Ready to Fly amp settings — Peavey 5150
The Masayoshi Takanaka guitar tone for “Ready to Fly”, dialed in for a Peavey 5150 with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, Takanaka (1977) — the original recording featuring the iconic guitar ensemble intro and lead work
Yamaha SG1000 with humbuckers through Mesa Boogie Mark II (Takanaka's primary distortion source in this era), likely with MXR Dyna Comp for sustain and Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble for width; recorded at Polydor Studio Tokyo with period-appropriate outboard compression
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 5 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 4 |
01Compressor (RECOMMENDED — MXR Dyna Comp style)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; essential for the singing sustain and even dynamics of 70s fusion lead tone
The 5150 is voiced for modern high-gain metal with scooped mids and aggressive presence — the opposite of Takanaka's warm, mid-forward fusion tone. Gain stays moderate (5) because the original Mesa Mark II saturation was smoother and less saturated than the 5150's cascaded preamp. Mid pushed to 7 compensates for the 5150's inherent scoop. Presence pulled to 4 tames the 5150's aggressive high-frequency bite that would kill the warm 70s character. Your Strat's single coils are brighter and thinner than the SG1000's humbuckers — neck pickup with tone rolled to 6 warms the attack.
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These settings are for a Peavey 5150. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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