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Beat It (Michael Jackson) guitar tone and amp settings

Beat It guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Clean amp type, low gain (Gain 3.5), smooth top (Treble 6), balanced lows (Bass 4.5), bridge pickup.

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

The song has distinct sounds: Solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.

Beat It settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every song

AmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

VariationOff
Amp TypeClean
Gain3.5
Volume6Balances the amp section without adding excess loudness.
Bass4.5
Middle5.5
Treble6
Booster0
Mod0
FX0
Delay0
Reverb ColorGreen
Reverb1
Set to your roomMaster
Set to your roomPower Control

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the rhythm attack firm.
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Variation
Off
Amp Type
Clean
Gain
3.5
Volume
6
Bass
4.5
Middle
5.5
Treble
6
Booster
0
Mod
0
FX
0
Delay
0
Reverb Color
Green
Reverb
1
Master
Set to your room
Power Control
Set to your room

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
7

Beat It settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40

Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every song

AmpPositive Grid Spark 40

Amp TypeCrunch
Gain3.2
Bass4.5
Mid5.5
Treble6.2
Set to your roomMaster
Mod0
Delay0
Reverb0.8
Set to your roomOutput
App Amp ModelAmerican Deluxein the app, optional
App DriveOffin the app, optional
App Comp/WahOffin the app, optional
App Mod/EQOffin the app, optional
App DelayEcho Tapein the app, optional
App ReverbOffin the app, optional

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output for a firm, consistent amp response
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Type
Crunch
Gain
3.2
Bass
4.5
Mid
5.5
Treble
6.2
Master
Set to your room
Mod
0
Delay
0
Reverb
0.8
Output
Set to your room
App Amp Model
American Deluxe
App Drive
Off
App Comp/Wah
Off
App Mod/EQ
Off
App Delay
Echo Tape
App Reverb
Off

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
7

Beat It settings on a Fender Mustang LT25

Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every song

AmpFender Mustang LT25

Amp ModelDELUXE CLNin the menu
Gain4.5
Volume6Set preset level to suit your output and room.
Treble6
Bass4.5
Middle5.5in the menu
Set to your roomMaster
StompNonein the menu
ModNonein the menu
DelayNonein the menu
ReverbSMALL ROOMin the menu

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the rhythm attack firm.
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Model
DELUXE CLN
Gain
4.5
Volume
6
Treble
6
Bass
4.5
Middle
5.5
Master
Set to your room
Stomp
None
Mod
None
Delay
None
Reverb
SMALL ROOM

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
7

Beat It settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

Amp

Gain5.5
Bass4
Mid6
Treble5.5

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output to drive the amp into a crunchy rhythm sound.
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
5.5
Bass
4
Mid
6
Treble
5.5

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
7

A tape-delay pedal would better recreate the solo’s Echoplex sound.

Song parts

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

  1. Solo:

    Amp Type Brown, Gain 7.5, Middle 6, Treble 6.5, Delay Color Red, Delay 2

    .

    Use the bridge pickup and let the delay trail.

Song parts

Positive Grid Spark 40

  1. Solo:

    Amp Type Hi-Gain, Gain 6.8, Delay 2.2, App Amp Model Insane

    .

    Add tape echo and use wide, expressive bends

Song parts

Fender Mustang LT25

  1. Solo:

    Amp Model 70S ROCK, Gain 7, Delay ECHO

    .

    Use the bridge pickup and let the echo trails ring.

Song parts

Any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

  1. Solo:

    Gain 8, Mid 7, Treble 6.5

    .

    Add short tape delay and lean into wide bends.

The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Why it sounds like that

Guitar strings over the frets, close up

Eddie Van Halen’s solo was played through a modified Hartley Thompson amp that he had borrowed from Allan Holdsworth, with his Frankenstrat guitar and an Echoplex tape delay. Steve Lukather played the rhythm guitars, quadruple-tracked them, and then reduced them to a double track. His first rhythm sound came from a quad-speakered Marshall cab and amp, and for a warmer sound he switched to his Rivera-modded Fender Deluxe. The verse riff had run for a long stretch before Lukather suggested a variation. The section Van Halen was asked to solo over had no chord changes, so he rearranged the song.

  • Quadruple-track the rhythm guitars, then cut them back to a double track.
  • Vary the verse riff instead of letting one riff repeat for a long stretch.

What amp did Steve Lukather use on Beat It?

A guitarist’s pedalboard, a dozen pedals cabled together

Steve Lukather

Amp
Fender Deluxe[2]

Eddie Van Halen · Solo

Guitar
Frankenstrat[2]
Amp
Hartley Thompson[2]
Effects
Echoplex tape delay[2]
  • Solo: Guitar Player says Quincy Jones called on Van Halen to record the solo. (on this song)[1]
  • Van Halen says the section he was asked to solo over had no chord changes, so he rearranged the song. (on this song)[1]
  • MusicRadar says Lukather recorded his rhythm guitar parts through a quad-speakered Marshall cab and amp. (on this song)[2]
  • MusicRadar says Lukather reached for his old Paul Rivera-modded 1968 Fender Deluxe. (on this song)[2]
  • Guitar Player says a Marshall stack was swapped for a Fender Deluxe to give the track a warmer sound. (on this song)[1]
  • Guitar Player says Lukather quadruple-tracked his rhythm guitars, then reduced them to a double track. (on this song)[1]
  • Verse: Lukather says the riff had been going for something like 45 bars before he suggested a variation in the verse. (on this song)[2]
  • Solo: MusicRadar says Van Halen fired up a modified Hartley Thompson amp borrowed from Allan Holdsworth for the solo. (on this song)[2]
  • Solo: MusicRadar says Van Halen also used his favourite Echoplex tape delay and his Frankenstrat for the solo. (on this song)[2]

Questions

What amp did Steve Lukather use on Beat It?

The sources on this page document Steve Lukather's gear on Beat It by Michael Jackson: amp, Fender Deluxe [2]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.

What are the Beat It settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?

For the Beat It guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Clean, Gain 3.5, Volume 6, Bass 4.5, Middle 5.5, Treble 6, Booster 0, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb Color Green, Reverb 1; 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 Beat It settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?

For the Beat It guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 3.2, Bass 4.5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.2, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0.8, App Amp Model American Deluxe, App Delay Echo Tape; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master and Output to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Beat It settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?

For the Beat It guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model DELUXE CLN, Gain 4.5, Volume 6, Treble 6, Bass 4.5, Middle 5.5, Stomp None, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb SMALL ROOM; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

Can I get the Beat It 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 Beat It, 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.

Download KnobMaster on the App Store