An Innocent Man album cover - Billy Joel
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Tell Her About It" by Billy Joel - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Tell Her About It"

Suggested rig · the original isn't documented.

The settings

Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning

Amp settings

Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.

Gain5.5
Bass5.5
Mid6
Treble6.5
Presence6
Volume7

On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.

Get the settings for my amp
Guitar setup

How the artist had their guitar configured for this take.

TuningStandard(E A D G B E)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone8
Volume9
Recording notes

From An Innocent Man (1983). An Innocent Man is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel released on August 8, 1983. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s through a Marshall 1959SLP Plexi Super Lead Reissue, the rig we use for Billy Joel's other songs from An Innocent Man, stands in. Set the amp to a medium-gain crunch and use the bridge pickup. Standard tuning.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Tell Her About It" Tone

  1. What guitar did Billy Joel use on "Tell Her About It"?

    The guitar on "Tell Her About It" (released 1983) isn't documented; the Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. Tuned to standard (E A D G B E).

  2. What amp settings does "Tell Her About It" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 5.5, Bass 5.5, Mid 6, Treble 6.5, Presence 6, Volume 7. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale; match them on your amp first, then nudge to taste. ToneMirror can translate these positions for whatever amp you actually own.

  3. Can I play "Tell Her About It" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Tell Her About It" tone on a Katana, a Helix, a tube combo, or anything else. The translation accounts for EQ curve, gain structure, and pickup type so the result actually sounds like the record, not just the same knob numbers on different gear.

Related tones

Tone references for "Tell Her About It" by Billy Joel are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

Adapt to my gear