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Dan Auerbach has built one of the most recognizable guitar sounds in modern rock through his carefully curated collection of vintage instruments and thoughtfully designed signal chain. As the guitarist and producer for The Black Keys, his tone combines gritty blues-rock distortion with warm, hollow-body richness that has influenced countless musicians seeking that perfect balance between vintage authenticity and contemporary power.
Dan Auerbach is the guitarist and vocalist for The Black Keys, known for his vintage guitar collection and distinctive blues-rock tone. His approach centers around P90-equipped hollow-body guitars from the 1950s and 60s, pushed through a carefully selected trio of tube amplifiers, with strategic use of fuzz and octave effects to create his signature sound that bridges vintage blues with modern rock sensibilities.
What makes Auerbach’s gear choices particularly fascinating is how he combines relatively affordable vintage instruments with high-end amplification and effects to create a tone that’s both distinctive and achievable for dedicated players. Throughout his career, he’s remained loyal to specific models while constantly refining his setup, resulting in a sound that’s evolved from raw garage blues to polished stadium rock without losing its essential character.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore every aspect of Dan Auerbach’s guitar rig, from his prized Harmony and Guild instruments to his custom amplifier configurations and signature pedalboard setup. We’ll also examine how his gear has evolved across different albums, provide insights into achieving similar tones with budget-friendly alternatives, and decode the signal chain that makes his sound so instantly recognizable.
The foundation of Auerbach’s tone comes from his impressive collection of vintage guitars, primarily hollow-body and semi-hollow instruments from the 1950s and 1960s. Unlike many guitarists who chase expensive collector pieces, Auerbach has always gravitated toward working-class instruments that were originally affordable but have aged into tonal treasures. His guitar choices reflect both practical considerations and a deep appreciation for the unique character that comes from decades of wood aging and pickup development.
The Harmony H78 stands as Auerbach’s most frequently used guitar, particularly during the Brothers era and for many of The Black Keys’ biggest hits. This late 1950s hollow-body guitar features distinctive DeArmond gold foil pickups that deliver the perfect balance of warmth and grit needed for Auerbach’s style. The H78’s fully hollow construction contributes to its resonant, almost acoustic quality when played clean, while the gold foil pickups compress naturally when pushed, creating the singing sustain heard on songs like “Howlin’ For You” and “Lonely Boy.”
What makes the H78 special for Auerbach’s playing style is its lightweight construction and comfortable neck profile, allowing for extended playing sessions during both recording sessions and live performances. The guitar’s inherent tendency toward feedback at high volumes actually becomes part of his sound, with controlled microphonics adding an element of unpredictability that keeps his playing feeling alive and responsive.
Introduced into Auerbach’s arsenal around 2012, the 1964 Guild S-200 Thunderbird quickly became his “current favorite” according to interviews from that period. This solid-body electric guitar features unique pickups and a distinctive design that provides a different flavor from his hollow-body instruments. The Thunderbird’s more focused attack and reduced feedback tendencies make it ideal for higher-volume situations and songs requiring tighter definition in the low end.
The Guild’s humbucking pickups offer a thicker, more compressed sound compared to the gold foil pickups in his Harmony guitars, giving Auerbach additional tonal colors for both recording and live performance. This guitar particularly shines on songs from the El Camino era, where its slightly more aggressive character helps cut through denser arrangements while maintaining the vintage character that defines his sound.
The Supro Martinique represents one of the more unusual instruments in Auerbach’s collection, with its fiberglass construction and unique pickup configuration. This semi-hollowbody guitar features a piezo pickup in the bridge alongside conventional magnetic pickups, giving it a distinctive bright, articulate character that stands out in mixes. The Martinique was prominently featured on the Brothers album, particularly on “Howlin’ For You,” where its unique tonal properties help create the song’s instantly recognizable introduction.
The fiberglass construction of the Martinique contributes to its resonant, almost percussive quality when strummed aggressively, while the piezo pickup adds an acoustic-like element to the sound. This combination makes it particularly effective for recording situations where separation and definition are important, as the piezo signal can be processed separately from the magnetic pickup signal during mixing to create a more complex and detailed guitar tone.
Auerbach’s Harmony Stratotone has been modified to better suit his playing style, featuring Lindy Fralin P-90 pickups and the addition of a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece. This guitar is most notably used for “Run Right Back,” where it’s tuned to open G and provides the distinctive slide guitar elements that characterize the song. The Stratotone’s smaller body size and solid construction make it more resistant to feedback than Auerbach’s larger hollow-body instruments, while the P-90 pickups deliver the perfect combination of clarity and grit for slide playing.
The modifications made to this particular Stratotone demonstrate Auerbach’s practical approach to gear – rather than seeking out pristine collector’s items, he’s willing to customize instruments to better serve his musical needs. The Fralin P-90s provide improved output and tonal balance compared to the stock pickups, while the Bigsby adds vibrato capabilities that expand the guitar’s expressive range for both live performance and recording applications.
Before embracing hollow-body instruments as his primary choice, Auerbach frequently used late 1960s Fender Telecasters during the early part of his career, particularly on albums like “Thickfreakness.” The Telecaster’s bright, cutting tone and focused low end provided the perfect foundation for the raw, minimalist approach that characterized The Black Keys’ early sound. Even as his rig evolved, Auerbach has continued to use Telecasters for specific applications, most recently in his Delta Kream project where their clarity and definition help traditional country blues material translate to modern audiences.
The Telecaster’s simplicity and reliability make it an ideal choice for both recording and touring, with its straightforward electronics providing a clear signal path that highlights the natural character of the wood and pickups. This transparency allows Auerbach’s playing dynamics and nuanced technique to come through clearly, whether he’s playing delicate fingerpicked passages or aggressive rhythm parts.
Beyond these primary instruments, Auerbach’s collection includes several other notable guitars that appear throughout his discography. The National guitar, similar in construction to the Supro Martinique with its fiberglass body and piezo pickup, provides additional tonal variety for both recording and live performance. His white Ibanez Custom SG with three humbucker pickups was used for “Gold on the Ceiling,” delivering the thicker, more saturated distortion needed for that song’s powerful chorus sections.
Each of these instruments serves specific musical purposes in Auerbach’s sonic palette, demonstrating his thoughtful approach to matching guitar characteristics with song requirements. Rather than attempting to make one guitar work for every situation, he’s developed a diverse collection that allows him to select the perfect tool for each musical context, whether he needs the woody resonance of a hollow-body for intimate blues or the focused attack of a solid-body for aggressive rock.
Dan Auerbach’s amplifier setup is as distinctive as his guitar collection, featuring a carefully configured three-amp system that provides both power and tonal complexity. Rather than relying on a single amplifier, Auerbach blends multiple amp types to create a rich, layered sound that fills space without becoming muddy or indistinct. This multi-amp approach allows him to capture different frequency ranges from each amplifier, resulting in a composite tone that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
The three-amp configuration, which remains consistent across both live performance and recording situations, demonstrates Auerbach’s understanding of how different amplifier designs contribute to an overall guitar sound. By combining amps with different speaker configurations, power ratings, and circuit designs, he’s able to achieve a balanced frequency response that sounds full and present whether played quietly in a studio or at high volume in a concert venue.
The Marshall JTM-45 reissue forms the foundation of Auerbach’s amp setup, providing the classic British crunch that has defined rock guitar since the 1960s. This amp head runs through a cabinet equipped with Jensen speakers, which offer a different character than the more common Celestion speakers typically found in Marshall cabinets. The Jensen speakers contribute a warmer, more vintage-voiced response that complements Auerbach’s preference for retro-flavored tones.
The JTM-45’s relatively low power output (compared to later Marshall designs) allows it to be driven into natural saturation at more reasonable volume levels, making it ideal for both recording and medium-sized venues. Its circuit design, based on early Marshall models that were themselves influenced by Fender Bassman amps, provides the perfect balance between clean headroom and smooth overdrive when paired with Auerbach’s guitar output levels and playing dynamics.
The Fender Quad Reverb serves as the clean foundation in Auerbach’s three-amp setup, providing headroom and definition that prevent the overall sound from becoming too muddy or indistinct. This powerful combo amplifier runs through a custom speaker configuration featuring two Celestion Greenback speakers and two Vintage 30 speakers, creating a complex speaker response that contributes to the overall tonal character.
The Quad Reverb’s Fender-style clean headroom allows Auerbach to achieve his tone primarily through pedals and guitar volume adjustments rather than amp distortion, maintaining clarity and note definition even at high volume levels. This clean foundation also helps preserve the low-end content of his hollow-body guitars, preventing the loss of bass frequencies that can occur when driving amps into heavy distortion.
The Victoria Double Deluxe completes the three-amp setup, providing crucial low-mid frequency content that adds weight and authority to the overall sound. This boutique reproduction of classic Fender amplifier designs runs through Eminence Red Coat speakers, which offer their own unique voice in the overall speaker configuration. The Double Deluxe contributes the warmth and fullness that helps Auerbach’s tone fill space without requiring excessive volume levels.
The combination of these three amplifiers, each with different speaker types and circuit designs, creates a complex frequency response that would be difficult to achieve with a single amplifier. By carefully balancing the levels of each amp, Auerbach can emphasize different aspects of his tone depending on the musical context, highlighting the midrange for articulate lead passages or bringing up the low end for powerful rhythm sections.
Auerbach typically runs all three amplifiers simultaneously, with each set just at the point of breakup rather than driven into heavy distortion. This approach maintains clarity and note definition while still providing the warmth and compression associated with tube amplifier saturation. The settings are generally conservative, with the bass and treble controls set near noon and the presence adjusted to provide clarity without excessive harshness.
Volume levels are balanced between the three amps to create a cohesive sound, with the Marshall JTM-45 typically providing the grit and distortion character while the Fender Quad Reverb maintains clean definition and the Victoria Double Deluxe adds low-mid warmth. This configuration allows Auerbach to achieve his signature tone primarily through guitar volume adjustments and pedal engagement rather than relying on amplifier distortion.
Dan Auerbach’s effects pedalboard has evolved significantly throughout his career, but certain core elements have remained consistent as the foundation of his signature sound. His approach to effects focuses on tone-shaping rather than dramatic sound alteration, with most pedals serving to enhance the natural character of his guitars and amplifiers rather than completely transforming their basic sound. This subtle approach to effects helps maintain the vintage character that defines his playing style.
The signal chain order and pedal selection reflect Auerbach’s understanding of how different effects interact with each other and with his amplifier configuration. Rather than chasing the latest pedal trends, he’s consistently relied on classic designs that have proven effective across decades of musical styles. This consistency has resulted in a pedalboard that’s both reliable and predictable, allowing him to focus on playing rather than constantly adjusting settings or troubleshooting signal issues.
Fuzz pedals form the heart of Auerbach’s distortion character, with the Shin-ei Companion and Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi serving as his primary choices for achieving saturated tones. The Shin-ei Companion, a vintage Japanese fuzz pedal, provides a particularly aggressive and articulate distortion that cuts through dense mixes while maintaining note definition. This pedal is often used with an MXR Ten Band EQ to restore midrange frequencies that the fuzz circuit tends to scoop out, creating a more balanced and present sound.
The Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi contributes a smoother, more sustained distortion character that’s particularly effective for lead playing and sustained chords. Its classic three-knob layout allows for precise control over the distortion character, with the sustain control determining the amount of saturation, the tone control shaping the frequency response, and the volume control balancing the effect level with the clean signal.
Octave effects play a crucial role in Auerbach’s sound, particularly the Boss OC-3 Super Octave which provides the distinctive low-end enhancement heard on songs like “Tighten Up.” This pedal adds a synthesized octave below the played note, creating a fuller, more powerful sound without requiring additional gain or distortion. The OC-3’s polyphonic tracking allows it to handle complex chords without the glitching that can affect simpler octave pedals, making it suitable for both rhythm and lead playing applications.
The Boss PS-5 Super Shifter provides additional pitch manipulation capabilities, most notably creating the distinctive introduction effect for “Lonely Boy.” This versatile pedal can generate harmonies, pitch shift, and provide detuning effects that add movement and interest to guitar parts. Its intelligent pitch-shifting algorithms maintain musical integrity even with extreme pitch settings, allowing for creative sound design without sacrificing playability.
Modulation effects add movement and dimension to Auerbach’s sound, with the Boss TR-2 Tremolo and Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter providing the foundation for his rhythmic and textural effects. The TR-2 Tremolo creates the volume pulsing effect that adds rhythmic interest to sustained chords and single-note lines, particularly effective for creating the swampy, blues-rooted character that appears throughout his recordings.
The PH-3 Phase Shifter contributes sweeping filter effects that add motion to guitar parts without significantly altering their core character. When used in combination with the tremolo and octave effects, it creates the complex, layered soundscape that defines songs like “Tighten Up.” These modulation effects are typically used sparingly, adding just enough movement to maintain interest without becoming distracting or overwhelming the basic guitar tone.
The order of effects in Auerbach’s signal chain reflects careful consideration of how different pedals interact with each other. The typical progression starts with compression and boost pedals (if used), followed by fuzz and distortion, then modulation effects, and finally time-based effects like delay or reverb when needed. This ordering ensures that each effect receives the optimal signal type for its intended function, with distortion pedals processing the clean guitar signal and modulation pedals working with the already-distorted tone.
The integration of these effects with his three-amp setup requires additional consideration of impedance and signal levels. Auerbach’s pedalboard is designed to maintain signal integrity throughout the chain, with quality buffers and true-bypass switching preserving the natural character of his guitars when effects are disengaged. This attention to signal chain details helps ensure that his tone remains consistent whether playing through a completely clean signal path or engaging multiple effects simultaneously.
While guitars, amplifiers, and effects receive most of the attention in discussions of tone, the smaller details like string choice, picks, and cables play crucial roles in shaping Dan Auerbach’s sound. These often-overlooked elements contribute significantly to the overall character and feel of his playing, demonstrating how every component in the signal chain affects the final result.
Auerbach uses SIT Strings in 011-050 gauge, a relatively heavy set that contributes to his powerful tone and precise intonation. The thicker strings provide more mass for the pickups to detect, resulting in a stronger signal and fuller frequency response. This heavy gauge also facilitates precise intonation when using open tunings and slide techniques, which appear throughout his recordings.
The 011-050 gauge represents a balance between playability and tone that’s ideal for Auerbach’s playing style. Light enough to allow for comfortable bending and vibrato, yet heavy enough to provide the fundamental strength needed for his aggressive attack and sustained notes. This string choice complements the natural characteristics of his vintage guitars, enhancing their low-end response while maintaining clarity in the higher registers.
Dunlop Tortex picks in 0.73mm thickness are Auerbach’s choice for both recording and live performance. These medium-heavy picks provide the perfect balance between flexibility and rigidity needed for his playing technique, allowing for precise note articulation while still providing enough give to facilitate aggressive strumming without excessive string noise.
His picks are customized with the Black Keys logo, but are otherwise standard Dunlop Tortex models in terms of material and thickness. The 0.73mm thickness allows for both delicate dynamics and powerful attack, with the pointed tip facilitating precise single-note playing while the broader edges provide a fuller sound for rhythm playing. This versatility makes them ideal for the varied musical contexts Auerbach encounters across different songs and performance situations.
Divine Noise curly cables connect Auerbach’s guitars to his pedalboard and amplifiers, providing both practical and aesthetic benefits. The curly design helps manage cable length on stage while reducing the risk of tangling, while the quality construction ensures reliable signal transfer with minimal loss or coloration. These cables have become part of Auerbach’s visual identity as much as his sonic signature.
The quality of these cables contributes to maintaining signal integrity throughout the chain, preserving the detailed frequency response of his vintage guitars and ensuring that the subtle nuances of his playing technique reach the amplifiers and effects pedals without degradation. This attention to seemingly minor details demonstrates how every component in the signal chain contributes to the overall tone and playing experience.
The complete signal chain from guitar to amplifier represents a carefully designed system that maximizes the tonal potential of each component while maintaining musicality and reliability. Understanding how each element connects and interacts provides insight into achieving similar tones with different equipment or adapting the setup for various performance contexts.
The signal begins with the guitar’s pickups, which capture the string vibrations and convert them to electrical signals. This signal travels through the guitar’s volume and tone controls, which Auerbach uses extensively to shape his tone before it even reaches the pedals. The guitar cable carries this signal to the first pedal in the chain, where various effects modify the character before it reaches the amplifiers.
From the pedalboard, the signal typically splits to feed the three amplifiers simultaneously, with each amp contributing different frequency ranges and distortion characteristics. The combined output of all three amplifiers creates the final sound that reaches the audience, whether through microphones in a recording context or directly in a live performance setting.
For readers looking to understand more about guitar pedal order and signal chain optimization, Auerbach’s approach demonstrates how classic principles can be applied to create distinctive, musical tones. His setup prioritizes clarity and musicality over extreme effects, showing how thoughtful signal chain design can enhance rather than obscure the fundamental character of the guitar and amplifier combination.
Throughout his career, Auerbach’s equipment has evolved significantly while maintaining the core elements that define his sound. This evolution reflects both changing musical requirements and increasing access to resources as The Black Keys achieved greater commercial success. Understanding this progression provides insight into how his tone has developed while remaining recognizably his own.
The early career period saw Auerbach relying primarily on Fender Telecasters and simpler amplifier setups, creating the raw, minimalist sound that characterized early albums like “The Big Come Up” and “Thickfreakness.” As the band’s popularity grew, Auerbach began incorporating more hollow-body guitars and expanding his amplifier collection, leading to the richer, more complex tones heard on later albums.
The Brothers era marked a significant refinement of his sound, with the Harmony H78 becoming his primary instrument and the three-amp setup reaching its mature configuration. This period also saw increased use of effects pedals to create more textured arrangements, reflecting the band’s evolution from a minimalist duo to a more musically expansive outfit.
Recent years have seen Auerbach continuing to refine his setup while maintaining the core elements that define his sound. His work with other artists and solo projects has demonstrated versatility in adapting his approach to different musical contexts while still retaining the fundamental characteristics that make his playing instantly recognizable.
While much of Auerbach’s gear consists of expensive vintage instruments and boutique equipment, it’s possible to achieve similar tones using more affordable alternatives. Understanding the key elements that contribute to his sound allows players to make informed decisions about which aspects to prioritize when working with limited budgets.
For guitars, modern reproductions of vintage hollow-body instruments from brands like Eastwood, Gretsch, and Harley Benton can provide similar characteristics to Auerbach’s Harmony and Guild guitars at a fraction of the cost. The key elements to look for are hollow or semi-hollow construction and P90-style pickups, which provide the fundamental tonal foundation for his sound.
When it comes to amplification, smaller tube combos or even quality modeling amps can approximate the character of Auerbach’s three-amp setup. The crucial element is achieving the right balance of clean headroom and natural breakup, which can be accomplished with various amplifier types at different price points. For those interested in exploring amplifier options, our guide to the best guitar amps provides recommendations across different budget ranges.
Effects pedals offer the most accessible way to capture Auerbach’s tone, with many modern fuzz and octave pedals providing excellent performance at reasonable prices. Classic designs like the Big Muff Pi remain affordable and effective, while companies like Boss offer reliable alternatives for octave and modulation effects. The key is focusing on the core effects that define his sound rather than attempting to replicate every element of his exact pedalboard.
Dan Auerbach primarily uses vintage hollow-body guitars, most notably the Harmony H78, Guild S-200 Thunderbird, and Supro Martinique. He also uses Fender Telecasters and various custom instruments depending on the musical context.
Dan Auerbach is widely recognized as an exceptional guitarist and producer, having won multiple Grammy Awards for his work with The Black Keys. His playing combines blues-rock authenticity with innovative sound design, influencing a generation of modern guitarists.
Dan Auerbach uses SIT Strings in 011-050 gauge, which provides the perfect balance between playability and tone for his playing style. This relatively heavy gauge contributes to his powerful sound and precise intonation.
Yes, Dan Auerbach uses Dunlop Tortex picks in 0.73mm thickness, typically customized with the Black Keys logo. These medium-heavy picks provide the ideal balance between flexibility and rigidity for his playing technique.
Dan Auerbach’s approach to gear demonstrates how thoughtful equipment selection can enhance musical expression without becoming the focus itself. His success comes from understanding how each element in his signal chain contributes to the overall sound, rather than simply collecting expensive or rare instruments. This approach provides valuable lessons for players at all levels seeking to develop their own distinctive tones.
Whether you’re attempting to replicate his exact sound or simply seeking inspiration for your own musical journey, the key principles from Auerbach’s setup remain applicable: prioritize instruments that feel comfortable and inspiring, select amplification that complements your playing style, use effects thoughtfully rather than excessively, and always remember that the most important element is the musical idea you’re trying to express.
By studying how Auerbach combines vintage character with modern functionality, players can develop their own approaches to tone creation that balance authenticity with innovation. His gear choices remind us that great tone comes from the thoughtful combination of many elements rather than any single piece of equipment, and that the best setup is always one that serves the music rather than overshadowing it.
