Marshall MG15 settings
Mr. Brightside settings for Marshall MG15
The Killers · adapted 5 times on ToneAdapt
To get the The Killers "Mr. Brightside" riff tone on a Marshall MG15, set Gain 4.5, Bass 3, Mid 6, Treble 7, Clean volume 6, Overdrive gain 0. Use the bridge pickup (single-coil) pickup with your guitar's tone on 8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Squier Stratocaster · updated 2026-09-12
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup (single-coil)
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 8 · Volume 8-9
Marshall MG15 knobs
- Gain
- 4.5
- Bass
- 3
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 7
- Clean volume
- 6
- Overdrive gain
- 0
- Overdrive volume
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use a light touch for a jangly, bright sound.
- Incorporate palm muting for added articulation on the riff.
- Experiment with picking dynamics to emphasize the edge tone.
The original rig
What The Killers used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall MG15 actually has.
- Guitar
- Fender Stratocaster (likely American Standard, early 2000s, as used by Dave Keuning on the studio recording)
- Amp
- Fender Hot Rod DeVille (studio recording, 2003 era; Fender-style amp confirmed by multiple sources)
- Gain
- 4.5
- Bass
- 4.5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 8
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Mr. Brightside adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts The Killers's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Marshall MG15 settings for Mr. Brightside?
Set Gain 4.5, Bass 3, Mid 6, Treble 7, Clean volume 6, Overdrive gain 0.
Which pickup should I use for Mr. Brightside?
Bridge pickup (single-coil), with the guitar's tone at 8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did The Killers use on Mr. Brightside?
Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (likely American Standard, early 2000s, as used by Dave Keuning on the studio recording). Amp: Fender Hot Rod DeVille (studio recording, 2003 era; Fender-style amp confirmed by multiple sources).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Squier Stratocaster. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Mr. Brightside on other amps
- Mr. Brightside on Fender Mustang LT25 · 202
- Mr. Brightside on Boss Katana · 94
- Mr. Brightside on Fender Frontman 10G · 88
- Mr. Brightside on Line 6 Helix Floor / LT / Rack · 52
- Mr. Brightside on Fender Champion 20 · 42
- Mr. Brightside on Neural DSP Quad Cortex · 29
- Mr. Brightside on Fender Frontman 15G · 26
- Mr. Brightside on Line 6 POD Go / POD Go Wireless · 24
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.