What amp settings do I need for the Kickstart My Heart guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 7, bass 5, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 1.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

Can I get the Kickstart My Heart tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

🎸 Hard-Rock · 1980s

Kickstart My Heart (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

Q: What gear was used for the Kickstart My Heart tone?

Original gear/effects: Amp: Soldano SLO-100 + Marshall 4x12 (with a Boss SD-1 in front); distortion, overdrive.

by Mötley Crüe · riff

The Kickstart My Heart by Mötley Crüe guitar tone is built on a Soldano SLO-100 + Marshall 4x12, dialed in at gain 7/10, bass 5, mid 6, treble 6.5, presence 6 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ Adapt this tone to YOUR guitar & amp — free →

Amp settings (0–10)

GAIN

BASS

MID

6.5

TREBLE

PRESENCE

1.5

REVERB

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

Original gear

Amp: Soldano SLO-100 + Marshall 4x12 (with a Boss SD-1 in front)

Pickups

bridge (Seymour Duncan JB humbucker)

Effects / signal chain

distortion, overdrive

Tone character

thick saturated high-gain, punchy mids, arena-ready, driving

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

thick saturated arena high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Kickstart My Heart sound.

What makes the Kickstart My Heart part tricky

fast riffing, whammy "vroom" intro, energy. GuitarToneAdapt gets the tone right so you can focus on the playing.

Note: Kickstart My Heart is a thick, saturated Soldano SLO-100 high-gain (boosted by a Boss SD-1), hot bridge humbucker. High gain but controlled and punchy — mids up, treble present. Not scooped., Boost a high-gain amp with an overdrive (SD-1-style) for tightness, hot bridge humbucker, mids forward. Saturated but punchy., Settings are community-researched starting points, not official recall sheets.

Get these exact settings for your rig →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

Recognise famous songs from just the amp dials — a quick 10-round game. Beat your friends. Play free →

🎸 Which guitar legend is your tone twin? Take the quiz & share your result →