🎸 Blues Rock · 2016

Way Down We Go by KALEO (Overdriven) — Guitar Tone

by KALEO · main

The Way Down We Go by KALEO guitar tone is built on a Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb, dialed in at gain 4.5/10, bass 5, mid 6, treble 6, presence 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
5
BASS
6
MID
6
TREBLE
5
PRESENCE
2
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 54 blues tones in our researched catalog: Gain 4.5 sits right around the blues average (4.6); mids at 6 are right around average (6.5).

Original gear

Amp: Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb (or Orange AD30 head + 1x12)

J.J. Juliusson plays a Gibson ES-390 semi-hollow for a warm, responsive bluesy tone into a Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb; an external Klon-style overdrive plus a fuzz push the amp into breakup for the heavier 'Way Down We Go' chorus. Settings per Guitar Chalk: gain 4-5, bass 5, mid 6, treble 6, reverb ~20%.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Fender Deluxe Reverb songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ fuzz songs & tones →🎚️ Klon Centaur songs & tones →🎚️ Strymon songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Semi-hollow / humbucker neck (Gibson ES-390 style) for warm, dynamic bluesy breakup

Effects / signal chain

Transparent / Klon-style overdrive (gain + sustain), Fuzz (for the dirtier chorus tones), Subtle delay & reverb (Strymon-style)

Tone character

warm, bluesy, dynamic, overdriven breakup, moody, fuzzy chorus

Recording context

Blues rock, 2016; semi-hollow into a Fender Deluxe Reverb pushed by overdrive/fuzz

How it’s played

moody, dynamic blues-rock build from soft verse to heavy chorus, slow-mid tempo, wide — quiet verses, big chorus dynamics · overdriven distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Way Down We Go sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5

Easy to play, harder to nail the dynamic blues-rock tone — the magic is in the breakup and dynamics, not technical difficulty.

Level: Beginner-friendly — see more easy guitar songs to play

Worth knowing

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →
🎧 Can you guess the tone?
Recognise famous songs from just the amp dials — a quick 10-round game. Beat your friends. Play free →
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Way Down We Go guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Way Down We Go guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 4.5, bass 5, mid 6, treble 6, presence 5, reverb 2. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Way Down We Go tone?

Original gear/effects: Amp: Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb (or Orange AD30 head + 1x12); Transparent / Klon-style overdrive (gain + sustain), Fuzz (for the dirtier chorus tones), Subtle delay & reverb (Strymon-style).

Can I get the Way Down We Go 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 KALEO on Way Down We Go — what gear and pedals?

Start with Semi-hollow / humbucker neck (Gibson ES-390 style) for warm, dynamic bluesy breakup, the amp EQ above (gain 4.5, bass 5, mid 6, treble 6, presence 5, reverb 2), and Transparent / Klon-style overdrive (gain + sustain), Fuzz (for the dirtier chorus tones), Subtle delay & reverb (Strymon-style). Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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More like this

🎸 more Blues Rock guitar tones →  ·  🎚️ Fender Deluxe Reverb settings →  ·  🎛️ best blues amp settings →  ·  🎚️ Fuzz tone guide →  ·  🎚️ Delay tone guide →  ·  🎚️ Chorus tone guide →  ·  🎯 more dynamic touch sensitive tones →  ·  📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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