Wild Planet album cover - The B-52's
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Give Me Back My Man" by The B-52's - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Give Me Back My Man"

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.

Gain3
Bass4
Mid5
Treble7
Presence5
Volume5

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
Tone7
Volume8
Recording notes

From Wild Planet (1980). Spiky, surf-flavoured new wave with a thin, trebly guitar tone. Nothing published ties a rig to this song, so a Fender Player Mustang into a Vox AC30HW2X Hand-Wired stands in. Keep the amp clean, just on the edge of breakup, and play the bridge pickup. Tuning isn't documented here.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Give Me Back My Man" Tone

  1. What guitar did The B-52's use on "Give Me Back My Man"?

    The guitar on "Give Me Back My Man" (released 1980) isn't documented; the Fender Player Mustang above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar.

  2. What amp settings does "Give Me Back My Man" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 3, Bass 4, Mid 5, Treble 7, Presence 5, Volume 5. 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 "Give Me Back My Man" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Give Me Back My Man" 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 "Give Me Back My Man" by The B-52's are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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