GuitarCleanSolo80% confidence
Earned It Solo Guitar Tone Settings — The Weeknd
The Weeknd · 2010s+ · other
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (exact model unknown, likely standard or American series, as commonly used for R&B/pop studio sessions in the 2010s)
Pickups
Single-coil (Fender stock or similar, likely neck or neck+middle for solo tone)
Amp
Fender Twin Reverb (studio recording, 2014-2015 era, typical for clean R&B/pop tones)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording (not live); 2014-2015; no direct evidence of alternate guitar/amp for solo; no evidence of pedalboard use in studio for this track.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain0
Reverb5
Treble6.5
Presence5
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Tone Character
- warm and smooth
- glassy highs
- rounded attack
- clear note separation
- ambient reverb tail
- mellow and expressive
- touch-sensitive
- singing sustain
- no harshness
- slightly compressed
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No direct source confirms the exact guitar, amp, or pedal models/settings for the 'Earned It' solo studio recording.
- Gear and settings are estimated based on genre, era, and typical R&B/pop studio practices, as well as the audible tone in the solo.
- No evidence of pedal use or specific effects other than reverb in the solo section; no chorus, delay, or modulation is clearly audible.
- Live rig info is not applicable to the studio recording; all gear listed is inferred for the studio version.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The solo guitar tone in 'Earned It' is clean with a hint of breakup, warm and mid-forward, with lush reverb typical of R&B ballads. The Weeknd's production favors smooth, vintage-inspired tones with balanced EQ and moderate ambience, likely achieved with a Fender-style amp and added studio reverb.