Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 settings
Beat It settings for Boss Katana 50 Gen 3
Michael Jackson · adapted 8 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Michael Jackson "Beat It" solo tone on a Boss Katana 50 Gen 3, set Gain 8, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 7.5, Reverb 0.5, Fx 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 8-10.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Ibanez RGRT421 · updated 2026-10-23
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 8-10
Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7.5
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Fx
- 0
- Bst
- 5
- Variation
- 1
- Power control
- 2
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (Spring) · 0.5
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in delay set to a moderate level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Engage the booster for added saturation and volume during the solo.
- Maintain aggressive pick attack to achieve the explosive, saturated lead tone.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Ibanez GRG121DX-BKF · updated 2026-07-28
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 knobs
- Gain
- 6
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 7
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Contour
- 1
- Gain control
- 6
- Master volume
- 7
- Power control
- 3
- Volume control
- 8
- Variation button
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 2
Playing tips
- Use tight palm muting for chugging sections to achieve a sharp attack.
- Focus on maintaining clear note separation during the riff.
- Experiment with picking dynamics to enhance the percussive quality of the notes.
The original rig
What Michael Jackson used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 actually has.
- Guitar
- Charvel 'Frankie' Strat-style (Eddie Van Halen's custom guitar, likely with Floyd Rose tremolo)
- Amp
- Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W (Jose Arredondo modded, with Variac)
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7.5
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 1.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Beat It 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 50 Gen 3 settings for Beat It?
Set Gain 8, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 7.5, Reverb 0.5, Fx 0.
Which pickup should I use for Beat It?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 10 and volume at 8-10.
What gear did Michael Jackson use on Beat It?
Guitar: Charvel 'Frankie' Strat-style (Eddie Van Halen's custom guitar, likely with Floyd Rose tremolo). Amp: Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W (Jose Arredondo modded, with Variac).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Ibanez RGRT421. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Beat It on other amps
Popular songs on the Boss Katana 50 Gen 3
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Sultans of Swing · Dire Straits
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
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.