Tone library / Hum / Stars

Stars amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII

The Hum guitar tone for “Stars”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 50 MkII with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, You'd Prefer An Astronaut (1995) — Main heavy drop-D wall-of-sound riff

Original rig

Gibson Les Paul / Fender Prodigy into Boss DF-2 / SansAmp GT2 driving cranked Orange OR120, Hiwatt DR103, and Mesa Dual Rectifier heads through Ampeg bass cabs

Massive, thick, monolithic 90s space-rock wall of distortion with dense low-mids and fuzzy saturation
Amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII
CHANNELBrown amp typeBOOSTon
GAIN 7 BASS 8 MID 6 TREBLE 5 REVERB 2 MASTER 5
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain7
Bass8
Mid6
Treble5
Reverb2
Master5
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Boss Katana Onboard Booster (Muff Fuzz / Distortion Type)

Engage the Katana's built-in Booster circuit to replicate the Boss DF-2 fuzz-distortion wall

Drive 4 · Tone 5 · Level 7

02Boss DF-2 Super Feedbacker & Distortion

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned

Level 7 · Tone 5 · Dist 8
Why these settings

Hum's monolithic recording tone came from triple-tracked Orange and Hiwatt stacks layered with fuzz-distortion. On the Katana 50 MkII, select the Brown amp voice, push the onboard Boost knob to add clipping saturation, and elevate low-mids to simulate their heavy Ampeg cabinet tracking. Quiet intro: roll guitar volume down to 3 or switch amp type to Clean.

PRO TIPDrop the low E string to D (Drop D tuning) and hit open-position power chords with heavy, flat downstrokes near the bridge to get that massive, sweeping low-end resonance.

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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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