Love and Theft album cover - Bob Dylan
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Cry a While" by Bob Dylan - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Cry a While"

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.

Gain2.5
Bass5.5
Mid6
Treble6.5
Presence6
Volume6

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

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Guitar setup

How the artist had their guitar configured for this take.

Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone8
Volume8
Recording notes

From Love and Theft (2001). "Love and Theft" is the thirty-first studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on September 11, 2001, by Columbia Records. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a Fender American Professional II Stratocaster through a Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue, the rig we use for Bob Dylan's other songs from Love and Theft, stands in. Set the amp to a light crunch and use the middle+bridge pickups together.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Cry a While" Tone

  1. What guitar did Bob Dylan use on "Cry a While"?

    The guitar on "Cry a While" (released 2001) isn't documented; the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster above gets the sound. Pickup selector: middle + bridge (position 4) on the guitar.

  2. What amp settings does "Cry a While" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 2.5, Bass 5.5, Mid 6, Treble 6.5, Presence 6, Volume 6. 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 "Cry a While" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Cry a While" 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 "Cry a While" by Bob Dylan are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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