What guitar did Carl Perkins use on Blue Suede Shoes?

Carl Perkins used a Fender Esquire guitar on the original recording. The Esquire was Fender's single-pickup predecessor to the Telecaster, which gave the recording its distinctive bright, cutting tone.

How to get Carl Perkins Blue Suede Shoes guitar tone?

Use a single-coil pickup guitar like a Telecaster through a Fender tube amp with slight breakup, add slapback delay around 100-120ms with low feedback. Keep the tone bright and present, emphasizing the high frequencies for that Sun Records sound.

What amp did Carl Perkins use at Sun Records?

Perkins used a Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier for the Blue Suede Shoes recording. This amp was known for its sweet spot between clean tones and natural tube overdrive when pushed to moderate volumes.

What is slapback echo on Blue Suede Shoes?

The slapback echo was created using a Ray Butts EchoSonic amplifier, which featured built-in tape delay. This created the characteristic single repeat delay effect that became a signature of the Sun Records sound, set to around 100-120ms.

When was Blue Suede Shoes recorded by Carl Perkins?

Carl Perkins recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" at Sun Records in Memphis on December 19, 1955. The session was produced by Sam Phillips, who was known for his innovative recording techniques and the distinctive Sun Records sound.

lead guitar from "blue suede shoes" by carl perkins

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Tone Profile

This tone is defined by its raw, early rock-and-roll energy. It's a bright, slightly overdriven sound with a touch of slapback echo, characteristic of the Sun Records sound.

The Story

Carl Perkins recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee on December 19, 1955. He used his Fender Esquire guitar through a Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier, with the distinctive slapback echo effect created using a Ray Butts EchoSonic amp. Sam Phillips' signature Sun Records production style emphasized the raw, bright character of the single-pickup Esquire and the natural tube saturation of the Tweed Deluxe.

Production Credits

Producer: Sam Phillips

Engineer: Jack Clement

Recorded at: Sun Records, Memphis

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Esquire

Amp: Fender Tweed Deluxe

Processing: Ray Butts EchoSonic

Recreation Tips

Start with a Fender Esquire or Telecaster-style guitar with a bright tone.
Use a Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier or a similar model known for its clean but slightly overdriven sound at moderate volumes.
Add a slapback delay effect, emulating the Ray Butts EchoSonic. Keep the delay time short (around 100-120ms) and the feedback low.
Adjust the amp's EQ for a bright, present sound with a slight emphasis on the high frequencies.

Original Gear

Substitutions & Recommendations

Fender Player Telecaster$800-$900

Alternative to: Fender Esquire

The bridge pickup delivers the bright, cutting single-coil tone essential to Perkins' sound, with similar wood construction to the original Esquire

Fender '57 Custom Deluxe$1,800-$2,200

Alternative to: Fender Tweed Deluxe

Faithful reissue of the original circuit with 12AX7 and 6V6 tubes, providing the same sweet spot between clean and natural overdrive

Strymon Flint$300-$350

Alternative to: Ray Butts EchoSonic

The tape echo setting provides authentic slapback delay timing and character, replicating the EchoSonic's 100-120ms delay

Fender Blues Junior IV$400-$500

Alternative to: Fender Tweed Deluxe

Budget option that captures the basic Fender tube amp character with similar clean-to-edge breakup qualities

Universal Audio Fender '55 Tweed Deluxe$150-$200

Alternative to: Complete signal chain

Modeled version of the exact amp model used, with built-in tape echo modeling for the complete Sun Records sound

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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