Boss Katana Gen 3 50W settings
Beat It settings for Boss Katana Gen 3 50W
Michael Jackson · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Michael Jackson "Beat It" riff tone on a Boss Katana Gen 3 50W, set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 5, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 0.5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Squier Stratocaster · updated 2026-08-10
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana Gen 3 50W knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Ch1 button
- 0
- Ch2 button
- 0
- Tap button
- 0
- Panel button
- 0
- Master volume
- 7
- Power control
- 3
- Variation button
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 2
Playing tips
- Use palm muting for tight chugs to capture the sharp attack of the original riff.
- Focus on a percussive picking style to maintain clarity in each note.
- Experiment with the amp's built-in reverb to add a slight spaciousness without losing clarity.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Squier Stratocaster · updated 2026-08-10
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 8-10
Boss Katana Gen 3 50W knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7.5
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Ch1 button
- 0
- Ch2 button
- 0
- Tap button
- 0
- Panel button
- 0
- Master volume
- 7
- Power control
- 3
- Variation button
- 1
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 2
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in delay set to a moderate level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Maintain a strong pick attack to achieve the explosive, saturated lead tone characteristic of Van Halen's style.
- Focus on fast legato and tapping passages to emulate the original solo's fluidity.
The original rig
What Michael Jackson used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana Gen 3 50W 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 Gen 3 50W settings for Beat It?
Set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 5, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 0.5.
Which pickup should I use for Beat It?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
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 Squier Stratocaster. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Popular songs on the Boss Katana Gen 3 50W
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Sultans of Swing · Dire Straits
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Free Bird · Lynyrd Skynyrd
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
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.