EVH 5150 Iconic settings
Panama settings for EVH 5150 Iconic
Van Halen · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Van Halen "Panama" riff tone on a EVH 5150 Iconic, set Gain 8.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 7.5, Presence 6, Resonance 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Jackson King V JS32 · updated 2026-11-03
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
EVH 5150 Iconic knobs
- Gain
- 8.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7.5
- Presence
- 6
- Resonance
- 6
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Burn
- 1
- Boost
- 0
- Overdrive
- 0
- Noise gate
- 4
Built-in effects
- Reverb on · 0.5
Playing tips
- Use palm muting for tight chugging rhythms.
- Focus on aggressive picking for a dynamic attack.
- Experiment with the amp's built-in reverb for added depth.
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
- Kramer 5150 (Frankenstrat-style, custom build by Eddie Van Halen)
- Amp
- Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (run through a Variac, voltage lowered to ~90V)
- Gain
- 8.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7.5
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 2.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Panama 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 Panama?
Set Gain 8.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 7.5, Presence 6, Resonance 6.
Which pickup should I use for Panama?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Van Halen use on Panama?
Guitar: Kramer 5150 (Frankenstrat-style, custom build by Eddie Van Halen). Amp: Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (run through a Variac, voltage lowered to ~90V).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Jackson King V JS32. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Panama 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.