What guitar did John Fogerty use on Fortunate Son?

John Fogerty used a Gibson Les Paul for the rhythm guitar on "Fortunate Son." The Les Paul's humbucker pickups provided the thick, cutting tone that's characteristic of the song.

What amp did CCR use on Fortunate Son?

Creedence Clearwater Revival used a Kustom K200-A4 solid-state amplifier on "Fortunate Son." The amp's tremolo effect was key to achieving the song's distinctive rhythmic pulse and raw tone.

How to get John Fogerty's guitar tone on Fortunate Son?

Use a Les Paul-style guitar with humbuckers through a solid-state amp with tremolo, applying moderate overdrive. Position the microphone close to the speaker cone and emphasize midrange frequencies for that classic CCR bite.

Where was Fortunate Son recorded?

"Fortunate Son" was recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco. The studio was known for its work with many iconic rock acts of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

What microphone was used to record Fortunate Son guitar?

A Shure SM57 microphone was used to record the guitar on "Fortunate Son." The SM57 was positioned close to the amp's speaker cone to capture the raw, present sound of the Kustom amplifier.

rhythm guitar from "fortunate son" by creedence clearwater revival

fortunate son

creedence clearwater revival

rhythm guitar

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Tone Profile

A raw, biting, and slightly overdriven guitar sound that cuts through the mix with a clear and present tone. It has a vintage rock feel with a slightly gritty edge.

Shop This Rig

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Gibson Les Paul(instrument)
Kustom K200-A4(amp)
Shure SM57(microphone)

The Story

John Fogerty played a Gibson Les Paul through a Kustom K200-A4 solid-state amp for the rhythm guitar on "Fortunate Son." The track was recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco with engineer Russ Gary, using a Shure SM57 microphone positioned close to the amp. The Kustom amp's built-in tremolo effect contributed to the song's distinctive rhythmic pulse, while the solid-state circuitry provided the raw, biting character that cuts through CCR's dense mix.

Production Credits

Producer: John Fogerty

Engineer: Russ Gary

Recorded at: Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco

Signal Chain

Instrument: Gibson Les PaulShop on Reverb

Amp: Kustom K200-A4Shop on Reverb

Microphone: Shure SM57Shop on Reverb

Recreation Tips

Start with a Gibson Les Paul style guitar and dial in a moderate amount of overdrive on the Kustom K200-A4 or similar amp.
Position a Shure SM57 close to the speaker cone, slightly off-axis, to capture the amp's raw tone.
Fine-tune the amp's EQ to emphasize the midrange frequencies for that classic CCR bite.
Experiment with the amp's tremolo effect to match the song's rhythmic feel.

Original Gear

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Substitutions & Recommendations

Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50sShop on Reverb$400-$500

Alternative to: Gibson Les Paul

Provides the humbucker pickup tone and mahogany body resonance of Fogerty's Les Paul at a budget-friendly price point

Boss Katana 50 MkIIShop on Reverb$230-$280

Alternative to: Kustom K200-A4 amp

Solid-state design with built-in tremolo effect that can recreate the raw, cutting tone of vintage Kustom amps

Neural DSP Archetype NollyPlugin Boutique$80-$120

Alternative to: Kustom K200-A4 amp

Includes accurate solid-state amp modeling with tremolo effects that can nail the gritty, present sound of 1960s solid-state amps

Shure SM57Shop on Reverb$100-$120

Alternative to: Shure SM57 microphone

The exact same microphone model used on the original recording, still manufactured and identical in sound

Gibson Les Paul StudioShop on Reverb$1,200-$1,500