Hotone Ampero II Stage settings
Mr. Brightside settings for Hotone Ampero II Stage
The Killers · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the The Killers "Mr. Brightside" riff tone on a Hotone Ampero II Stage, use the Black Lux amp model on the crunch channel, then set Drive 5, Master 7, Bass 4, Mid 7, Treble 8, Presence 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a HSS Stratocaster · updated 2026-10-17
- Amp model
- Black Lux
- Channel
- Crunch
- Cab
- Open back 2x12
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 8 · Volume 8-9
Amp block
- Drive
- 5
- Master
- 7
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 8
- Presence
- 6
- Original drive
- 5
Effects chain
- 1overdriveGreen DriveGain 5 · Tone 6 · Level 7
- 2modulationCE ChorusMix 5 · Rate 4 · Depth 5
- 3reverbSpringMix 5 · Decay 6
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use a light touch for a clean, articulate attack.
- Incorporate subtle palm muting for a punchier sound on the riff.
- Experiment with picking dynamics to enhance the edge of the tone.
The original rig
What The Killers used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Hotone Ampero II Stage actually has.
- Guitar
- Fender Stratocaster (likely American Standard, early 2000s, as used by Dave Keuning on the studio recording)
- Amp
- Fender Hot Rod DeVille (studio recording, 2003 era; Fender-style amp confirmed by multiple sources)
- Gain
- 4.5
- Bass
- 4.5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 8
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Mr. Brightside adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts The Killers's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What amp model should I use on the Hotone Ampero II Stage for Mr. Brightside?
Use the Black Lux (crunch channel) with Drive 5, Master 7, Bass 4, Mid 7, Treble 8, Presence 6, followed by Green Drive, CE Chorus, Spring.
Which pickup should I use for Mr. Brightside?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did The Killers use on Mr. Brightside?
Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (likely American Standard, early 2000s, as used by Dave Keuning on the studio recording). Amp: Fender Hot Rod DeVille (studio recording, 2003 era; Fender-style amp confirmed by multiple sources).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a HSS Stratocaster. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Mr. Brightside on other amps
- Mr. Brightside on Fender Mustang LT25 · 202
- Mr. Brightside on Boss Katana · 94
- Mr. Brightside on Fender Frontman 10G · 88
- Mr. Brightside on Line 6 Helix Floor / LT / Rack · 52
- Mr. Brightside on Fender Champion 20 · 42
- Mr. Brightside on Neural DSP Quad Cortex · 29
- Mr. Brightside on Fender Frontman 15G · 26
- Mr. Brightside on Line 6 POD Go / POD Go Wireless · 24
Popular songs on the Hotone Ampero II Stage
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Walk · Pantera
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Wonderwall · Oasis
- Killing in the Name · Rage Against the Machine
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
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.