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Beat It Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson ES-335
Pickups
Gibson humbuckers (stock ES-335)
Amp
Fender Deluxe (Rivera-modified, early 1980s)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, 1982. Rhythm/clean riff section played by Paul Jackson Jr. using his Rivera-modded Fender Deluxe amp. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this part.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass5.5
Gain0
Reverb2
Treble7
Presence5.5
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Tone Character
- bright and articulate
- tight and percussive
- clean with minimal breakup
- scooped mids
- clear note separation
- funk-inspired rhythm attack
- studio-polished clarity
- slightly compressed
- warm low end
- no audible chorus or modulation
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No direct numeric amp settings found for the clean riff; settings estimated based on typical Rivera-modded Fender Deluxe usage and 80s studio clean tones.
- No explicit mention of effects pedals or amp effects for the clean rhythm part; inferred from session context and audio.
- Pickup position inferred from typical ES-335 clean rhythm usage and tone characteristics.
- If alternate guitars/amps were used for the riff, no evidence found in available sources.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Beat It' riff was played by Steve Lukather using a modded Marshall, aiming for a tight, punchy 80s hard rock tone with pronounced mids and treble for cut, moderate gain for crunch, and minimal reverb as was typical for dry, up-front 80s production.