Vox AC30 settings
Mr. Brightside settings for Vox AC30
The Killers · adapted 8 times on ToneAdapt
To get the The Killers "Mr. Brightside" riff tone on a Vox AC30, set Gain 4.5, Bass 4, Treble 7, Reverb 5, Tone cut 3, Reverb tone 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a HSS Stratocaster · updated 2026-11-13
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 8 · Volume 8-9
Vox AC30 knobs
- Gain
- 4.5
- Bass
- 4
- Treble
- 7
- Reverb
- 5
- Tone cut
- 3
- Reverb tone
- 5
- Master volume
- 5
- Tremolo depth
- 0
- Tremolo speed
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb on · 5
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a moderate level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Experiment with the tone cut control to fine-tune the brightness of your sound.
- Maintain a consistent picking attack to preserve the edge and clarity of the riff.
The original rig
What The Killers used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Vox AC30 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 Vox AC30 settings for Mr. Brightside?
Set Gain 4.5, Bass 4, Treble 7, Reverb 5, Tone cut 3, Reverb tone 5.
Which pickup should I use for Mr. Brightside?
Bridge pickup, 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 HSS 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 Vox AC30
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Walk · Pantera
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
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.