What guitar did Lou Reed use on Sweet Jane?

Lou Reed is commonly reported to have used a Gretsch Country Gentleman hollow-body guitar on Sweet Jane. This guitar's bright, jangly tone and natural resonance contributed significantly to the song's distinctive sound.

How to get the Velvet Underground guitar tone on Sweet Jane?

Use a hollow-body guitar like a Gretsch into a slightly overdriven Vox AC30 amplifier. Keep the gain moderate to achieve that raw, jangly sound without heavy distortion, and avoid over-processing to maintain the lo-fi character.

What amp did the Velvet Underground use for Sweet Jane?

The Velvet Underground reportedly used a Vox AC30 amplifier for the rhythm guitar on Sweet Jane. The AC30's natural tube overdrive and bright EL84 tone were perfect for the song's slightly distorted but articulate sound.

Why does Sweet Jane guitar sound so raw and lo-fi?

The raw sound comes from minimal processing, live recording techniques, and the natural characteristics of 1960s recording equipment. The combination of tube amp overdrive and tape saturation created that gritty, unpolished texture that defined the Velvet Underground's aesthetic.

rhythm guitar from "sweet jane" by the velvet underground

sweet jane

the velvet underground

rhythm guitar

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Tone Profile

A jangly and slightly distorted guitar sound that provides the rhythmic backbone of the song. It has a raw, lo-fi quality that contributes to the Velvet Underground's signature sound.

Production Credits

Producer: The Velvet Underground

Engineer: Gary Kellgren

Recorded at: TTG Studios, Hollywood, CA

Signal Chain

Instrument: Gretsch Country Gentleman

Amp: Vox AC30

Microphone: Neumann U67

Recording Notes

The song was recorded in a live setting to capture a raw, unfiltered sound.
Minimal processing was used to maintain the natural tone of the instruments and the overall lo-fi aesthetic.
Microphone placement focused on capturing the direct sound of the amp with some room ambience.

Recreation Tips

Use a hollow-body guitar like a Gretsch Country Gentleman or similar model.
Set the amp to a slightly overdriven tone to get the desired crunch and sustain.
Experiment with different microphone positions to find the sweet spot that captures the amp's tone.
Avoid heavy processing and aim for a natural, raw sound.

Original Gear

Substitutions & Recommendations

Gretsch G5422TG Electromatic Hollow Body$600-$700

Alternative to: Gretsch Country Gentleman hollow-body guitar

Delivers the hollow-body jangle and resonance of the original Country Gentleman at a fraction of the cost, with High Sensitive Filter'Tron pickups that nail that bright, articulate Gretsch sound

Gretsch G6120T Players Edition Nashville$2800-$3200

Alternative to: Gretsch Country Gentleman hollow-body guitar

Professional-grade hollow body with TV Jones pickups that closely matches the tonal characteristics and build quality of vintage Country Gentleman guitars

Vox AC30C2X$1400-$1600

Alternative to: Vox AC30 amplifier

Current production AC30 that maintains the classic EL84 tube tone and natural overdrive characteristics essential for that slightly broken-up Velvet Underground sound

Universal Audio Oxide Tape Plugin$149-$199

Alternative to: Vox AC30 amplifier

Adds the lo-fi tape saturation and compression that gives Sweet Jane its raw, slightly degraded character when combined with a clean amp tone

Audio-Technica AT4047$400-$500

Alternative to: Neumann U67 microphone

Large diaphragm tube condenser that captures amp tone with similar warmth and natural compression as the U67, perfect for that direct-but-musical guitar sound

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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rhythm guitar from “sweet jane” by the velvet underground | ToneDB