Boss Katana settings
Unchained settings for Boss Katana
Van Halen · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Van Halen "Unchained" riff tone on a Boss Katana, set Gain 7.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 7, Presence 6, Reverb 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a EVH 5150 Series Matte Black · updated 2026-09-25
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana knobs
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 0
- Solo
- 0
- Contour
- 0
- Power control
- 3
- Cabinet resonance
- 1
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in flanger set to a moderate level to recreate the swirling effect on riff accents.
- Maintain a tight palm muting technique for the chugging parts to achieve that aggressive attack.
- Experiment with your picking dynamics to enhance the articulate response of the notes.
The original rig
What Van Halen used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana actually has.
- Guitar
- Frankenstrat (custom-built Strat-style, maple neck, single humbucker, Floyd Rose tremolo)
- Amp
- Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (run through a Variac, voltage lowered to ~90V, with dummy load and re-amped to cab)
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Unchained 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 settings for Unchained?
Set Gain 7.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 7, Presence 6, Reverb 0.
Which pickup should I use for Unchained?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Van Halen use on Unchained?
Guitar: Frankenstrat (custom-built Strat-style, maple neck, single humbucker, Floyd Rose tremolo). Amp: Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (run through a Variac, voltage lowered to ~90V, with dummy load and re-amped to cab).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a EVH 5150 Series Matte Black. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Unchained on other amps
More Van Halen on the Boss Katana
All Van Halen tones →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.