Fender Champion 20 settings
Eruption settings for Fender Champion 20
Van Halen · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Van Halen "Eruption" solo tone on a Fender Champion 20, select the 80s British preset, then set Gain 8.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 7, Reverb 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Squier Mini Stratocaster · updated 2026-08-04
- Preset / mode
- 80s British
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Fender Champion 20 knobs
- Gain
- 8.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 7
- Reverb
- 0
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in delay set to a moderate level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Focus on aggressive picking to achieve the furious alternate picking characteristic.
- Utilize legato techniques for smooth transitions between notes during runs.
The original rig
What Van Halen used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Champion 20 actually has.
- Guitar
- Frankenstrat (homemade, Boogie Bodies Strat-style ash body, bird’s eye maple neck, vintage Strat tremolo, single Gibson PAF humbucker in bridge)
- Amp
- Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt 'Plexi' (run through Variac at ~90V, Marshall 1960A 4x12 cab, Celestion G12M speakers)
- Gain
- 8.5
- Bass
- 5.5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 0.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Eruption 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 preset should I use on the Fender Champion 20 for Eruption?
Start from the 80s British preset, then set Gain 8.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 7, Reverb 0.
Which pickup should I use for Eruption?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 10 and volume at 10.
What gear did Van Halen use on Eruption?
Guitar: Frankenstrat (homemade, Boogie Bodies Strat-style ash body, bird’s eye maple neck, vintage Strat tremolo, single Gibson PAF humbucker in bridge). Amp: Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt 'Plexi' (run through Variac at ~90V, Marshall 1960A 4x12 cab, Celestion G12M speakers).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Squier Mini Stratocaster. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Eruption on other amps
More Van Halen on the Fender Champion 20
All Van Halen tones →Popular songs on the Fender Champion 20
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Mr. Brightside · The Killers
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Highway to Hell · 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.