Marshall DSL20 settings
Ace of Spades settings for Marshall DSL20
Motörhead · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Motörhead "Ace of Spades" solo tone on a Marshall DSL20, set Gain 7.5, Bass 4, Mid 6.5, Treble 7, Presence 7, Resonance 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Ibanez GRGA120 · updated 2026-09-07
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Marshall DSL20 knobs
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 7
- Resonance
- 6
- Reverb
- 0
- Tone shift
- 0
- Power reduction
- 1
Playing tips
- Focus on tight, percussive picking to achieve clarity in your notes.
- Use palm muting selectively to emphasize the aggressive attack.
- Experiment with dynamics to enhance the biting midrange sound.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Squier Stratocaster · updated 2026-06-05
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 8-10 · Volume 10
Marshall DSL20 knobs
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Resonance
- 6
- Power reduction
- 1
Playing tips
- Use aggressive palm muting for tight, percussive attack.
- Maintain a strong pick attack to emphasize the riff's bite.
- Keep your picking hand relaxed to allow for fluid transitions between notes.
The original rig
What Motörhead used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall DSL20 actually has.
- Guitar
- 1970s Gibson Les Paul Standard
- Amp
- Marshall JMP 2203 100W head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 5.5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0
Different guitar or pedals? Get Ace of Spades adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Motörhead's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Marshall DSL20 settings for Ace of Spades?
Set Gain 7.5, Bass 4, Mid 6.5, Treble 7, Presence 7, Resonance 6.
Which pickup should I use for Ace of Spades?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 10 and volume at 10.
What gear did Motörhead use on Ace of Spades?
Guitar: 1970s Gibson Les Paul Standard. Amp: Marshall JMP 2203 100W head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet.
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Ibanez GRGA120. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Ace of Spades on other amps
Popular songs on the Marshall DSL20
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- War Pigs · Black Sabbath
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
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.