Boss Katana 50 MkII settings
Hot for Teacher settings for Boss Katana 50 MkII
Van Halen · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Van Halen "Hot for Teacher" riff tone on a Boss Katana 50 MkII, set Gain 8.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 7.5, Reverb 0.5, Delay knob 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Epiphone Les Paul · updated 2026-06-10
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana 50 MkII knobs
- Gain
- 8.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7.5
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Delay knob
- 0
- Master volume control
- 8
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (plate) · 4
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in chorus set to 5 for a subtle modulation effect that enhances the high-gain tone.
- Keep your palm muting technique tight to achieve the percussive rhythm attack characteristic of the original tone.
- Focus on an aggressive pick attack to bring out the articulate upper mids and harmonic richness.
The original rig
What Van Halen used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana 50 MkII actually has.
- Guitar
- Kramer 5150 (Frankenstrat-style, single humbucker, maple neck)
- Amp
- Marshall Super Lead 1959 (heavily modded, variac, 100W, EL34s)
- Gain
- 8.5
- Bass
- 5.5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7.5
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 2.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Hot for Teacher adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Van Halen's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Boss Katana 50 MkII settings for Hot for Teacher?
Set Gain 8.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 7.5, Reverb 0.5, Delay knob 0.
Which pickup should I use for Hot for Teacher?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Van Halen use on Hot for Teacher?
Guitar: Kramer 5150 (Frankenstrat-style, single humbucker, maple neck). Amp: Marshall Super Lead 1959 (heavily modded, variac, 100W, EL34s).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Epiphone Les Paul. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Hot for Teacher on other amps
Popular songs on the Boss Katana 50 MkII
- 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
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- 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.