What amps did Jeff Buckley use on Grace?

Buckley used a Fender Vibroverb '63 Reissue for clean tones and a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Trem-O-Verb for the heavier sections. The two amps give him the dynamic range the song demands.

What tuning is Grace in?

Grace uses an open tuning that creates richer chord voicings. Buckley frequently used alternate tunings to get sounds that standard tuning can't produce.

How to get the Grace dynamic range?

Use a clean channel for verses and switch to overdrive for climaxes. Or use a touch-sensitive amp that breaks up when you strum harder. The key is extreme dynamics — gentle for quiet parts, aggressive for loud sections.

Blues1994Grace

Grace Amp Settings

by Jeff Buckley

Grace showcases the full range of Jeff Buckley's guitar tone — from whispered clean passages to soaring, overdriven climaxes. A Fender Vibroverb blended with a Mesa/Boogie Trem-O-Verb creates a dynamic palette that matches the song's emotional intensity.

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What Makes This Tone Iconic

Grace is a dynamic masterpiece. The tone shifts from intimate Vibroverb cleans to massive Mesa overdrive as the song builds, mirroring Buckley's vocal performance. The blend of American clean (Fender) and American high-gain (Mesa) gives him an extraordinary range within one song. Open tunings add harmonic richness, and his aggressive strumming in the climax pushes the amps into natural breakup.

Key Tone Elements

Fender Vibroverb '63 Reissue for clean, tremolo-soaked passages
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Trem-O-Verb for overdriven climax
Open tuning for richer harmonic content
Massive dynamic range — from whisper to scream
Natural amp overdrive from aggressive strumming dynamics

Original Recording Settings

Well-SourcedResearched tone data for "Grace" by Jeff Buckley

Original Gear

Guitar: 1983 Fender Telecaster Toploader (same guitar as Hallelujah) + Gary Lucas contributing 'Magicalguitarness' layers
Pickups: Stock Fender 1983 Telecaster single coils (switches throughout—neck for quiet, bridge for aggressive. Audible pickup selector switch at ~2:30.)
Amplifier: Fender Vibroverb '63 Reissue (clean) + Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Trem-O-Verb Combo (driven)
Channel: Clean (Vibroverb) / Overdrive (Mesa Trem-O-Verb)
Tuning: Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-E)
Pickup Selector: varies (neck clean, bridge heavy)
Strings: 0.010 (Dean Markley Blue Steel)

Morley A/B Switch Box selects between amps. Both paired with Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cabs for additional low-end. Recorded on the full electric soundstage at Bearsville—most powerful of Wallace's three studio setups. Gary Lucas contributes additional experimental guitar layers.

Amp Settings

Gain

6.0

Bass

6.0

Mid

6.0

Treble

6.0

Presence

5.0

Master Volume

5.0

Volume

7.0

Estimated for Mesa driven tone. Even on heavier songs, Buckley's distortion was relatively restrained. Much of the heaviness came from bass guitar, dynamic playing, and arrangement rather than extreme guitar gain.

Effects Chain

→

Morley A/B Switch Box

A/B switch

→

Alesis Quadraverb

reverb (rack)

→

Digitech Whammy II

pitch shifter

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1.Morley A/B Switch Box — Selects between Vibroverb (clean) and Mesa Trem-O-Verb (driven).

2.Alesis Quadraverb — Same modified Taj Mahal preset but less dominant than on Hallelujah.

3.Digitech Whammy II — Possibly used for pitch sweep effects.

Playing Technique

Opens with tricky pull-off lick over bar chord shape. Features hammered-on triad licks with moving top-voice melody, fingerpicking, slides, string bending, alternate picking, natural harmonics. Extreme dynamic range—whisper-quiet arpeggios to explosive crescendos. Volume knob manipulation for swells. Sophisticated 6th chord voicings (Em, F#m6, G6, A6) add jazz-influenced harmonic tension.

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