🎸 Hard-Rock · 1970s

The Boys Are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Thin Lizzy · riff

The Boys Are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy guitar tone is built on a Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead — articulate overdrive, dialed in at gain 6/10, bass 6, mid 7, treble 6, presence 5.5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

GAIN

BASS

MID

TREBLE

5.5

PRESENCE

2.5

REVERB

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 540 rock tones in our researched catalog: Gain 6 sits above the rock average (4.8) — a hotter, more saturated take than most rock tones; mids at 7 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Amp: Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead — articulate overdrive

Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson both played Gibson Les Paul Standards into Marshall Super Leads — articulate, mid-forward overdrive (not too much front-end gain). The signature is the TWIN-GUITAR HARMONY (one part a 3rd above the other). Gorham dialed more treble, Robertson kept his EQ neutral.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Marshall Plexi songs & tones →🎚️ Marshall songs & tones →🎚️ Gibson Les Paul songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →

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

Pickups

bridge/neck (Les Paul humbucker)

Effects / signal chain

distortion

Tone character

articulate mid-forward crunch, twin-guitar harmony, melodic, warm Les Paul

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

articulate mid-forward Marshall crunch distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the The Boys Are Back in Town sound.

Difficulty

4/5 · Riff

Playing (or layering) the harmony in 3rds is the work; the tone is an articulate, mid-forward Marshall crunch on a Les Paul — keep gain moderate.

Level: Intermediate — see more intermediate guitar songs →

Worth knowing

The Boys Are Back in Town is an articulate, MID-forward Marshall crunch (Les Paul into a Super Lead) — gain ~6, mids up (~7), don’t over-gain the front end. The signature is the twin-guitar harmony (a 3rd above the melody); layer two parts if you can.
Use a humbucker into a moderate Marshall crunch, push the mids, keep gain controlled, and layer/harmonise the lead in 3rds.
Settings are community-researched starting points, not official recall sheets.

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

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The Boys Are Back in Town guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the The Boys Are Back in Town guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 6, bass 6, mid 7, treble 6, presence 5.5, reverb 2.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the The Boys Are Back in Town tone?

Original gear/effects: Amp: Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead — articulate overdrive; distortion.

Can I get the The Boys Are Back in Town 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.

How do I sound like Thin Lizzy on The Boys Are Back in Town — what gear and pedals?

Start with bridge/neck (Les Paul humbucker), the amp EQ above (gain 6, bass 6, mid 7, treble 6, presence 5.5, reverb 2.5), and distortion. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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Sources

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More like this

🎸 more Hard-Rock guitar tones → · 🎚️ Marshall Plexi settings → · 🎛️ best rock amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎚️ Distortion tone guide → · 🎯 more mid forward tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com