Back In Black amp settings — laney Laney LX10

The AC/DC guitar tone for “Back In Black”, dialed in for a laney Laney LX10 with a yamaha yamaha pacifica 012. Studio version, Back In Black album (1980), Compass Point Studios, produced by Mutt Lange

Original rig

1968/1971 Gibson SG Standard (bridge humbucker) → Schaffer Vega Diversity System wireless → Marshall 1959 Super Lead Plexi 100W cranked, 4x12 cab with G12-65 speakers

Crunchy, mid-forward British overdrive with bright attack and tight low end — no effects, pure amp breakup

Amp settings — laney Laney LX10

CHANNELDrive channel

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	4
Mid	7
Treble	5
Presence	0
Reverb	0
Master	8

Don’t have a laney Laney LX10? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Overdrive pedal (RECOMMENDED — not currently owned)

RECOMMENDED — not owned. A Boss SD-1 or Tube Screamer clone will add the harmonic saturation and midrange push the LX10 cannot produce on its own. This compensates for the amp's limited gain structure and solid-state voicing.

Drive 4 · Tone 6 · Level 7

Why these settings

The Laney LX10 is a small solid-state practice amp with a scooped, fizzy voicing — the opposite of a cranked Plexi's warm, compressed midrange bark. I pushed mids to 7 and pulled treble to 5 to counteract the LX10's harsh highs and weak mids. Bass dropped to 4 because the LX10 gets muddy fast in a small speaker. Without an overdrive pedal, you will not achieve the harmonic richness of Angus's tone — the amp's gain channel produces fizz, not singing breakup.

PRO TIPDig in hard with your pick near the bridge and use downstrokes on the main riff — Angus's attack is aggressive and percussive, which is half the tone. Roll your guitar's tone knob to 8 to tame the Pacifica's ceramic single-coil bridge pickup brightness that the SG's humbucker didn't have.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a laney Laney LX10. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.