EVH 5150 Iconic settings
"5150" settings for EVH 5150 Iconic
Van Halen · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Van Halen ""5150"" riff tone on a EVH 5150 Iconic, set Gain 8, Bass 6, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 6.5, Resonance 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a EVH Frankenstrat · updated 2026-06-06
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
EVH 5150 Iconic knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Presence
- 6.5
- Resonance
- 6
- Burn
- 1
- Boost
- 0
- Overdrive
- 0
- Noise gate
- 4
Playing tips
- Focus on tight palm muting for chugging riffs.
- Use aggressive picking for a percussive attack.
- Keep notes articulate and clear, especially during fast passages.
The original rig
What Van Halen used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your EVH 5150 Iconic actually has.
- Guitar
- Ernie Ball Music Man Eddie Van Halen Signature (EVH) or Kramer 5150 (exact model debated, but most sources and photos from the 5150 album era indicate the Kramer 5150 with a single humbucker was used for the riff section)
- Amp
- Peavey 5150 head (original block letter, 100W, used for the 5150 album studio recording)
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get "5150" 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 EVH 5150 Iconic settings for "5150"?
Set Gain 8, Bass 6, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 6.5, Resonance 6.
Which pickup should I use for "5150"?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 10 and volume at 10.
What gear did Van Halen use on "5150"?
Guitar: Ernie Ball Music Man Eddie Van Halen Signature (EVH) or Kramer 5150 (exact model debated, but most sources and photos from the 5150 album era indicate the Kramer 5150 with a single humbucker was used for the riff section). Amp: Peavey 5150 head (original block letter, 100W, used for the 5150 album studio recording).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a EVH Frankenstrat. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
"5150" on other amps
Popular songs on the EVH 5150 Iconic
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Welcome To The Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- War Pigs · Black Sabbath
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Back In Black · AC/DC
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.