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Cocaine Blues Guitar Tone Settings — Billy Strings & Don Julin
Billy Strings & Don Julin · 2010s+ · country
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Preston Thompson dreadnought (mahogany or Brazilian rosewood back and sides, likely mahogany for bluegrass standards)
Pickups
None (acoustic guitar, uses built-in or external microphone/piezo for amplification)
Amp
Fender ’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb
Pickup Position
N/A (acoustic guitar, no pickup selector)
Studio recording for 'Cocaine Blues' (riff section) from the 2013 album 'Rock of Ages' by Billy Strings & Don Julin. Acoustic flatpicking bluegrass duet; likely no electric guitar or magnetic pickups. Amp listed in Premier Guitar is for later electric sets/live, but for this acoustic studio duet, the guitar is likely miked or run through a DI for subtle reinforcement. No evidence of electric guitar or pedal use on this specific recording.
Amp Settings
Mids5.5
Bass4.5
Gain0
Reverb2.5
Treble7
Presence5
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Tone Character
- crisp and articulate
- bright high end
- clear note separation
- warm but present midrange
- tight and percussive attack
- natural acoustic resonance
- dynamic response to picking
- minimal coloration
- no audible effects
- traditional bluegrass flatpicking sound
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No explicit amp or pedal settings for the 'Cocaine Blues' studio recording; settings estimated based on typical acoustic amplification and genre.
- Premier Guitar lists Billy Strings' later electric rig, but 'Cocaine Blues' on 'Rock of Ages' is a traditional acoustic bluegrass duet; no evidence of electric guitar, magnetic pickups, or pedal use on this specific recording.
- Effects and amp settings are inferred for acoustic amplification context; actual recording may be fully miked with no amp or pedals.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Billy Strings plays this riff on a flattop acoustic with a pickup, but for a comparable amp tone: very clean (gain 1), bright and cutting (treble 7, bass 4), forward mids (6), neutral presence (5), and minimal reverb (2) to mimic the dry, articulate bluegrass tone typical for this style and era.