Thunderstruck amp settings — Zen6 Cyd-10

The AC/DC guitar tone for “Thunderstruck”, dialed in for a Zen6 Cyd-10 with a Zeny Stratocaster. Studio version, The Razors Edge (1990) — iconic intro riff

Original rig

1963 Gretsch Jet Firebird (Filter'Tron humbucker), 1971 Marshall JMP Super Bass 100W, Marshall 1960B 4x12 (V30s), straight in with no pedals

Tight, clangy rhythm crunch with midrange honk, minimal bass, power-amp grind without preamp fizz — clean-loud on the edge of breakup

Amp settings — Zen6 Cyd-10

CHANNELOverdrive channelBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	6
Bass	2
Treble	5
Reverb	0
Master	6

Don’t have a Zen6 Cyd-10? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The Zen6 Cyd-10 is a compact solid-state practice amp with simple 2-band EQ and no mid control, so bass is cut hard to replicate the JMP Super Bass's tight low-end and prevent small-speaker flub. To compensate for the thin, bright single-coil bridge pickup on the Zeny Strat versus a thick Filter'Tron humbucker, gain is set to 6 for power-amp-style crunch and the guitar tone knob is rolled back to 8 to tame harsh treble. Keep the amp completely dry without reverb to preserve the punchy, direct attack of the original recording.

PRO TIPPick firmly with heavy downstrokes near the bridge to accentuate the metallic attack, and mute unused strings strictly with the fretting hand's index finger while executing the open-string pull-offs.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Zen6 Cyd-10. 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.