Kickstart My Heart amp settings — Blackstar Fly 3
The Mötley Crüe guitar tone for “Kickstart My Heart”, dialed in for a Blackstar Fly 3 with a Esp Ltd mt130. Studio version, Dr. Feelgood (1989)
Modified Marshall JCM800 (later Soldano SLO-100), Gibson Les Paul with humbuckers, no primary dirt pedals — amp gain driven
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Mid | 4 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Master | 7 |
01Distortion Pedal (e.g., Boss DS-1 or ProCo RAT)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. The Fly 3's overdrive channel lacks sufficient saturation for this tone. A DS-1 ($50 new) or RAT clone will get you 80% there. Run amp clean (gain at 3) if using this pedal.
The Blackstar Fly 3 is a 3-watt practice amp with limited gain on tap — it will not achieve JCM800-level saturation on its own. I pushed the OD channel gain to max (8) and cut mids to 4 to approximate the scooped character, but the amp's small speaker lacks low-end thump. A distortion pedal is essential for authentic results. Your ESP LTD MT-130 with humbuckers matches the original guitar spec well, so no pickup compensation needed.
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These settings are for a Blackstar Fly 3. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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