“A brand-new Marshall and an Epiphone, if you dial it in right, can sound like a sunburst Les Paul through a vintage Bluesbreaker”: Joe Bonamassa explains why great tones are “much cheaper than people realize”

Joe Bonamassa may be an avid vintage guitar collector, but he has repeatedly asserted that great tones can still be achieved with modern budget gear.

He proved this theory in a video released back in March by online marketplace Reverb, where he recreated Jimi Hendrix’s tones on 1970 live album Band of Gypsys using affordable gear.

“If Lewis Hamilton gave me the keys to his race car and I gave him the keys to a Toyota Prius, he would still beat me around the track. It’s not the car, it’s the driver,” insists Bonamassa in the latest issue of Total Guitar.

“You don’t need $100k worth of perfectly preserved, mint condition, ultra-rare Hendrix kit to sound like Jimi. You can get it out of a Squier Strat, a Peavey Classic, and a bunch of Dunlop pedals, as long as you play in the spirit of Jimi Hendrix.”

According to Bonamassa, the same theory applies when it comes to using a vintage Gibson Les Paul versus a modern Epiphone. “It’s the same thing with a Les Paul. If you do it blindfolded, with a brand-new Marshall and an Epiphone, and you dial it in right, it can sound like a sunburst Les Paul through a vintage Bluesbreaker. Great tones are much cheaper than people realize.”

Bonamassa explains that he did the Reverb video to “demystify the notion that you need a Dumble and a Klon or whatever.” 

He adds, “You don’t need anything. You need to practice and focus on how you really want to sound. Some of the greatest sounds were created on junk! Or at least cheaper gear.

“Most of your favorite rock ’n’ roll sounds from the ’70s were created on the Les Paul Customs that were modern for back then.”

For more Joe Bonamassa, plus new interviews with Joe Perry, The Last Dinner Party, and IDLES, pick up issue 385 of Total Guitar at Magazines Direct.