Free Bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd) guitar tone and amp settings
Free Bird guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Crunch amp type, medium gain (Gain 5.5), forward mids (Middle 6.5), smooth top (Treble 6), bridge pickup.
Tuning: E-A-D-G-G-E
Settings for your amp
The song has distinct sounds: Intro. Each rig below lists what to change for them.
Free Bird settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every songThese settings play the intro.
AmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Variation
- Off
- Amp Type
- Crunch
- Gain
- 5.5
- Volume
- 6
- Bass
- 5
- Middle
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6
- Booster
- 0
- Mod
- 0
- FX
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 0
- Master
- Set to your room
- Power Control
- Set to your room
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
Free Bird settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40
Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every songThese settings play the intro.
AmpPositive Grid Spark 40
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Type
- Crunch
- Gain
- 4.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6
- Master
- Set to your room
- Mod
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 1
- Output
- Set to your room
- App Amp Model
- American Deluxe
- App Drive
- Off
- App Comp/Wah
- Off
- App Mod/EQ
- Off
- App Delay
- Off
- App Reverb
- Off
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
Free Bird settings on a Fender Mustang LT25
Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every songThese settings play the intro.
AmpFender Mustang LT25
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Model
- 70S ROCK
- Gain
- 4.2
- Volume
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5.5
- Middle
- 6.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Stomp
- None
- Mod
- None
- Delay
- None
- Reverb
- SMALL ROOM
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
Use a glass slide; higher strings help avoid fretting out.
Free Bird settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble
These settings play the intro.
Amp
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Gain
- 5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
Add a glass slide; tune E-A-D-G-G-E for the intro.
Why it sounds like that
Free Bird's slide sound comes from a glass Coricidin bottle worn on the middle finger. The strings are raised at the nut so the bottle does not clink on the frets, and the B string is tuned down to G so it matches the G string, which gives a drawling, doubled sound. The long solo is Allen Collins playing a 1964 Gibson Firebird I modified with different pickups and a new neck.
- Start the slide part on the third string and slide up to the 12th fret.
- Play the third and second strings together, as if they were one string.
What guitar did Gary Rossington use on Free Bird?
- Intro: uDiscover says Gary Rossington's slide guitar is heard almost from the start of Free Bird. (on this song)[1]
- Rossington wore a small bottle emptied of its cold-relief tablets as a slide on his middle finger. (on this song)[1]
- Rossington says he has always used a glass Coricidin bottle for a slide. (in a later era)[2]
- Rossington says he starts the slide part on the third string and slides up to the 12th fret. (on this song)[2]
- Rossington says he hits the third and second strings together and plays them as one string. (on this song)[2]
- Gary Rossington said: ‘I don't know what inspired me to tune my guitar to E-A-D-G-G-E, or to use the screwdriver to raise the strings.’ (on this song)[2]
- Rossington says the bottle clinked against the frets because the strings were too low. (on this song)[2]
- Gary Rossington said: ‘I took a screwdriver, of all things, and stuck it under the strings up at the nut, so it would raise the strings up like a steel guitar.’ (on this song)[2]
- Rossington says the two G strings make a drawling, doubled sound. (on this song)[2]
- Gary Rossington said: ‘I use the slide on my middle finger.’ (on this song)[2]
- Rossington says he pulls out the wire and plays the rhythm part for the jam at the end. (in a later era)[2]
- Rossington plays his original cherry '61 Gibson Les Paul/SG Standard with side-pull vibrato when he performs Free Bird these days. (in a later era)[2]
- Rossington's rig is a Peavey Mace amp head into a Peavey 4x12 cabinet with JBL speakers, a setup he has used since the '70s. (in a later era)[2]
- Accounts differ: uDiscover dates Rossington's slide SG to 1969, while Guitar Player and Vintage Guitar date it to 1961. (on this song)[1][2][3]
- Solo: uDiscover says Allen Collins played the lengthy Free Bird solo. (on this song)[1]
- Solo: Allen Collins's guitar on the Free Bird solo had been modified with different pickups and a new neck. (on this song)[1]
- Allen Collins mostly used a 1964 Gibson Firebird I during the sessions at Studio One. (on the album Pronounced)[1]
Questions
What guitar did Gary Rossington use on Free Bird?
The sources on this page document Gary Rossington's gear on Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd: guitar, Gibson Les Paul/SG Standard [1]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Free Bird settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?
For the Free Bird guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 5.5, Volume 6, Bass 5, Middle 6.5, Treble 6, Booster 0, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Power Control to your room. These settings play the intro. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Free Bird settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?
For the Free Bird guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 4.5, Bass 5, Mid 6.5, Treble 6, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 1, App Amp Model American Deluxe; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master and Output to your room. These settings play the intro. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Free Bird settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?
For the Free Bird guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 70S ROCK, Gain 4.2, Volume 6.5, Treble 6.5, Bass 5.5, Middle 6.5, Stomp None, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb SMALL ROOM; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master to your room. These settings play the intro. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What tuning is Free Bird in?
Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd is played in E-A-D-G-G-E, according to the cited source [2]. Tune to it before you set the amp, or the riff will not sit right against the record.
Can I get the Free Bird tone on my own amp?
Yes. The settings above cover 3 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for Free Bird, using only the controls your gear has.
Get it for your exact rig
KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for this song.
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