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Lookin' Out My Back Door — Creedence Clearwater Revival1 / 2
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Lookin' Out My Back Door Guitar Tone Settings

Creedence Clearwater Revival · 1970s · country

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
1960s Gibson J-200
Pickups
Piezo or microphone (acoustic, not magnetic electric pickup)
Amp
Kustom K200A-4 (solid-state, 100-watt, with built-in effects)
Pickup Position
N/A (acoustic guitar, mic'd or piezo)

Studio recording, 1970. John Fogerty played a Gibson J-200 acoustic for the main riff. Amp was a Kustom K200A-4, but the J-200 may have been mic'd directly in the studio. No evidence of electric guitar or pedals for the main riff section.

Amp Settings

Mids
6.5
Bass
6
Gain
2.5
Reverb
1.5
Treble
6.5
Presence
5

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Tone Character

  • bright and percussive
  • warm and woody
  • articulate attack
  • clear and natural acoustic tone
  • minimal coloration
  • open and resonant
  • slight midrange emphasis
  • subtle low-end support
  • no audible effects
  • classic country-rock acoustic sound

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No explicit amp or pedal settings for the studio recording found; amp settings estimated based on typical Kustom K200A-4 clean setup and acoustic guitar use.
  • ⚠️No evidence of pedals or electric guitar for the main riff section; all sources point to acoustic J-200.
  • ⚠️Reverb set low as Fogerty stated he did not use the amp's built-in reverb.
  • ⚠️Pickup selector not applicable for acoustic guitar.
  • ⚠️If any electric guitar is present in the mix, it is not the main riff and is not documented in sources.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. John Fogerty's tone on 'Lookin' Out My Back Door' is clean with a touch of breakup, typical of late '60s/early '70s Fender amps (likely a Deluxe Reverb or Princeton), with warm mids, rounded highs, and subtle spring reverb. The settings reflect classic CCR production: edge-of-breakup gain, strong mids, balanced bass/treble, and light reverb.

Sources