Thunderstruck amp settings — Friedman BE-100 Deluxe

The AC/DC guitar tone for “Thunderstruck”, dialed in for a Friedman BE-100 Deluxe with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, The Razors Edge (1990)

Original rig

Gibson SG Standard (bridge humbucker) → Marshall 1959SLP Plexi Super Lead (Gain 7, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 7, Presence 6, cranked to power amp breakup)

Bright, aggressive lead tone with crisp attack, sustain from power amp saturation, and cutting upper-mid presence — no pedals, all amp

Amp settings — Friedman BE-100 Deluxe

CHANNELBE Channel (not HBE) — cleaner breakup profile closer to Plexi edge-of-breakupBRIGHToffBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	5
Bass	4
Mid	7
Treble	6
Presence	5
Reverb	0
Master	7

Don’t have a Friedman BE-100 Deluxe? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The Friedman BE-100 is hotter and more saturated than a Plexi, so gain drops from 7 to 5 to avoid over-compression. Your Strat's single-coil bridge is brighter and lower-output than the SG's humbucker — treble reduced from 7 to 6 and presence from 6 to 5 to prevent ice-pick highs, while mid stays at 7 to compensate for the Strat's thinner midrange. Use the BE channel, not HBE, for the cleaner breakup character.

PRO TIPThe intro's machine-gun attack comes from right-hand palm muting the open B string while your left hand hammers on and pulls off — pick hand stays planted on the string near the bridge to control sustain and keep notes staccato. Angle your pick slightly for more snap on the attack.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Friedman BE-100 Deluxe. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Friedman BE-100 Deluxe settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP Thunderstruck on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP AC/DC tonesALL SONGS Fender Player Stratocaster tonesSAME GUITAR Tone libraryEVERYTHING

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.