Boss Katana 100 Gen 3 settings
Billie Jean settings for Boss Katana 100 Gen 3
Michael Jackson · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Michael Jackson "Billie Jean" solo tone on a Boss Katana 100 Gen 3, set Gain 1.5, Bass 4, Mid 5, Treble 5.5, Presence 4, Reverb 0. Use the neck pickup with your guitar's tone on 9-10 and volume on 8-9.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Yamaha Revstar RSE20 · updated 2026-10-08
- Pickup
- Neck pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 9-10 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana 100 Gen 3 knobs
- Gain
- 1.5
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 5
- Treble
- 5.5
- Presence
- 4
- Reverb
- 0
- Fx
- 0
- Bst
- 0
- Contour
- 1
- Variation
- 0
- Solo boost
- 1
- Cab resonance
- 0
- Power control
- 2
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in chorus set to a moderate level to recreate the shimmering effect.
- Maintain a tight picking attack for articulate single-note lines.
- Experiment with the high-pass filter to adjust the brightness as needed.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Gibson Les Paul Studio · updated 2026-08-19
- Pickup
- Neck pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 9-10 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana 100 Gen 3 knobs
- Gain
- 1.5
- Master
- 8
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 5.5
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Tap
- 0
- Solo
- 0
- Contour
- 1
- Fx level
- 0
- Mod level
- 5
- Variation
- 0
- Delay level
- 0
- Reverb level
- 2
- Booster level
- 0
- Cab resonance
- 1
- Power control
- 3
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in chorus set to moderate level for a shimmering effect.
- Keep your picking hand relaxed for a tight, percussive funk rhythm.
- Focus on a staccato attack to maintain clarity and articulation in the riff.
The original rig
What Michael Jackson used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana 100 Gen 3 actually has.
- Guitar
- Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 1980s, session player David Williams)
- Amp
- Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (most widely cited for the riff section in studio recording)
- Gain
- 0
- Bass
- 5.5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 2
Different guitar or pedals? Get Billie Jean adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Michael Jackson's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Boss Katana 100 Gen 3 settings for Billie Jean?
Set Gain 1.5, Bass 4, Mid 5, Treble 5.5, Presence 4, Reverb 0.
Which pickup should I use for Billie Jean?
Neck pickup, with the guitar's tone at 9-10 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Michael Jackson use on Billie Jean?
Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (likely 1970s or early 1980s, session player David Williams). Amp: Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (most widely cited for the riff section in studio recording).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Yamaha Revstar RSE20. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Billie Jean on other amps
Popular songs on the Boss Katana 100 Gen 3
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
- Floods · Pantera
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.