Tone library / Yngwie Malmsteen / Liar

Liar amp settings — Vox Adio Air

The Yngwie Malmsteen guitar tone for “Liar”, dialed in for a Vox Adio Air with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio cut, Trilogy (1986)

Original rig

1971/1972 Fender Stratocaster (scalloped maple neck, DiMarzio HS-3 pickups) -> DOD Overdrive Preamp 250 -> 1970s Marshall 1987 50W Plexi / JMP (cranked) -> 4x12 Celestion G12T-75 cab

Aggressive, mid-pushed neoclassical hard rock lead and riff tone with sharp pick articulation and tight bottom end
Amp settings — Vox Adio Air
CHANNELBRIT 1959 (or BRIT 800)
GAIN 8 BASS 5 MID 8 TREBLE 7 REVERB 2 MASTER 7
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain8
Bass5
Mid8
Treble7
Reverb2
Master7
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01DOD Overdrive Preamp 250 (or Fender YJM OD)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; adds the signature front-end compression and high-mid boost

Gain 8 · Level 9

02Onboard Mod/Delay (Vox Adio FX1)

Light studio ambience on the Adio's built-in FX knob

FX1 (Analog Delay / Hall) 2
Why these settings

The Vox Adio Air is a modeling desktop amp with no physical presence knob, so presence is nulled. Setting the amp model to BRIT 1959 (or BRIT 800) provides the classic cranked Marshall platform, and pushing the gain to 8 replicates the front-end saturation of Yngwie's boosted Plexi without needing an external OD pedal. For fast scalar runs and sweeping arpeggios, switch your Strat's pickup to the neck position while keeping the tone wide open.

PRO TIPUse a rigid, heavy pick (1.5mm to 2.0mm) and angle it slightly toward the strings to match Yngwie's signature high-speed alternate picking articulation and sharp harmonic snap.

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

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