Solo Tone

Runnin' with the Devil

Van Halen

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarFrankenstrat (homemade Super Strat, maple neck, single bridge humbucker, Floyd Rose tremolo)

AmpMarshall 1959 Super Lead 100W (run through a Variac at reduced voltage, into a dummy load, mic'd cab with Celestion Greenbacks)

PickupsSeymour Duncan Custom Shop humbucker (bridge, high-output, wax-potted, direct-mounted)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass5.5

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

phaserMXR MXR Phase 90

delayMaestro Echoplex EP-3

Notes

Studio recording, 1977-1978. Eddie Van Halen's original Frankenstrat with a single bridge humbucker, Marshall Super Lead head run through a Variac at ~90V, no master volume. Effects added pre-amp (MXR Phase 90, Echoplex EP-3 tape delay). No evidence of Peavey 5150 on this recording—sources mentioning 5150 refer to later eras.

Tone Character(10)

aggressive bridge pickup attacksinging sustainswirling phase effecttight, percussive rhythmharmonic overtonesbright and articulate highsdynamic pick responseclassic 'brown sound' midrangetouch-sensitive gainmoderate delay ambience

Difficulty

The solo requires advanced technique including fast picking, expressive whammy bar use, and control of harmonics and phrasing, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

Sources

Tone Settings for Runnin’ with the Devil by Van Halen (guitar and amp) - Guitar Chalk Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love | Wiki @ Ultimate-Guitar.com Copping the “Brown Sound” of Eddie Van Halen

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account