Riff Tone

And the Cradle Will Rock...

Van Halen

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Thunderbird

AmpMarshall Super Lead (likely 1959 model, as per Van Halen's typical studio setup for this era)

PickupsEMG pickups

Amp Settings

gain7

bass5.5

mid7

treble7

reverb1.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

flangerMXR MXR Flanger

Notes

Studio recording, 1980. Guitar World and multiple sources confirm use of MXR Flanger for the riff. No evidence of Phase 90 or other pedals in the riff section. Thunderbird with EMGs is confirmed for this song, not the usual Frankenstrat. No evidence of effects loop or additional pedals for the riff.

Tone Character(10)

swirling and modulatedaggressive and crunchytight and percussivemid-heavy with full-bodied sounddistinctive 'brown sound'articulate pick attackclassic British amp crunchhigh-output pickup claritystudio-recorded, not livenot overly saturated, retains note definition

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, aggressive picking with precise palm muting and rhythmic accuracy, as well as control over the swirling flanger effect for the classic Van Halen sound.

Sources

Eddie Van Halen's guitar rig setup Eddie Van Halen on how he used his MXR Phase 90 & Flanger pedals | Guitar World

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