Tone library / Motorhead / Ace of Spades

Ace of Spades amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII

The Motorhead guitar tone for “Ace of Spades”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 50 MkII with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, Ace of Spades (1980)

Original rig

Marshall JMP 2203 / 1959SLP Plexi, Gibson Les Paul Standard with humbuckers, BOSS SD-1 Super Overdrive for boost

Raw, mid-heavy British crunch with aggressive bite and cutting presence

Amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII

CHANNELCrunchBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	4
Mid	8
Treble	7
Presence	6
Reverb	0

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The Katana Crunch channel approximates the JMP 2203 voicing. Mid pushed to 8 replicates Fast Eddie's aggressive midrange bark — the original ran middle at 10. Bass dropped to 4 because the Katana's low-end is looser than a cranked Plexi. Presence at 6 adds the high-end sizzle without fizz. No pedal needed — the Crunch channel reaches this saturation level cleanly.

PRO TIPUse all downstrokes on the main riff and dig in hard with the pick angled slightly — Eddie's attack was relentless and that percussive strike is half the tone.

Get this tone on your amp

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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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.