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lead guitar from “thinking out loud” by ed sheeran | ToneDB

thinking out loud

ed sheeran

lead guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

A warm, clean electric guitar tone with a touch of overdrive and subtle chorus, providing a smooth and melodic sound. It sits nicely in the mix without being too aggressive, complementing the vocals and acoustic elements.

Gear

Fender Stratocasterinstrument
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Fender Blues Junioramp
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Shure SM57microphone
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Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamerprocessing
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Boss CE-2 Chorusprocessing
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The Story

Ed Sheeran's lead guitar tone on 'Thinking Out Loud' was recorded using a Fender Stratocaster through a Fender Blues Junior amplifier, with an Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer providing subtle overdrive warmth and a Boss CE-2 Chorus adding depth. The signal was captured with a close-mic'd Shure SM57 at Sticky Studios in Surrey, with Jake Gosling handling both production and engineering duties.

Production Credits

Producer: Jake Gosling

Engineer: Jake Gosling

Recorded at: Sticky Studios, Surrey

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Stratocaster

Amp: Fender Blues Junior

Microphone: Shure SM57

Processing: Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, Boss CE-2 Chorus

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a clean amp setting on a Fender-style amplifier.
  • Use a Stratocaster with the neck pickup selected for a warm tone.
  • Engage a Tube Screamer with the drive set low to add a touch of overdrive.
  • Add a subtle chorus effect to thicken the sound.
  • Experiment with microphone placement to find the sweet spot on the amplifier.

Original Gear

  • Fender Stratocaster(guitar)
  • Fender Blues Junior(amp)
  • Shure SM57(mic)
  • Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer(pedal)
  • Boss CE-2 Chorus(pedal)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Boss Katana 50 MkII$230-250

Alternative to: Fender Blues Junior

Clean channel provides similar Fender-style warmth and headroom, with built-in effects that can replicate the chorus and light overdrive

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Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive$50-60

Alternative to: Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer

More affordable option that delivers similar light overdrive character when set with low gain for warmth and sustain

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Boss CE-2W Waza Craft Chorus$150-170

Alternative to: Boss CE-2 Chorus

Modern reissue of the exact chorus pedal used, with both vintage CE-2 mode and enhanced CE-1 mode

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Neural DSP Archetype Plini$80-100

Alternative to: Fender Stratocaster + Blues Junior + TS9 + CE-2

Software recreation with clean Fender-style amps, tube screamer modeling, and chorus effects for bedroom producers

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Fender Blues Junior IV$400-450

Alternative to: Fender Blues Junior

Current production version of the exact amplifier used, maintaining the same circuit design and tonal characteristics

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Sources

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