Tone library / White Snake / Is This Love

Is This Love amp settings — Positive Grid Spark 40

The White Snake guitar tone for “Is This Love”, dialed in for a Positive Grid Spark 40 with a Solar Guitars AB2.6JC. Studio version, Whitesnake (1987) — John Sykes lead/rhythm tone

Original rig

Gibson Les Paul Custom with neck pickup, Marshall JCM800 2203 at medium gain, Boss CE-2 Chorus (slow rate, moderate depth), Alesis MidiVerb hall reverb

Warm, singing ballad tone with lush chorus shimmer — neck pickup saturation with vocal-like sustain and wide stereo spread

Amp settings — Positive Grid Spark 40

CHANNELMarshall Plexi or JCM800 modelBRIGHToffBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	5
Bass	6
Mid	7
Treble	5
Presence	5
Reverb	6

Don’t have a Positive Grid Spark 40? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE8 VOLUME8

Signal chain

01Spark built-in Chorus

Enable chorus block — slow rate, moderate depth for the 80s shimmer

Speed 3 · Depth 6 · Level 6

Why these settings

Your Solar's Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers run hotter and brighter than Sykes' PAF-style Les Paul pickups. Dropped treble by 2 and presence by 1 vs the JCM800 original to compensate for the active pickup's extended high-end. Raised bass +1 because the Spark's digital Marshall models are leaner in the low-mids than a real JCM800. Neck pickup is essential — bridge will kill the warmth.

PRO TIPRoll your guitar volume to 6-7 during the verse arpeggios for the clean-ish shimmer, then punch it to 10 for the chorus power chords and solo — Sykes uses this dynamic technique rather than switching channels.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Positive Grid Spark 40. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

Get ToneAdapt on Google Play

More tones for the Positive Grid Spark 40

JealousEyesress Money for nothingDire straits Cowboys from hellPantera Ain't Talkin' 'Bout LoveVan Halen Unchain the nightDokken Smells like a teen spiritNirvana

Find your amp

Browse

Positive Grid Spark 40 settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP Is This Love on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Tone libraryEVERYTHING

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.