Tone library / kiss / duece

duece amp settings — Vox VT40X

The kiss guitar tone for “duece”, dialed in for a Vox VT40X with a Ibanez RG550. Studio version, KISS self-titled debut (1974)

Original rig

Marshall 100W heads (likely JMP/Plexi), Gibson humbucker guitars (Stanley's Marauder prototype, Frehley's Les Paul), minimal effects — raw amp crunch

Gritty mid-forward 70s hard rock crunch with raw edge and punchy attack
Amp settings — Vox VT40X
CHANNELUK ROCK (closest to Marshall JMP/Plexi voicing)BRIGHToffBOOSToff
GAIN 6 BASS 5 MID 7 TREBLE 6 PRESENCE 5 REVERB 0 MASTER 7
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain6
Bass5
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Reverb0
Master7
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10
Why these settings

Your RG550's hotter output humbuckers approximate the Les Paul/Marauder output well. The VT40X's UK ROCK model nails the Marshall JMP voicing — mid pushed to 7 captures that 70s bark. Gain at 6 gives edge-of-breakup crunch without modern saturation. Treble dropped from a real Marshall setting because the RG's pickups are brighter than PAF-style humbuckers.

PRO TIPRoll your guitar volume to 7-8 for the verses to clean up slightly, then slam it to 10 for choruses — Stanley and Frehley used volume knob dynamics constantly on this era of recordings.

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