Marshall SV20H settings
Mean Street settings for Marshall SV20H
Van Halen · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Van Halen "Mean Street" solo tone on a Marshall SV20H, set Gain 8, Bass 6, Mid 7.5, Treble 7, Presence 6.5, Loudness 1 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 6-7 and volume on 7-8.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Frankenstein · updated 2026-05-27
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 6-7 · Volume 7-8
Marshall SV20H knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7.5
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6.5
- Loudness 1
- 6
- Loudness 2
- 5
- Power scaling
- 10
Playing tips
- Focus on aggressive pick attack for explosive harmonics.
- Use finger vibrato to enhance sustain on notes.
- Incorporate dynamic picking to emphasize articulation.
Riff settings
Adapted for a HSS Stratocaster · updated 2026-05-27
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Marshall SV20H knobs
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Loudness 1
- 7
- Loudness 2
- 3
- Power scaling
- 8
Playing tips
- Focus on percussive muting for tight, explosive notes.
- Use aggressive picking to enhance the dynamic punch.
- Incorporate tapping techniques for added flair.
The original rig
What Van Halen used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall SV20H actually has.
- Guitar
- Frankenstrat (custom-built Strat-style guitar by Eddie Van Halen, maple neck, single humbucker in bridge position)
- Amp
- Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (heavily modded, run with Variac at ~90V, EL34 tubes, no master volume)
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Mean Street 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 SV20H settings for Mean Street?
Set Gain 8, Bass 6, Mid 7.5, Treble 7, Presence 6.5, Loudness 1 6.
Which pickup should I use for Mean Street?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 6-7 and volume at 7-8.
What gear did Van Halen use on Mean Street?
Guitar: Frankenstrat (custom-built Strat-style guitar by Eddie Van Halen, maple neck, single humbucker in bridge position). Amp: Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (heavily modded, run with Variac at ~90V, EL34 tubes, no master volume).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Frankenstein. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Mean Street on other amps
More Van Halen on the Marshall SV20H
All Van Halen tones →Popular songs on the Marshall SV20H
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- 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.