Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV settings
Highway to Hell settings for Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV
AC/DC · adapted 5 times on ToneAdapt
To get the AC/DC "Highway to Hell" riff tone on a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV, set Gain 5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a PRS SE Custom 24 · updated 2026-10-11
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV knobs
- Gain
- 5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 0
- More drive
- 0
- Drive select
- 1
- Bright switch
- 1
Playing tips
- Use palm muting for a tighter sound on the lower strings.
- Focus on aggressive downstrokes for a powerful attack.
- Keep the picking hand close to the bridge for a sharper tone.
The original rig
What AC/DC used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV actually has.
- Guitar
- Gibson SG Standard (late 1960s, likely 1968-1970, stock humbuckers)
- Amp
- Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (plexi, late 1960s/early 1970s, no master volume)
- Gain
- 6
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0
Different guitar or pedals? Get Highway to Hell adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts AC/DC's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV settings for Highway to Hell?
Set Gain 5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 0.
Which pickup should I use for Highway to Hell?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did AC/DC use on Highway to Hell?
Guitar: Gibson SG Standard (late 1960s, likely 1968-1970, stock humbuckers). Amp: Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (plexi, late 1960s/early 1970s, no master volume).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a PRS SE Custom 24. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Highway to Hell on other amps
- Highway to Hell on Fender Mustang LT25 · 202
- Highway to Hell on Boss Katana · 181
- Highway to Hell on Line 6 Helix Floor / LT / Rack · 103
- Highway to Hell on Boss GT-1000 · 59
- Highway to Hell on Neural DSP Quad Cortex · 47
- Highway to Hell on Fender Tone Master Pro · 46
- Highway to Hell on Fender Champion 20 · 41
- Highway to Hell on Positive Grid Spark · 40
Popular songs on the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Pride and Joy · Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Alive · Pearl Jam
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
- Black Magic Woman · Santana
- War Pigs · Black Sabbath
- Lithium · Nirvana
- R U Mine? · Arctic Monkeys
- Walk · Pantera
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.