Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier settings
Highway to Hell settings for Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
AC/DC · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the AC/DC "Highway to Hell" riff tone on a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, set Gain 6, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Presence 6, Solo 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Gibson Les Paul · updated 2026-10-16
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier knobs
- Gain
- 6
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 6
- Solo
- 0
- Output
- 5
- Bold spongy
- 0
- Rectifier select
- 0
Playing tips
- Maintain a strong palm muting technique for tight, punchy riffs.
- Use a consistent picking attack to emphasize the aggressive nature of the riff.
- Focus on clarity in each note to preserve the raw energy of the tone.
The original rig
What AC/DC used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier actually has.
- Guitar
- Gibson SG Standard (late 1960s, likely 1968-1970, stock humbuckers)
- Amp
- Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (plexi, late 1960s/early 1970s, no master volume)
- Gain
- 6
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0
Different guitar or pedals? Get Highway to Hell adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts AC/DC's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier settings for Highway to Hell?
Set Gain 6, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Presence 6, Solo 0.
Which pickup should I use for Highway to Hell?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did AC/DC use on Highway to Hell?
Guitar: Gibson SG Standard (late 1960s, likely 1968-1970, stock humbuckers). Amp: Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (plexi, late 1960s/early 1970s, no master volume).
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.
Highway to Hell on other amps
- Highway to Hell on Fender Mustang LT25 · 202
- Highway to Hell on Boss Katana · 181
- Highway to Hell on Line 6 Helix Floor / LT / Rack · 103
- Highway to Hell on Boss GT-1000 · 59
- Highway to Hell on Neural DSP Quad Cortex · 47
- Highway to Hell on Fender Tone Master Pro · 46
- Highway to Hell on Fender Champion 20 · 41
- Highway to Hell on Positive Grid Spark · 40
Popular songs on the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Man in the Box · Alice in Chains
- Through Struggle · As I Lay Dying
- Walk with Me In Hell · Lamb of God
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
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.