Highway Star by Deep Purple (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

The Highway Star by Deep Purple guitar tone is built on a Marshall Major, dialed in at gain 5.5/10, bass 8, mid 5, treble 7, presence 5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

Amp settings (0–10)

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 5.5 sits below the metal average (7.3) — cleaner and more dynamic than typical metal; mids at 5 are right around average (5.2).

Guitar controls

Original gear

Amp: Marshall Major (with Vox AC30-style character) + treble booster + tape echo

Ritchie Blackmore played a Fender Stratocaster (scalloped fretboard) into cranked Marshalls, often with a Vox AC30’s warmth in the chain plus a treble booster and tape echo. Deep Purple-era EQ: bass cranked (~10), mids ~5, treble ~7, presence ~5. Bright, aggressive, singing.

Gear used on this tone

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

bridge/neck (Strat single-coils)

Effects / signal chain

treble booster, delay

Tone character

bright aggressive Strat, treble-boosted, singing sustain, driving

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

bright aggressive Strat crunch distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Highway Star sound.

Difficulty

5/5 · Riff

The relentless driving riff and the legendary solo are demanding; the tone is a bright, treble-boosted Strat into a cranked Marshall — bass up, mids moderate.

Worth knowing

• Highway Star is a bright, aggressive Strat crunch — a treble-boosted, cranked Marshall (with Vox warmth). Blackmore-era EQ: BASS high (~8-10), mids moderate (~5), treble up (~7). Medium gain that sings, single-coils.
• Use single-coils, a treble booster into a cranked amp, push the bass and treble, keep mids moderate. Brightness and a booster, not high preamp gain.
• Settings are community-researched starting points, not official recall sheets.

🎸 All Highway Star guitar tones — every part & section →

Highway Star guitar tone — FAQ

Share this tone

Sources

• Ritchie Blackmore Gear — Guitar Lobby
• Ritchie Blackmore Gear — Equipboard
• Blackmore on Tone & Gear — Guitar World

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Songs by level: 🎯 Easy  ·  🎸 Intermediate  ·  🔥 Hardest — each with the amp settings.

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