That good old rockabilly sound

I have long since given up on my quest to get my amp to sound just like setzers. His amp setting seem to have changed from time to time. Im just striving for a rockabilly amp setting that is as close to real thing as possible. I wondered how everyone else sets their amp for rockabilly? I have a spider drive amplifier and keep it on a punk rock preset. I then cut the overdrive in half, bass on 5, middle on 5, treble on 8-9, then I set my delay in the middle and set it so fast that its pretty much a reverb. I have a tape echo but it doesn't that ripple that i always. This is the best i could do however it lacks a good chunkiness in the bass strings and the distortion vs/ cleanliness just sounds bad at times. Anyone have any suggestions?

Well I'd say just play.
If you feel like you're playing rockabilly, then you sound rockabilly.
I now and then use my Les Paul Classic and Koch Twintone amp and play with the rockabilly band.
I don't think that's used often in rockabilly.
Added with just a bit of echo and I'm half way there.
Sure if you use the same strings/guitars/amp/pedals you come close to Brian's sound.
And when you do people probably will say, great sound, but he ain't Setzer!

I believe if you are one with your guitar, you sound best.
(oh...but please don't play an Ibanez Jem for Rockabilly...haha)


Rock on!

oh heavens no, i do play an ibanez but it's a hollowbody. I call it my poor mans gretsch. I guess im just picky.

forget modelling amps, for a good ol rockabilly sound get a good ol tube amp...or a reissue of a good ol amp. easy, add a echo unit, add some reverb and crank the master volume

Patrick wrote:

Well I'd say just play.
If you feel like you're playing rockabilly, then you sound rockabilly.
I now and then use my Les Paul Classic and Koch Twintone amp and play with the rockabilly band.
I don't think that's used often in rockabilly.
Added with just a bit of echo and I'm half way there.
Sure if you use the same strings/guitars/amp/pedals you come close to Brian's sound.
And when you do people probably will say, great sound, but he ain't Setzer!

I believe if you are one with your guitar, you sound best.
(oh...but please don't play an Ibanez Jem for Rockabilly...haha)


Rock on!

Patrick, you get a beer from me the next time you're in Iowa! Hot Dang, this is what I've preached for years and it seems nobody gets it!
Just play, indeed!
Eddie Lee

sixstringslinger wrote:

forget modelling amps, for a good ol rockabilly sound get a good ol tube amp...or a reissue of a good ol amp. easy, add a echo unit, add some reverb and crank the master volume

S3: my message above applies to your response as well!
Eddie Lee

I just have such a samll practice Amp, but It sound's cool if you turn the highs and lows completely in, and turn that little cube as loud as it can!! Than some Delay, from time to time some tremolo, or distortion, and you've got what you need!

Patrick wrote:

Well I'd say just play.
If you feel like you're playing rockabilly, then you sound rockabilly.
I now and then use my Les Paul Classic and Koch Twintone amp and play with the rockabilly band.
I don't think that's used often in rockabilly.
Added with just a bit of echo and I'm half way there.
Sure if you use the same strings/guitars/amp/pedals you come close to Brian's sound.
And when you do people probably will say, great sound, but he ain't Setzer!

I believe if you are one with your guitar, you sound best.
(oh...but please don't play an Ibanez Jem for Rockabilly...haha)


Rock on!

I agree with you!

I play different guitar models. (mostly my Gretsch models, of course! , ) But i also like to use Guitar models that are not used very often in Rockabilly.
(Flying V with bigsby and P-90s ,Squier Cyclone for example)
They are cheap (about the price not about the quality) clones of its high priced originals.If the guitar setup is done correctly, (nut work, string height,pickup height, bridge, intonation etc.) they will play really great.
I prefer to use single coil pickups and (humbuckers with low output) to get a twangy sparkle sound for Rockabilly.
I change all the plastic nuts(tone killer imho) against metal nuts to get a more twangy tone(similar to some Gretsch models with zero fret).
I use different amps like Fenders, Peaveys, Vox and they are not all tube amps.
The main thing imho is to understand the fingerpicking-style.It is very important for Rockabilly playing.(....and sounds unique, too , )
The second thing is to spend time with delay settings.
For example: everybody knows Scottys mystery train lick. It works well if the delay is set correctly.(one repeat, speed ,and mix/volume between original tone and delay tone.the delayed tone should be a little bit louder than the original one imho.(some delays features a bass and treble knob to control the delayed tone,-like the Boss RE-20)
But if you play slower or faster the delay sound can be sound "crazy" with this setting.(some Cliff Gallup licks , Cruisin´ , up a lazy river for example.)
Than you have to ajust the delay setting a little bit. (delay speed).
That works great for me. I´ve listened to many 50s stuff like Elvis, Gene Vincent, ,Johnny Powers,Johnny Horton just to name a few.They are all had their different unique delay sounds.Feel free.just listen to it and play.
You can get a good rockabilly sound from any amp that works .(i play a small Vox Pathfinder 10 for practice.)
to get a more tuby sound i use a Digitech Bad Monkey.It is an affordable stomp box and sounds great.
I don´t have any experiences with modeling amps. I don´t know much about presets and stuff.
I like to keep things simple.my fingers, a guitar, an oberdrive box , a delay-box then plug into any amp ,feel free , thats it.

Rock on!

Greetz, Tommi

I agree with the folks above. THe biggest thing is, and ask yourself truthfully, is: Are you Rockabilly? Than thats all that matters. If you are after a certain look then save your money and get what you want. In the end you'll appreciate it more and will likely hang on to that. Take it from me, who has had over 100 guitars in my life, and about 40 different amps.

If you don't know what you want, then take your time and go to as many stores as you can and just play things. If you found your "go to guitar" then take it with you when trying out amps. Most shops know you are after tone and not the latest "craze."

In my opinion, get what you want. You'll spend twice as much trying to fill that void and most likely finally bite the bullet and fill it.
Gretsches aren't for everyone, nor are Les Pauls, Strats and so on.

Be yourself, Be what you are, and only you know what it is you are. Go after you man, its the best way to be true to your music and stuff.
Like a lonely wolf.... on the prowl tonight.

Those boys we love from the Rockabilly era were all "rebels" but truthfully, they broke the framework and now look at us? All from being true to themselves

I'll take your guys advice and just let the rockabilly come through. I am rockabilly because i don't know a single song on the guitar that isn't rockabilly, and I never take my amp anywhere but my own custom rockabilly setting. It's not perfect, but good rockabilly never is.

Ponczek007 wrote:

I'll take your guys advice and just let the rockabilly come through. I am rockabilly because i don't know a single song on the guitar that isn't rockabilly, and I never take my amp anywhere but my own custom rockabilly setting. It's not perfect, but good rockabilly never is.

And when it's not perfect, man, it becomes your very own!
Epiphanies are a joyfull thing.
Eddie Lee

[quote="Eddie Lee"]

Patrick wrote:

Well I'd say just play.
If you feel like you're playing rockabilly, then you sound rockabilly.
I now and then use my Les Paul Classic and Koch Twintone amp and play with the rockabilly band.
I don't think that's used often in rockabilly.
Added with just a bit of echo and I'm half way there.
Sure if you use the same strings/guitars/amp/pedals you come close to Brian's sound.
And when you do people probably will say, great sound, but he ain't Setzer!

I believe if you are one with your guitar, you sound best.
(oh...but please don't play an Ibanez Jem for Rockabilly...haha)


Rock on!

I read an interesting thing once on This website. The stray cats were the opening act for Stevie ray vaughn and Double trouble. Brain was asked to come up and play a song on Stevies gear and was surprised that he sounded almost exactly like he did playing thru his own gear. Goes to show you that its really in your hands first and foremost. Guitars are hammers man just depends on whos swinging em.

at the time(1950s) just playing electric made you rebel or rockabilly.

I have to agree with sixstring. After playing solid state amps for a few years and then getting a tube amp, there is no comparison in tone. A solid state amp IMO can't give you the warmth you are looking for in the rockabilly bass end.
More importantly, Also from what HOTRODTODD refers to Setzer as stating the sound really coming from YOUR hands. I have found this to be very true in my own experience.

Ponczek007 wrote:

I have long since given up on my quest to get my amp to sound just like setzers. His amp setting seem to have changed from time to time. Im just striving for a rockabilly amp setting that is as close to real thing as possible. I wondered how everyone else sets their amp for rockabilly? I have a spider drive amplifier and keep it on a punk rock preset. I then cut the overdrive in half, bass on 5, middle on 5, treble on 8-9, then I set my delay in the middle and set it so fast that its pretty much a reverb. I have a tape echo but it doesn't that ripple that i always. This is the best i could do however it lacks a good chunkiness in the bass strings and the distortion vs/ cleanliness just sounds bad at times. Anyone have any suggestions?

Words by Brian 1983.

For the best sound you should use a tube amp, Whether its old or new. i usually turn the presence up full on my old bassman, and the volume to abaut 4 or 5 to the point where it´s about to distort but hasn´t quite.
It´s so low, as a matter of fact , I could play it in my bedroom and it would be fine. I usually pot the bass around 1/2, and the treble up to about 8.
Thats a comfortable setting for me. I set the eco for one repeat, almost directly after the original note-bop,bop. Its pretty tight . Then i just plug in and go.

Now you just need brians vintage fingers and you home / sidelakebob.

Hotrodtodd wrote:

I read an interesting thing once on This website. The stray cats were the opening act for Stevie ray vaughn and Double trouble. Brain was asked to come up and play a song on Stevies gear and was surprised that he sounded almost exactly like he did playing thru his own gear. Goes to show you that its really in your hands first and foremost. Guitars are hammers man just depends on whos swinging em.

Yeah that's right!
If I'd play Brian's guitars and amp, it would still sound like poor old Patrick..

I gave up some years ago pretending to be Brian...
I play guitar for 30 years now and have been a fan since Runaway Boys.
As I got older I also noticed he was musically waaaaay ahead of me. So I have to find a way to make my own Rockabilly bit.
And thank God I get some good replies on youtube every now and then.

Just like the man himself said in an interview.
"Stick to your guns".
That's what we all should do.
There's always someone around who likes your playing and sound.
Man, even Brian could learn something new, or at least like some of the things we all do on guitar.

(..yeah right....probably not)