Stripespedia Broken Boy Soldiers – MusicBrainz The Raconteurs: Steady, As She Goes – AllMusic

Frequently asked questions

What gear was used for the Steady, As She Goes guitar tone?

The available research points to 1958 Airline Town & Country into Marshall JTM45 (circa 1965). The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.

Are the original Steady, As She Goes 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.

How do I recreate the Steady, As She Goes 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.