Marshall MG15 settings
Alive settings for Marshall MG15
Pearl Jam · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Pearl Jam "Alive" solo tone on a Marshall MG15, set Gain 0, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Clean volume 7, Overdrive gain 0. Use the neck + middle pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22 DKA · updated 2026-09-16
- Pickup
- Neck + Middle
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Marshall MG15 knobs
- Gain
- 0
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Clean volume
- 7
- Overdrive gain
- 0
- Overdrive volume
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Focus on dynamic picking to achieve the glassy highs.
- Use fingerstyle for a more nuanced attack and articulation.
- Experiment with volume swells for expressive lead tones.
The original rig
What Pearl Jam used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall MG15 actually has.
- Guitar
- Fender Stratocaster (likely 1960s or '57 Reissue, Aged White, as seen in 1991-92 live footage)
- Amp
- Marshall 1960A 4x12 Cabinet with 65 Amps Empire 22-watt Tube Head and/or Satellite Atom 36-Watt Head (studio era, early 1990s)
- Gain
- 6
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6.5
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 2.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Alive adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Pearl Jam's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Marshall MG15 settings for Alive?
Set Gain 0, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Clean volume 7, Overdrive gain 0.
Which pickup should I use for Alive?
Neck + Middle, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Pearl Jam use on Alive?
Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (likely 1960s or '57 Reissue, Aged White, as seen in 1991-92 live footage). Amp: Marshall 1960A 4x12 Cabinet with 65 Amps Empire 22-watt Tube Head and/or Satellite Atom 36-Watt Head (studio era, early 1990s).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Jackson JS Series Dinky Arch Top JS22 DKA. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Alive on other amps
Popular songs on the Marshall MG15
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
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.