You give love a bad name amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII
The Bon jovi guitar tone for “You give love a bad name”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 50 MkII with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, Slippery When Wet (1986)
Marshall JCM800 100W, Kramer Pacer/Jackson superstrat with bridge humbucker, Boss SD-1 overdrive, subtle chorus, medium hall reverb
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 6 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Presence | 7 |
| Reverb | 3 |
| Master | 7 |
01TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion
DO NOT USE — this is a scooped high-gain metal pedal, wrong voicing entirely for 80s hard rock crunch. The Brown channel handles the gain.
02Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Use as a boost into the already-crunching Brown channel for solos. This is the actual pedal Sambora used.
03Katana Onboard Chorus (Tone Studio)
Use the CE-1 chorus model in Boss Tone Studio. Subtle and slow—this adds 80s width, not obvious warble.
04Katana Onboard Delay (Tone Studio)
Analog delay model, ~350-400ms. Keep low in mix—just enough trail for solo sustain.
Your Strat's single-coil bridge is brighter and lower-output than Sambora's humbucker Kramers. I pushed mid +1 (to 7) to compensate for the Katana's inherent mid-scoop and your Strat's thinner voice. Treble dropped to 6 to prevent ice-pick. The Brown amp type nails the JCM800 voice—no pedal gain needed. Leave the Fangs OFF; it's designed for scooped modern metal and will destroy the focused midrange this tone requires.
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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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