a-ha - Take On Me - Guitar Cover

Fender Stratocaster

Pål Waaktaar-Savoy's primary choice for A-ha's signature sound, the Strat's bright single-coil pickups deliver the glassy, chimey tone that cuts through synth layers on hits like 'Take On Me.' The responsive dynamics let chorus and delay effects shine without muddiness.

Fender Telecaster

Used alongside the Stratocaster throughout A-ha's classic 1980s era, the Telecaster provides additional brightness and snap to complement the band's synth-driven arrangements. Its single-coil character maintains that open, defined quality essential to their chorus-heavy effects palette.

Gibson Les Paul Standard

In later years, Waaktaar-Savoy employed the Les Paul Standard for warmer, thicker low-mid tones that contrast with his Fender arsenal without venturing into heavy rock territory. The humbucker warmth adds textural depth to newer material while keeping the sound distinctly A-ha.

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Similar to the Standard, the Custom provides the humbucker thickness needed for fuller tones on later albums, offering warmer character than single-coils while maintaining the clean, effects-driven approach that defines A-ha's production aesthetic.

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's high-headroom clean platform and lush reverb tank are foundational to A-ha's sparkly 1980s tone, allowing Waaktaar-Savoy to run effects at moderate volumes without power-tube breakup. The amp's transparency lets chorus and delay effects articulate clearly.

Vox AC30

The AC30's natural chime and breakup characteristics align perfectly with A-ha's chorus-rich sound, capable of running pristine and clean for 1980s hits or providing grittier moderate gain for later material. Its resonant character enhances the band's signature atmospheric effects.