Highway to Hell amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII
The AC/DC guitar tone for “Highway to Hell”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 50 MkII with a Jackson JS32 Dinky. Studio version, Highway to Hell (1979) — iconic main rhythm riff
1970s Marshall 1959 100W Super Lead (jumpered inputs, cranked power amp), Gibson SG Standard (T-Top humbucker in bridge), Schaffer-Vega Diversity System wireless unit
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 5 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Reverb | 1 |
| Master | 5 |
01Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808
Used purely as a clean boost to emulate the preamp kick of the Schaffer-Vega wireless system without adding pedal distortion
The Katana 50 MkII Crunch mode captures the British Plexi breakup character at a moderate gain setting of 5. The ceramic pickups in the Jackson JS32 are hotter than vintage T-Tops, so rolling the guitar volume back to 9 preserves open-chord separation while the TS808 set as a pure boost mimics the Schaffer-Vega's punch. Presence is set to null because the Katana 50 MkII faceplate does not feature a physical presence knob.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Boss Katana 50 MkII. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
Get ToneAdapt on Google PlaySong, 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.