Marshall DSL40CR settings
Panama settings for Marshall DSL40CR
Van Halen · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Van Halen "Panama" riff tone on a Marshall DSL40CR, set Gain 8, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Presence 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Gibson Les Paul · updated 2026-03-10
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 8-9
Marshall DSL40CR knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 6
Playing tips
- Use tight palm muting for chugging rhythms.
- Focus on dynamic pick attack to achieve clarity in notes.
- Experiment with picking harder for more aggressive tones.
The original rig
What Van Halen used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall DSL40CR 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 Marshall DSL40CR settings for Panama?
Set Gain 8, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Presence 6.
Which pickup should I use for Panama?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 10 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 Gibson Les Paul. 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
More Van Halen on the Marshall DSL40CR
All Van Halen tones →Popular songs on the Marshall DSL40CR
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Walk · Pantera
- Welcome To The Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
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.