Solo Tone

Beat It

Michael Jackson

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarCharvel 'Frankie' Strat-style (Eddie Van Halen's custom guitar, likely with Floyd Rose tremolo)

AmpMarshall 1959 Super Lead 100W (Jose Arredondo modded, with Variac)

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

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid5.5

treble7.5

reverb1.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

delayUnknown Delay pedal (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1982. Eddie Van Halen played the solo as a guest. Guitar was his custom 'Frankie' with a single bridge humbucker, through a hot-rodded Marshall with a Variac to drop voltage. No confirmed pedals used for distortion; all gain from amp. No chorus, flanger, or phaser audible in the solo. Delay is clearly audible. No evidence of wah, fuzz, or modulation. Tone is classic 'brown sound' EVH. Pickup selector set to bridge. No evidence of effects loop.

Tone Character(10)

explosive, saturated lead tonesinging sustaintight, percussive attackharmonic-rich overtonesaggressive pick attacksearing, cutting highsclassic 'brown sound' Van Halen distortionminimal reverb, dry studio soundclear, articulate note separationfast legato and tapping passages

Difficulty

This solo is considered expert level due to its rapid tempo, advanced tapping and legato techniques, and the need for precise whammy bar control and phrasing, all of which are hallmarks of Eddie Van Halen's style.

Sources

Michael Jackson's Beat It: how Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather ...How to get classic EVH 5150 tones using guitar modelling | MusicRadar The amp wizards who gave the world great guitar tone | Guitar World

This tone has been researched 50 times by the community

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account