Harley Benton HB-20MFX settings
Beat It settings for Harley Benton HB-20MFX
Michael Jackson · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Michael Jackson "Beat It" solo tone on a Harley Benton HB-20MFX, select the MYTHIC CRUNCH preset, then set Gain 8, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 7, Reverb 0.5, Fx 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 8-10.
Solo settings
Adapted for a HSS Stratocaster · updated 2026-05-10
- Preset / mode
- MYTHIC CRUNCH
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 8-10
Harley Benton HB-20MFX knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 7
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Fx
- 5
- Param
- 5
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 2
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 pick attack to achieve the explosive, saturated lead tone.
- Utilize fast legato and tapping techniques for articulate note separation.
The original rig
What Michael Jackson used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Harley Benton HB-20MFX 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 Harley Benton HB-20MFX for Beat It?
Start from the MYTHIC CRUNCH preset, then set Gain 8, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 7, Reverb 0.5, Fx 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 HSS 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 Harley Benton HB-20MFX
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- The Unforgiven · Metallica
- Seven Nation Army · The White Stripes
- 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.