Hells Bells (AC/DC) guitar tone and amp settings
Hells Bells guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Crunch amp type, low gain (Gain 4.5), forward mids (Middle 6.5), bright top (Treble 6.5), bridge pickup.
Settings for your amp
The song has distinct sounds: Solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.
Hells Bells settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every songAmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Variation
- Off
- Amp Type
- Crunch
- Gain
- 4.5
- Volume
- 6
- Bass
- 4.5
- Middle
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Booster
- 0
- Mod
- 0
- FX
- 0
- Delay Color
- Green
- Delay
- 1
- Reverb
- 0
- Master
- Set to your room
- Power Control
- Set to your room
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
Hells Bells settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40
Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every songThese settings play the solo.
AmpPositive Grid Spark 40
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Type
- Crunch
- Gain
- 5.5
- Bass
- 4.5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Mod
- 0
- Delay
- 1
- Reverb
- 0
- Output
- Set to your room
- App Amp Model
- Plexiglas
- App Drive
- Off
- App Comp/Wah
- Off
- App Mod/EQ
- Off
- App Delay
- Digital Delay
- App Reverb
- Off
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
Hells Bells settings on a Fender Mustang LT25
Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every songAmpFender Mustang LT25
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Model
- 70S ROCK
- Gain
- 4.5
- Volume
- 5
- Treble
- 6
- Bass
- 4.5
- Middle
- 6.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Stomp
- None
- Mod
- None
- Delay
- DELAY
- Reverb
- SMALL ROOM
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
Hells Bells settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble
Amp
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Gain
- 4.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7.5
- Treble
- 6.5
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
Song parts
BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
Solo:
Gain 5.5
.Raise the amp gain slightly for the solo
Song parts
Fender Mustang LT25
Solo:
Gain 5.5
.Push the amp slightly harder for the lead
Song parts
Any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble
Solo:
Gain 5.5
.Raise the gain slightly for the lead.
Why it sounds like that
The intro that became Hells Bells began as a riff Angus Young tapped out on guitar. Angus played a 1971 Gibson SG Standard into 100-watt Super Leads, the old-style ones without the preamp, and his solo rig was run wireless, which added an edge in the middle. Malcolm played a 1963 Gretsch Jet Firebird with a single FilterTron in the bridge position, into a Marshall bass head. Both played through Marshall 4x12 cabinets with G12-65 speakers, the guitars were recorded with Neumann U 67 and U 87 mics, and the two play in unison from different positions. A tiny bit of delay sits in the mix.
- Play the rhythm and lead guitar parts in unison, from different positions.
- Turn the amp up until the guitar starts to sing.
What amp did Malcolm Young use on Hells Bells?
Angus Young · Solo
- Amp
- 100-watt Super Leads[2]
- Platt said all the songs on Back In Black were tracked with Angus Young on lead guitar and Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar. (on the album Back In Black)[1]
- Platt said that on a few occasions a chord or so was dropped into a great take. (on the album Back In Black)[1]
- Angus Young said he used 100-watt Super Leads on Back In Black, the old-style ones without those preamp things. (on the album Back In Black)[2]
- Guitar.com reports one guitar Angus Young used on Back In Black was a 1971 Gibson SG Standard in cherry red. (on the album Back In Black)[3]
- Guitar.com reports Ken Schaffer installed an SVDS wireless transmitter in the back of an SG that Angus Young used on Back In Black. (on the album Back In Black)[3]
- Guitar.com reports Angus Young used a rather rare Marshall JTM50 on Back In Black, along with a 1959 Super Lead. (on the album Back In Black)[3]
- Malcolm Young thought Angus Young used a smaller 50-watt Marshall for his solos on Back In Black. (on the album Back In Black)[2]
- Guitar.com reports Malcolm Young is said to have used his 1963 Gretsch Jet Firebird on pretty much every recording. (on the album Back In Black)[3]
- Guitar World reports Malcolm Young's Gretsch had one FilterTron, in the bridge position. (on the album Back In Black)[2]
- Malcolm Young said he was still using his Marshall bass head on Back In Black. (on the album Back In Black)[2]
- Guitar.com reports Angus and Malcolm Young both played through Marshall 4x12 cabinets with G12-65 speakers. (on the album Back In Black)[3]
- Platt said the guitars were recorded with Neumann U 67 and U 87 mics. (on the album Back In Black)[1]
- Platt said the best combination for him was some of the older 50- and 100-watt heads with the simplest tone controls. (on the album Back In Black)[1]
- Platt said Angus Young's solo rig was run wireless, so the setups differed from room to room. (on the album Back In Black)[1]
- Platt said the wireless has filtering in it, which added quite an edge in the middle area. (on the album Back In Black)[1]
- Platt said there was a tiny bit of delay in the mix. (on the album Back In Black)[1]
- Platt said Angus and Malcolm Young basically play in unison, just in different positions. (on the album Back In Black)[1]
- Platt said you turn an amp up until the guitar starts to sing. (on the album Back In Black)[1]
- Intro: Angus Young said he tapped out a riff on guitar, and it became the intro of Hells Bells. (on this song)[4]
Questions
What amp did Malcolm Young use on Hells Bells?
The sources on this page document Malcolm Young's gear on Hells Bells by AC/DC: guitar, 1963 Gretsch Jet Firebird [3]; pickup, FilterTron [2]; amp, Marshall bass head [2]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Hells Bells settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?
For the Hells Bells guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 4.5, Volume 6, Bass 4.5, Middle 6.5, Treble 6.5, Booster 0, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay Color Green, Delay 1, Reverb 0; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master and Power Control to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Hells Bells settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?
For the Hells Bells guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 5.5, Bass 4.5, Mid 6.5, Treble 6.5, Mod 0, Delay 1, Reverb 0, App Amp Model Plexiglas, App Delay Digital Delay; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Output to your room. These settings play the solo. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Hells Bells settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?
For the Hells Bells guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 70S ROCK, Gain 4.5, Volume 5, Treble 6, Bass 4.5, Middle 6.5, Stomp None, Mod None, Delay DELAY, Reverb SMALL ROOM; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the Hells Bells tone on my own amp?
Yes. The settings above cover 3 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for Hells Bells, using only the controls your gear has.
Get it for your exact rig
KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for this song.
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