Fender Champion 25 settings
Beat It settings for Fender Champion 25
Michael Jackson · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Michael Jackson "Beat It" solo tone on a Fender Champion 25, select the British 80s preset, then set Gain 8, Bass 5, Treble 7, Fx level 6, Fx select 3. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 8-10.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Squier Stratocaster · updated 2026-06-01
- Preset / mode
- British 80s
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 8-10
Fender Champion 25 knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 5
- Treble
- 7
- Fx level
- 6
- Fx select
- 3
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use aggressive pick attack to emphasize the tight, percussive nature of the tone.
- Incorporate fast legato and tapping passages to match the explosive lead style.
- Utilize the amp's built-in delay set to a moderate level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Squier Stratocaster · updated 2026-06-01
- Preset / mode
- British 70s
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Fender Champion 25 knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Treble
- 7
- Fx level
- 5
- Fx select
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Focus on tight palm muting to achieve that sharp, percussive attack.
- Use aggressive picking to enhance the clarity and note separation in the riff.
- Keep the strumming hand relaxed to maintain control over the dynamics.
The original rig
What Michael Jackson used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Champion 25 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 preset should I use on the Fender Champion 25 for Beat It?
Start from the British 80s preset, then set Gain 8, Bass 5, Treble 7, Fx level 6, Fx select 3.
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 Squier Stratocaster. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Popular songs on the Fender Champion 25
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Heart-Shaped Box · Nirvana
- Creep · Radiohead
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
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.