Tone library / Al Di Meola / Land of the midnight sun

Land of the midnight sun amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII

The Al Di Meola guitar tone for “Land of the midnight sun”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 50 MkII with a Fender Player Telecaster. Studio cut, Land of the Midnight Sun (1976)

Original rig

1971 Gibson Les Paul Custom (DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups) straight into a 1970s Marshall 50W JMP 1987 half-stack (bass/mid maxed, treble dialed down)

Thick, punchy jazz-fusion lead with aggressive low-mid sustain and rounded highs for lightning-fast alternate picking
Amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII
CHANNELBrown amp typeBOOSToff
GAIN 7 BASS 7 MID 8 TREBLE 4 REVERB 2 MASTER 5
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain7
Bass7
Mid8
Treble4
Reverb2
Master5
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Onboard Booster (Warm OD / Tube Screamer style)

Enable Katana internal Booster block to add mid-push compression and sustain without mud

Drive 2 · Tone 4 · Level 7
Why these settings

Al Di Meola's signature '70s tone came from high-output DiMarzio humbuckers slamming a cranked 50W Marshall with treble cut and mids/bass dimed. On the Katana 50 MkII, the Brown amp type provides the necessary British power-tube saturation, while pulling treble to 4 and rolling the Telecaster tone knob down to 7 tames single-coil icepick. Engaging the Katana's onboard Booster as a clean mid-push replicates the punch and compression of high-output humbuckers on fast runs.

PRO TIPUse a stiff, heavy pick (1.5mm+) and position your picking hand near the bridge with light palm muting for Di Meola's percussive, staccato articulation.

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These settings are for a Boss Katana 50 MkII. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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