🎸 Rock · 2010s+

Pretty When You Cry by Lana Del Rey (Solo · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Lana Del Rey · solo

The Pretty When You Cry by Lana Del Rey guitar tone is built on a Unknown, dialed in at gain 4.5/10, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 5.5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

4.5

GAIN

BASS

6.5

MID

6.5

TREBLE

5.5

PRESENCE

REVERB

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 540 rock tones in our researched catalog: Gain 4.5 sits right around the rock average (4.8); mids at 6.5 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

8-9

VOLUME

6-7

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Vintage Fender Telecaster (Electric Lady Studios in-house guitar) · Amp: Unknown (not specified in sources; likely Fender or similar clean amp typical for Lana Del Rey sessions)

Studio recording, 2014 (Ultraviolence album). Guitarist: Blake Lee (aka Blake Stranathan). Gear confirmed for studio, not live. Pedal and guitar confirmed for this song/era; amp not specified.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Fender Telecaster songs & tones →🎚️ single-coil guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Strymon songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Vintage Fender Telecaster (Electric Lady Studios in-house guitar) → Strymon BigSky → Overdrive/Distortion pedal (model unknown) → Unknown (not specified in sources; likely Fender or similar clean amp typical for Lana Del Rey sessions)

Effects

reverb, distortion

Tone character

ambient and atmospheric, ethereal, haunting sustain, crunchy, slightly gritty overdrive, lush, expansive reverb, expressive, dynamic phrasing, vintage-inspired texture, notably more distorted than verse, smooth, singing lead lines, slightly dark, moody timbre, pedal-manipulated sound

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, slow tempo, loud dynamics · crunch distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Pretty When You Cry sound.

Difficulty

3/5 · Solo

The solo requires intermediate skill due to expressive phrasing, control of sustain and reverb, and dynamic touch, but does not involve fast runs or advanced techniques.

Worth knowing

No explicit amp model or settings found in sources; amp settings estimated based on typical studio Fender/clean amp usage for Lana Del Rey and the genre/era.
Pedal model (Strymon BigSky) confirmed for this song/era, but no explicit mention of distortion/overdrive pedal; crunch/distorted tone inferred from solo audio and tab notes.
Pickup choice (bridge) inferred from typical solo tone and Telecaster usage; not directly stated in sources.
No explicit pedal order or amp effects loop info; signal chain inferred from standard practice.
If more precise amp or pedal info becomes available, update accordingly.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The solo guitar in 'Pretty When You Cry' has a warm, edge-of-breakup tone with pronounced mids and a lush, ambient reverb, typical of indie/alt-pop ballads and the production style of Dan Auerbach and Lana Del Rey's collaborators. The amp is set for clarity and warmth, with moderate gain and a spacious, vintage-leaning reverb.

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →

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Pretty When You Cry guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Pretty When You Cry guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 4.5, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 7. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Pretty When You Cry tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Vintage Fender Telecaster (Electric Lady Studios in-house guitar) · Amp: Unknown (not specified in sources; likely Fender or similar clean amp typical for Lana Del Rey sessions); reverb, distortion.

Can I get the Pretty When You Cry tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like Lana Del Rey on Pretty When You Cry — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 4.5, bass 6, mid 6.5, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 7), and reverb, distortion. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

Share this tone

Sources

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Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com