How to Dial In "Ocean" by John Butler Trio - Guitar Tone Settings
What John Butler Trio Actually Used on "Ocean"
Original Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning
How the artist had their guitar configured for this take.
Open C — C G C G C E, low to high — on an eleven-string, not a twelve. Butler plays a Maton twelve-string (his battered 'Oldie', the CW80/12 Country Western he busked with in Fremantle) with the high G octave string removed, because that string sits above the high E, sounds thin and breaks constantly: 'I always take the high G off my 12-strings because it sucks.' He keeps several of these tuned to different open tunings; Ocean is the Open C one. There is no amp and no pedal: the piece is a solo acoustic instrumental played with a thumb-led right hand, bare fingers, heavy harmonics and percussive body/string slaps, and the live rig's dual pickups (a Seymour Duncan magnetic plus a Maton AP5 under-saddle piezo, with the mag's mic element disabled to stop feedback) exist to reproduce that acoustically, not to colour it. Version note: this entry uses the first studio release, on the 1998 self-titled album — the song had appeared earlier on his self-released busking cassette Searching for Heritage, and the versions most people know are the 2010 Live at Red Rocks performance and the 2012 studio re-recording, all on the same instrument and tuning.
Common Questions About the "Ocean" Tone
What guitar did John Butler Trio use on "Ocean"?
John Butler Trio tracked "Ocean" on a Maton CW80/12 Country Western 12-String (released 1998). The track is in Open C (C G C G C E), so retune before you dial anything in.
What amp settings does "Ocean" need?
The original amp tone for "Ocean" leans on the gear listed above. ToneMirror reads the tonal profile and translates it for your amp's specific EQ curve and gain structure.
Can I play "Ocean" without the original gear?
Yes. ToneMirror takes the original recipe above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Ocean" 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.
More Tones You Can Dial In
Tone references for "Ocean" by John Butler Trio are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.