Fender Champion 100 settings
Beat It settings for Fender Champion 100
Michael Jackson · adapted 5 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Michael Jackson "Beat It" solo tone on a Fender Champion 100, set Gain 8, Volume 7, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 7.5, Fx level 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 8-10.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Ibanez Gio · updated 2026-10-16
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 8-10
Fender Champion 100 knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Volume
- 7
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 7.5
- Fx level
- 5
- Fx select
- 7
Built-in effects
- Delay on
- Reverb on (Spring) · 5
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in delay set to a moderate level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Adjust your picking dynamics to achieve the explosive, saturated lead tone characteristic of Eddie Van Halen.
- Focus on clear articulation of notes during fast legato and tapping passages.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Jackson Dinky · updated 2026-03-01
- Preset / mode
- 70s British
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Fender Champion 100 knobs
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 7
- Reverb
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 2
Playing tips
- Use palm muting on lower strings for added tightness.
- Focus on aggressive picking for a punchy attack.
- Experiment with dynamics to bring out the crunch in the riff.
The original rig
What Michael Jackson used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Champion 100 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 Fender Champion 100 settings for Beat It?
Set Gain 8, Volume 7, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 7.5, Fx level 5.
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?
These settings were adapted for a Ibanez Gio. 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 Fender Champion 100
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Walk · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
- Pride and Joy · Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- 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.