Marshall DSL40CR settings
Kickstart My Heart settings for Marshall DSL40CR
Mötley Crüe · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Mötley Crüe "Kickstart My Heart" riff tone on a Marshall DSL40CR, set Gain 7.5, Bass 5, Mid 6.5, Treble 7, Presence 6, Reverb 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Gibson Les Paul · updated 2026-03-10
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-10
Marshall DSL40CR knobs
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 0
Playing tips
- Focus on tight palm muting for chugging riffs.
- Use aggressive pick attack to enhance articulation.
- Maintain a steady rhythm to keep the riff punchy.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Fender Stratocaster · updated 2026-11-10
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 8-10 · Volume 10
Marshall DSL40CR knobs
- Gain
- 7
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Resonance
- 6
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Tone shift
- 1
- Output power
- 1
Built-in effects
- Reverb on · 0.5
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a low level for a subtle depth.
- Engage the tone shift for a scooped midrange that enhances the high-gain lead tone.
- Keep the volume at maximum to ensure full output from your low-output pickups.
The original rig
What Mötley Crüe used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall DSL40CR actually has.
- Guitar
- Kramer Baretta (custom, early 1980s, likely with Floyd Rose tremolo)
- Amp
- Marshall Super Lead (Plexi) 100-watt head, Jose Arredondo modded (multiple heads from late 60s/early 70s, blended with Hiwatt and Garnet for low end)
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 5
- Treble
- 7.5
- Presence
- 7
- Reverb
- 1.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Kickstart My Heart adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Mötley Crüe's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Marshall DSL40CR settings for Kickstart My Heart?
Set Gain 7.5, Bass 5, Mid 6.5, Treble 7, Presence 6, Reverb 0.
Which pickup should I use for Kickstart My Heart?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-10.
What gear did Mötley Crüe use on Kickstart My Heart?
Guitar: Kramer Baretta (custom, early 1980s, likely with Floyd Rose tremolo). Amp: Marshall Super Lead (Plexi) 100-watt head, Jose Arredondo modded (multiple heads from late 60s/early 70s, blended with Hiwatt and Garnet for low end).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Gibson Les Paul. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Kickstart My Heart on other amps
Popular songs on the Marshall DSL40CR
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Walk · Pantera
- Welcome To The Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
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.