Not Fade Away guitar tone

The rig The Rolling Stones used

Researched from interviews, production write-ups and gear histories — not guessed.

Signal chain

The order the original sound was built in. The exact settings get dialled for your own amp or modeller when you generate the tone.

1. 1963 Harmony Meteor H70

   1

   source

   guitar
2. 1962 Vox AC30 Normal Channel

   2

   rhythm crunch

   amp
3. Vox AC30 2x12 Open Back

   3

   rhythm crunch

   cab
4. Neumann U47

   4

   ambience

   mic

Why we think this is right

Recorded in January 1964 at Regent Sound Studios in London, the song's signature R&B grit features Keith Richards playing his 1963 Harmony H1270 acoustic 12-string for the driving Bo Diddley rhythm, while his electric parts were tracked on a 1963 Harmony Meteor H70 plugged straight into Bill Wyman's 1962 Vox AC30. No effects pedals are present on the recording; the raw distortion comes purely from the cranked, small tube amp.

Sources

• iorr.org - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHipJkHCDcUrOawYlt2ZOPrcA3p12sah5zSXqt81uA_-SpgLUjMF8OEa3dicIhN8KPpDC3o_4Poh9ErlogWhKZtGvDqARZwre7TR_36aTvHwFK1-tKfj3RvmE4Cwq3_VsDfhtGvRA==
• guitarworld.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQELe3JM5ViqUn5TcFj61zbGHpE8KAdlloNwpY6q02I45YsvX1EWsjmgJybBM29zrrEs93BcJV-KEUCr7vuLWW8DNZdnUZHq8NPqTuZOd3WxBEmbVqDkBgKn99cxXj1Q5QK9UbxRYYFnOTfEUTy5QH5aAfydVTemBCWSaA==
• billwyman.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQENMFtb3pNgIuze5_05NtxWMyR3AW_eQpu5JyxyDjTqnHyQs33zG8Oz-tyZadHmfvTwj-O2NXHJKlr3_ryHqBz_6aKSL7T3dkJyXpBXB1jpsLtdMIqT6iErqFWKUeGRnTPBGNwFgDxxvH0l_-jI
• reddit.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHztfqcKWF4ByB6zibTI6RoK_MUooeL233vrugmlSLVn9AXZkO8PnOEopQG3C8FqxslN-OmLFSOsuTLflYBmSAYWFU2Ehg4FEx8kIzUV_hVuMCUZuRqwQ6YS2jf01d2Zv3Y62xFwu3FvJUQCtqf8ao1GiV-2TZgpfgSzkXlOEO1qWQ8qaHe8DnYlcBy-jCUcaTtf_jh
• guitarsexchange.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHnMeBLlmoptBzyze72dboaI0U-dkShKs5t0Kx97DYda9AhDqYoJbTZqkVZ3_Sp_8Hu_VX4rzsFasdyqmqdmXhkVTxGMBQmoyyYeDU2P0jxjh5iGbeZcgdBNqvi8LtB70d1BC0MZTZGvDn-zbxBH4E2_H9oYIKyKMJqWskem-Sr9zmtK1iWc_8fmWja-x3upy5Ag_fd
• equipboard.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFh6Y3751ohShEXm4jI587yTZidj9ZNnjrhWLZ4v-1iNQIKoGGJzmay1cYCzHp6ps2qBlxd-u3P6z4qiVYdGu0X1s1TXR4MG-y9JWrmZbRosuUoKdYMl-7eUlLGIog8QYQ=
• youtube.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQESpbtIzL4rVQ9mxMHqQCxHfD_c3LMbmGxwD_6_AJnc17VrLwIkaE7VnHw1kpCj6jfoS5LR_b9rjFVdaDruK_JNXQkzFYehzy-kykJc7rq1R65VIeuFXhdZihdnovFOId2J
• youtube.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGSpxV5ZjwyXMuQHkkdnaUQZYxbOZumxU7CxozGAj0tgYqVKpjQLeNmDasgYZ0_TXsGF43e90XFq0vt1FMGLZk5xbJ7Lkxt5S2fGMT59Upkn-pK8m9ilnG31dt-IqJN0_U=
• rollingstonesdata.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFD4kCMQIkzugRbuRN7RW9POva6UyWedZe14FzI3N0t02vZVMISgZH88Q0j3lH1coOVV20LCWlQ4VyBbDN5EeUQKB4rFgK3t5M0BN1z-709He3lmBhg1gMN9Ttc23ZPcPPl0ZMKrIR4
• mensjournal.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHew1hDxo0kS3S0Ri7f7mcq6ghOEjnierdU7UxBjakP2Xq4UbpCKEmdVoM6MJ231OxLkkqK4MhKxryqYsxY-cGAywjhYHmoqbpazUlih8RbiZAo3kh-_k-IVUZahodgVVlia85__O--HJ-9Oz9di6vPzP6Mt83Mh4MURoqwJV9_RmtIA5Zvq4Kr0a3xi8TKW6Ji_GKfGcub
• Rolling Stones Gear Book by Andy Babiuk & Greg Prevost
• Guitar World Interview with Keith Richards

More example tones

• Beast Of BurdenThe Rolling Stones
• Hand of FateThe Rolling Stones
• OneMetallica
• BatteryMetallica
• Sad But TrueMetallica
• Summer of '69Bryan Adams