Tone library / Prince & The Revolution / Purple Rain

Purple Rain amp settings — Vox AC30C2

The Prince & The Revolution guitar tone for “Purple Rain”, dialed in for a Vox AC30C2 with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio album cut (tracked live at First Avenue 1983), Purple Rain (1984) — iconic outro lead solo

Original rig

Hohner MadCat Telecaster -> Boss SD-1 / Boss DS-1 -> Mesa/Boogie Mark II head into Bag End D12-M cab -> Boss DM-2 Delay & Boss BF-2 Flanger

Searing, vocal, mid-focused 80s singing lead with rich sustain and top-end cut

Amp settings — Vox AC30C2

CHANNELTop Boost Channel

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	5
Treble	5
Reverb	4
Master	7

Don’t have a Vox AC30C2? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE9 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss DS-1 Distortion

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; essential for Prince's cascading lead sustain

Tone 5 · Level 7 · Dist 7

02Boss BF-2 Flanger

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; adds the subtle slow sweep on the solo

Manual 6 · Depth 4 · Rate 3 · Res 4

03Boss DM-2 Analog Delay

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; provides the warm analog trailing repeats

Repeat Rate 4 · Intensity 4 · Echo 5

Why these settings

The Vox AC30C2 lacks a dedicated midrange knob and has a bright Top Cut circuit (Tone Cut set to around 4 on the amp) instead of a presence control, so we tame the top end to avoid harshness against Prince's smooth Mesa Mark II lead tone. Because you own no distortion pedals, crank the Top Boost gain to 8 to achieve natural power-tube saturation and sustain from the amp alone. If you add the recommended Boss DS-1 in the future, lower the Top Boost channel gain to 3 to use the AC30 as a clean pedal platform.

PRO TIPPrince leaned hard on aggressive index-finger vibrato and pick harmonics on high bends; dig your pick edge into the string right next to the bridge pickup to emulate that singing vocal squeal on the high G and B strings.

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These settings are for a Vox AC30C2. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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