Highway to Hell amp settings — Harley Benton HB-10G

The AC/DC guitar tone for “Highway to Hell”, dialed in for a Harley Benton HB-10G with a Harley Benton ST-20HSS. Studio version, Highway to Hell (1979) — iconic opening rhythm riff

Original rig

1970s Marshall 1959 100W Super Lead (cranked, jumpered), Gibson SG Standard with T-Top bridge humbucker, Schaffer-Vega Diversity System wireless unit

Cranked Marshall power-amp crunch, mid-forward growl, dynamic and responsive, open chord clarity with pick bite

Amp settings — Harley Benton HB-10G

CHANNELOverdrive switch engaged

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	5
Bass	6
Mid	7
Treble	6
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME9

Signal chain

01Marshall-style Overdrive / Plexi Pedal (e.g., Tone City Golden Plexi or Carl Martin Panama)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; adds genuine Marshall preamp compression and bite to this clean/solid-state practice amp

Drive 5 · Tone 6 · Level 7

Why these settings

The Harley Benton HB-10G has an Overdrive switch alongside a 3-band EQ, but lacks presence and reverb controls. To approximate Angus Young's cranked non-master-volume Plexi crunch, engage the Overdrive switch with gain at 5 to keep the open A, D, and G chords defined rather than fizzy. The bridge humbucker on your ST-20HSS supplies the necessary midrange push, while rolling the guitar volume back slightly to 9 cleans up harsh solid-state clipping.

PRO TIPAngus gets his signature punch from heavy, precise right-hand downstrokes striking right over the bridge pickup with a heavy celluloid pick, allowing chord open strings to ring out fully.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Harley Benton HB-10G. 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.