Tone Settings for Born to Die by Lana Del Rey (guitar and amp)

1. Volume

• Set to around 70–80% of full volume to leave headroom for dynamics.
• Use your guitar volume knob for slight swells and cleaner intro sections.
• Amp volume should be set to moderately loud for a slightly pushed clean tone.

2. Tone

• Set tone knobs around 5–7 for a slightly warm but articulate sound.
• Avoid overly bright settings; look for a mellow clean or slightly driven tone.
• If your amp has EQ settings, keep treble low-moderate, mids prominent, bass slightly rolled off.

3. Pickup Selector

• Bridge or bridge + middle combo for clarity with warmth.
• Avoid pure neck pickup unless going for a dreamier interlude segment.
• Middle position can be used for balanced rhythm sections.

4. Humbucker or Single Coil Preferred?

• Single coil pickups preferred for the bright and clear articulations in the mix.
• Use noiseless or vintage-style single coils to reduce hum and retain detail.
• If using humbuckers, choose low output PAF-style for a similar clean headroom.

5. Ideal guitar type which is a Electric (Strat-style)

• Choose a Stratocaster-style guitar with three single coils (SSS) or HSS configuration with coil-split option.
• Alder body and maple neck preferred for bright, vintage tones.
• Use vintage-style tremolo sparingly if at all — no heavy vibrato effects needed.

• Fender Jaguar: Ideal for dreamy, atmospheric tones and surf-like textures.
• Gibson Les Paul: Great for warm, rich sustain in melodic lead lines.
• Strymon BigSky: Premium reverb for lush ambient soundscapes.
• Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail: Simpler reverb option with a classic shimmer.
• BOSS DD-8 Digital Delay: Adds depth and rhythmic echo to clean passages.
• MXR Phase 90: Subtle modulation for dreamy movement.
• Fender Blues Junior: Compact tube amp with warm, responsive dynamics.
• Vox AC15: Chimey cleans with expressive breakup—great for emotional tones.
• Ernie Ball Volume Pedal: For smooth swell effects and dynamic control.
• TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb: Versatile and compact ambient tool.

• Use a warm, dark vocal tone to match the melancholic mood.
• Maintain breath control for sustained, legato phrasing.
• Apply subtle vibrato at phrase endings for emotional depth.
• Keep dynamics soft to moderate; avoid excessive volume.
• Use slight vocal fry at phrase beginnings for texture.
• Match original pitch center; avoid drifting sharp or flat.
• Employ minimalistic ornamentation to preserve mood.
• Blend chest and head voice smoothly in transitions.
• Avoid overly bright tones; favor mid to low harmonic content.
• Support tone with consistent breath pressure and open throat.