The Devil Went Down to Georgia

The Charlie Daniels Band

Get this tone on your rig

Tuned to the exact gear you own

Match to your rig

The recording

The track centers on a fiddle duel, but Charlie Daniels and Tom Crain provide a steady country‑rock rhythm on electric guitar. Daniels used a Telecaster set to the bridge pickup and played close to the bridge, feeding a clean Fender Twin Reverb that was run hot enough to add subtle tube grit. The guitar sits just behind the fiddle in the mix, adding punch without overpowering the lead instrument.

Tuning Standard (E A D G B E)

Signal chain

Reported gear

Alternatives

Fender Player Telecaster

Modern equivalent · for the 1965 Fender Telecaster

$600 to $800
thomannreverbamazonebay

Fender '68 Twin Reverb Reissue

Reissue · for the 1968 Fender Twin Reverb

$1,800 to $2,000
thomannreverbamazonebay

Practical playing approach

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

  1. 1.Select the bridge pickup and play close to the bridge for a bright, cutting tone.
  2. 2.Employ hybrid picking (pick plus fingers) to articulate fast country runs.
  3. 3.Set the amp clean and increase the volume to let the tube stage add mild breakup.
  4. 4.Use moderate gain and keep the tone knob slightly rolled off to retain clarity.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What gear was used for the The Devil Went Down to Georgia guitar tone?

The available research points to 1965 Fender Telecaster into 1968 Fender Twin Reverb. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.

Are the original The Devil Went Down to Georgia 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 The Devil Went Down to Georgia 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 The Devil Went Down to Georgia 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.

More Country tones