Doobie Brothers - China Grove Guitar Solo Cover

The solo in China Grove is deceptively simple. Tom Johnston most likely played the main guitar parts and solo with his SG Special through a '55 Fender 3x10 Bandmaster (the same amp Ronnie Montrose used on the famous Montrose debut album).


To approximate his sound I am playing a Hamer Korina Special loaded with Wolfetone "Mean" (neck) and "Meaner" (bridge) pickups into an Ampeg V4, then into a Universal Audio Ox Amp Top Box and recorded in Studio One. The Echoplex on the rhythm guitar is SoundToys Echoboy on the Echoplex setting because I only have a Roland Chorus Echo and that doesn't sound the same.

All guitars were replaced and played by me while muting out the original parts that Tom played. The tone is close but using different guitars, amps and most importantly, fingers, makes a difference. But I do feel like it gets into the ballpark.


Gear used -
- Hamer Korina Special with Wolftone Mean and Meaner P90's
- 70's Ampeg V4
- Universal Audio OX Amp Top Box
- Presonus Studio One
- And as always, D'Addario XL's (9-42).