Marshall SV20H settings
Unchained settings for Marshall SV20H
Van Halen · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Van Halen "Unchained" riff tone on a Marshall SV20H, set Gain 7.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 7, Presence 6, Loudness 1 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Frankenstein · 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
- 6
- Loudness 2
- 4
- Power scaling
- 8
Playing tips
- Use tight palm muting for chugging riffs.
- Focus on aggressive pick attack for clarity.
- Incorporate dynamic picking to enhance articulation.
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, maple neck, single humbucker, Floyd Rose tremolo)
- Amp
- Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (run through a Variac, voltage lowered to ~90V, with dummy load and re-amped to cab)
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Unchained 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 Unchained?
Set Gain 7.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 7, Presence 6, Loudness 1 6.
Which pickup should I use for Unchained?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Van Halen use on Unchained?
Guitar: Frankenstrat (custom-built Strat-style, maple neck, single humbucker, Floyd Rose tremolo). Amp: Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (run through a Variac, voltage lowered to ~90V, with dummy load and re-amped to cab).
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.
Unchained 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.