How to Dial In "Full Grown Boy" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Guitar Tone Settings
Gear for "Full Grown Boy"
Suggested rig · the original isn't documented.
Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning
Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.
On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.
Get the settings for my ampHow the artist had their guitar configured for this take.
From Hypnotic Eye (2014). Hypnotic Eye is the thirteenth and final studio album by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in the UK on July 28, 2014, and in the United States on July 29, by Reprise Records. Mike Campbell told MusicRadar in 2014 that his Clubhouse amp setup for the album was a 1954 Fender Tweed Deluxe and a 1964 Blackface Princeton ('basically just those two amps. That's the sound'), that he began the sessions with the same 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard he used on Mojo, and that the Full Grown Boy solo is the Les Paul on the bass pickup, played for a mellow, J.J. Cale-style feel. He does not say which of the two amps carried the solo, so a Gibson 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue through a Fender Tweed Deluxe stands in, on the neck pickup. Keep the amp lightly driven.
Common Questions About the "Full Grown Boy" Tone
What guitar did Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers use on "Full Grown Boy"?
The guitar on "Full Grown Boy" (released 2014) isn't documented; the Gibson 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue (Custom Shop) above gets the sound. Pickup selector: neck pickup on the guitar. Tuned to standard (E A D G B E).
What amp settings does "Full Grown Boy" need?
Settings for this sound: Gain 5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Presence 5, 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.
Can I play "Full Grown Boy" without the original gear?
Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Full Grown Boy" 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.
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Tone references for "Full Grown Boy" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.