Boss Katana settings
Beat It settings for Boss Katana
Michael Jackson · adapted 14 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Michael Jackson "Beat It" solo tone on a Boss Katana, 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
updated 2026-11-06
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 8-10
Boss Katana knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7.5
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Fx
- 0
- Bst
- 5
- Power control
- 2
Built-in effects
- Delay on
- 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 a tight picking technique to achieve the percussive attack characteristic of the original tone.
Riff settings
updated 2026-07-08
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 0
- Solo
- 0
- Contour
- 0
- Power control
- 3
- Cabinet resonance
- 2
Playing tips
- Use tight palm muting on the lower strings for percussive chugs.
- Maintain a sharp attack with your picking hand to emphasize note clarity.
- Keep your amp's reverb low to maintain a dry, punchy sound.
The original rig
What Michael Jackson used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana 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 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?
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
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
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.