Tone library / White Snake / Is this love

Is this love amp settings — Ashton GA10

The White Snake guitar tone for “Is this love”, dialed in for a Ashton GA10 with a Ashton AG232MBK. Studio version, Whitesnake (1987 album)

Original rig

John Sykes: 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom with Dirty Fingers humbuckers (bridge) → Jose Arredondo-modified Marshall JCM800 2204 (50W) → Marshall 1960B 4x12 with Celestion G12-65s. Studio rack effects: Roland Dimension D stereo chorus, Yamaha SPX90 delay, Lexicon 224 hall reverb.

Smooth, saturated 80s power ballad lead with singing sustain, wide stereo chorus shimmer, and lush reverb depth
Amp settings — Ashton GA10
GAIN 7 BASS 6 TREBLE 5 MASTER 6
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain7
Bass6
Treble5
Master6
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Distortion/Overdrive Pedal

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. A Boss DS-1, Joyo Vintage Overdrive, or any affordable TS-style or distortion pedal will provide the smooth saturation the Ashton amp cannot produce alone. Set for medium-high gain with treble rolled back slightly to avoid harshness.

Gain/Drive 6 · Tone 6 · Level/Volume 7

02Chorus Pedal

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for this tone. A Boss CH-1, Donner Tutti Love, or any budget analog-voiced chorus. Slow rate, high depth creates the wide 80s shimmer.

Rate/Speed 3 · Depth 7

03Delay Pedal

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Set to quarter-note timing (~680ms at 88 BPM). Digital or analog delay works. Boss DD-3, Donner Yellow Fall, or similar budget options.

Time 5 · Feedback/Repeats 3 · Level/Mix 5

04Reverb Pedal

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Hall or plate reverb with long decay (2-3 seconds) for arena depth. TC Electronic Skysurfer or Donner Verb Square are budget-friendly.

Decay/Time 6 · Mix/Level 5
Why these settings

The Ashton GA10 is a small solid-state practice amp with only gain, bass, treble, and master volume — no mid, presence, or reverb controls. Its clean channel cannot produce the high-gain saturation of Sykes' modded JCM800, so a distortion pedal is mandatory. Amp gain at 7 adds slight warmth without muddy breakup; bass at 6 compensates for the small speaker's thin low-end. Treble at 5 avoids the harshness solid-state amps can produce at higher settings. The Ashton AG232MBK's ceramic humbuckers are hotter than vintage PAFs, so the recommended pedal's gain stays moderate.

PRO TIPRoll your guitar's tone knob to 7 to tame the bridge pickup's ice-pick frequencies and get closer to Sykes' creamy vocal-like sustain on the solo bends — he often backed off his tone slightly for smoother singing notes.

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These settings are for a Ashton GA10. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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