Highway to Hell amp settings — Fender Twin Reverb

The AC/DC guitar tone for “Highway to Hell”, dialed in for a Fender Twin Reverb with a Ibanez JEM7V Steve Vai. Studio version, Highway to Hell album (1979), Roundhouse Studios, London

Original rig

Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W Plexi, Gibson SG Standard (1968) with humbuckers, Schaffer-Vega wireless (acted as preamp boost), no pedals

Crunchy mid-forward rhythm with tight low end, glassy top-end bite, and natural tube compression

Amp settings — Fender Twin Reverb

CHANNELVibrato channel (bright switch engaged)BRIGHTon

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	0
Bass	5
Mid	8
Treble	5
Presence	4
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Tube Screamer (TS9 or clone)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for this tone on a Twin Reverb. The TS provides the mid-push and grit that Angus got from cranked Plexi power tubes. Without this pedal, the Twin stays clean and glassy — you will not achieve the AC/DC crunch.

Drive 5 · Tone 6 · Level 7

Why these settings

The Twin Reverb is a clean-headroom monster with scooped mids — the opposite of a cranked Plexi. Mid pushed to 8 compensates for the Fender scoop vs Marshall's natural mid-hump. Treble dropped to 5 because the Twin's treble shelf sits higher and brighter than a Plexi, and your JEM's DiMarzio humbuckers are already articulate. A Tube Screamer is mandatory here — the Twin will not break up into crunch at sane volumes, and the TS mid-boost mimics the Plexi's voice.

PRO TIPAngus's right-hand attack is 70% of the tone — dig in hard with the pick angled slightly, and let the notes bark. Roll your guitar volume to 8 for the verse to clean up slightly, then slam it to 10 for the chorus.

Get this tone on your amp

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

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