Back in black amp settings — Roland Cube-20xl

The Acdc guitar tone for “Back in black”, dialed in for a Roland Cube-20xl with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, Back in Black album (1980), Compass Point Studios with Mutt Lange producing

Original rig

1970/71 Gibson SG Standard (bridge humbucker) → Marshall 1959 Super Lead Plexi 100W cranked, with Schaffer-Vega Diversity System wireless (compressor/boost). No pedals.

Bright, biting British crunch with thick mids, clear note definition, and aggressive pick attack — gritty but not saturated

Amp settings — Roland Cube-20xl

CHANNELLEAD channel (R-FIER amp model)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	5
Bass	4
Mid	8
Treble	6
Reverb	0
Master	7

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The Cube-20XL's R-FIER model approximates Marshall-style voicing. Original Plexi settings were Gain 7, Mid 7, Treble 7, Bass 5 — but the Cube's digital gain runs hotter, so I dropped gain to 5 to avoid fizzy saturation. Mids pushed to 8 because the Cube is inherently scooped compared to a real Plexi. Treble dropped to 6 because your Ibanez's ceramic humbuckers are brighter and hotter than Angus's vintage PAFs. The original tone had zero reverb — it's bone dry.

PRO TIPAngus's crunch comes from pick attack, not amp saturation. Use the thick part of your pick, strike hard near the bridge, and let up for cleaner passages — the amp should clean up when you dig in lighter. Roll your guitar volume to 7-8 for rhythm parts to tighten the low end.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Roland Cube-20xl. 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.