Riff Tone

5150 (2023 Remaster)

Van Halen

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarKramer 5150 (custom striped, maple neck, Floyd Rose tremolo, single humbucker)

AmpPeavey 5150 head (original block letter, 1990s studio version)

PickupsSeymour Duncan SH-5 Custom humbucker (bridge position, direct mounted)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid6

treble7

reverb2

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

phaserMXR MXR Phase 90

flangerMXR MXR EVH117 Flanger

delayMaestro Maestro Echoplex EP-3

eqMXR MXR 6-Band EQ

noise_gateMXR MXR Smart Gate

Notes

Studio recording, 1985-1986 for the original '5150' album; 2023 Remaster uses the original tracks. Guitar is the iconic Kramer 5150 with a single bridge humbucker. Amp is the Peavey 5150 head, developed with Eddie Van Halen for this album. Effects are inserted pre-amp and in the loop as described below.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussiveharmonic-rich sustainaggressive pick attacksaturated but articulateBritish-inspired crunch with modern claritydynamic and responsive to pickingcutting upper midspunchy low endmodulation swirl (flanger, phaser) presentslight room ambience

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, tight picking with palm muting, precise timing, and control over muting and articulation, all while maintaining clarity through heavy gain and modulation effects.

Sources

Eddie Van Halen's Guitar Gear, Frankenstrat & Pedalboard | Equipboard Eddie Van Halen's Guitar Gear, Frankenstrat & Pedalboard | Equipboard (items_page=3)Eddie Van Halen's guitar gear: get the tone of the hard-rock icon | Guitar World How to get classic EVH 5150 tones using guitar modelling | MusicRadar

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account