Marshall CODE50 settings
Highway to Hell settings for Marshall CODE50
AC/DC · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the AC/DC "Highway to Hell" riff tone on a Marshall CODE50, select the American Crunch preset, then set Gain 6, Volume 6, Master 5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 7. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Kramer Focus VT-211S · updated 2026-08-20
- Preset / mode
- American Crunch
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Marshall CODE50 knobs
- Gain
- 6
- Volume
- 6
- Master
- 5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 0
- Mod fx
- 0
- Pre fx
- 0
- Delay fx
- 0
- Reverb fx
- 0
- Edit button
- 0
- Amp model selector
- 0
- Cabinet model selector
- 0
- Power amp model selector
- 0
Playing tips
- Use a strong pick attack for clarity and aggression.
- Palm mute the lower strings for a tighter sound on the riff.
- Keep your playing dynamic to capture the raw energy of the song.
The original rig
What AC/DC used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall CODE50 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 preset should I use on the Marshall CODE50 for Highway to Hell?
Start from the American Crunch preset, then set Gain 6, Volume 6, Master 5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 7.
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 Kramer Focus VT-211S. 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 Marshall CODE50
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Even Flow · Pearl Jam
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Man in the Box · Alice in Chains
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.