What guitar did Stephen Stills use on For What It's Worth?

Stephen Stills used a Gretsch Chet Atkins hollow body guitar for the lead guitar parts on "For What It's Worth." This guitar provided the warm, resonant tone that characterizes the song's guitar sound.

How to get Stephen Stills guitar tone on For What It's Worth?

Use a hollow body or semi-hollow guitar through a low-wattage tube amp with subtle overdrive and built-in tremolo. Set the amp to slight breakup, add gentle tremolo, and focus on clean playing technique with moderate attack.

What amp was used on Buffalo Springfield For What It's Worth?

The guitar was recorded through a Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier. This small tube amp was run at moderate volume to achieve natural tube compression and slight overdrive while maintaining clarity.

What is the tremolo effect on For What It's Worth guitar?

The tremolo is a subtle amplitude modulation that creates a gentle shimmering effect on the guitar tone. It was likely produced by the Fender Tweed Deluxe's built-in tremolo circuit, set to a slow, shallow sweep that adds movement without being obvious.

Who produced Buffalo Springfield For What It's Worth?

"For What It's Worth" was produced by Ahmet Ertegun and engineered by Tom Dowd at Atlantic Studios in New York. The recording captures the intimate, clean guitar sound that became iconic of the folk-rock movement.

lead guitar from "for what it's worth" by buffalo springfield

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Tone Profile

A clean, slightly overdriven guitar tone with a touch of tremolo, providing a subtle, shimmering quality. The sound is warm and present, with a clear mid-range focus.

Shop This Rig

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Gretsch Chet Atkins(instrument)
Fender Tweed Deluxe(amp)
Fender Tremolo(processing)

The Story

Stephen Stills recorded the lead guitar for "For What It's Worth" using a Gretsch Chet Atkins guitar through a Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier with subtle tremolo. The guitar was recorded at moderate volume to achieve a slightly overdriven tube sound while maintaining clarity and warmth. The tremolo effect adds the characteristic shimmering quality that complements the song's contemplative nature.

Production Credits

Producer: Ahmet Ertegun

Engineer: Tom Dowd

Recorded at: Atlantic Studios (New York, NY)

Signal Chain

Instrument: Gretsch Chet AtkinsShop on Reverb

Amp: Fender Tweed DeluxeShop on Reverb

Processing: Fender TremoloShop on Reverb

Recreation Tips

Start with a clean amp setting and gradually increase the gain until you achieve a slight overdrive.
Use a tremolo pedal or the amp's built-in tremolo effect to add a subtle, shimmering quality.
Experiment with different microphone placements to find the sweet spot for your amplifier.
Use your guitar's tone knob to dial in a warm, present sound with a clear mid-range focus.

Original Gear

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Gretsch Chet AtkinsShop on Reverb(guitar)
Fender Tweed DeluxeShop on Reverb(amp)
Fender TremoloShop on Reverb(pedal)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Gretsch G6120T-59 Vintage Select EditionShop on Reverb$2800-$3200

Alternative to: Gretsch Chet Atkins

Modern reissue with authentic Filter'Tron pickups and Bigsby vibrato delivering the same hollow body tone and sustain characteristics

Epiphone WildkatShop on Reverb$400-$500

Alternative to: Gretsch Chet Atkins

Budget hollow body option with P90 pickups that captures the warm, slightly compressed tone of vintage Gretsch guitars

Fender '57 Custom DeluxeShop on Reverb$1800-$2200

Alternative to: Fender Tweed Deluxe

Hand-wired reissue that recreates the original tweed Deluxe's natural tube compression and tremolo circuit

Supro Delta King 10Shop on Reverb$400-$500

Alternative to: Fender Tweed Deluxe

Lower-wattage tube amp that breaks up naturally at bedroom volumes while maintaining clean headroom and built-in tremolo

Strymon FlintShop on Reverb$280-$320

Alternative to: Fender Tremolo

Premium tremolo pedal that accurately models vintage Fender amp tremolo circuits with multiple waveform options

Boss TR-2 TremoloShop on Reverb$100-$130