How to Dial In "Shindig" by The Shadows - Guitar Tone Settings
The Gear Behind "Shindig"
- GuitarStratocasterModern equivalent: Fender American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster
- AmpAC30Modern equivalent: Vox AC30 C2
- EffectDrum echoVox Echo (SEP drum echo)
Original Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning
Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.
These numbers are for an AC30. On your amp, they won't sound the same.
Get the settings for my ampHow the artist had their guitar configured for this take.
Unlike nearly all of their singles, this one wasn't made at EMI. The Shadows recorded it at the Jubilee Theatre in Blackpool on 9 August 1963, in the middle of a tour. Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch wrote it, and it was released on 6 September with Brian Bennett's "It's Been a Blue Day" on the B-side. It reached number 6 in the UK. Marvin plays the lead, with Welch on rhythm guitar, Brian Locking on bass and Bennett on drums and tambourine. New Record Mirror noted that "the guitar sounds are different on this one". It's faster and more Western than the earlier hits, and transcriptions show the riff played as two-string figures. This was the end of his Jennings rosewood-board Strat period, before the Burns. Recorded away from the studio, the sound is his road rig: a Vox AC30 and the Vox-badged SEP drum echo he used on stage and on record from 1961 to 1964. Play on the bridge pickup, a touch louder and grittier than the ballads, with the echo kept fairly short. Standard tuning.
Common Questions About the "Shindig" Tone
What guitar did The Shadows use on "Shindig"?
The Shadows tracked "Shindig" on a Stratocaster (released 1963). The Fender American Vintage II 1961 Stratocaster named above is a modern equivalent, not the guitar on the record. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. Tuned to standard (E A D G B E).
What amp settings does "Shindig" need?
On an AC30: Gain 3, Bass 4.5, Mid 6.5, Treble 7, 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.
Can I play "Shindig" without an AC30?
Yes. ToneMirror takes the original recipe above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Shindig" 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.
What effects are on "Shindig"?
The recording has drum echo on it. ToneMirror maps each effect onto your rig - a pedal you own, your amp's own controls, or a block on a modeler - and says plainly when your rig can't make one.
More Tones You Can Dial In
Tone references for "Shindig" by The Shadows are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.