Marshall DSL40CR settings
Sharp Dressed Man settings for Marshall DSL40CR
ZZ Top · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the ZZ Top "Sharp Dressed Man" riff tone on a Marshall DSL40CR, set Gain 6.5, Bass 6, Mid 6.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 5, Resonance 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Gibson SG Standard Gold Series Limited Edition · updated 2026-07-01
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Marshall DSL40CR knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Presence
- 5
- Resonance
- 5
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Tone shift
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 3
Playing tips
- Use palm muting for a tight, percussive sound.
- Focus on the rhythm to maintain the punchy feel of the riff.
- Experiment with picking dynamics to enhance note separation.
The original rig
What ZZ Top used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall DSL40CR actually has.
- Guitar
- Dean Z (custom, single DiMarzio Super Distortion pickup, no controls)
- Amp
- Legend 50 (50-watt hybrid combo, valve preamp, solid-state power amp), blended with Marshall 100-watt head and Vox Super Beatle (studio recording)
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 7
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 2.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Sharp Dressed Man adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts ZZ Top's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Marshall DSL40CR settings for Sharp Dressed Man?
Set Gain 6.5, Bass 6, Mid 6.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 5, Resonance 5.
Which pickup should I use for Sharp Dressed Man?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 10 and volume at 10.
What gear did ZZ Top use on Sharp Dressed Man?
Guitar: Dean Z (custom, single DiMarzio Super Distortion pickup, no controls). Amp: Legend 50 (50-watt hybrid combo, valve preamp, solid-state power amp), blended with Marshall 100-watt head and Vox Super Beatle (studio recording).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Gibson SG Standard Gold Series Limited Edition. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Sharp Dressed Man 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.