GuitarDistortedRiff
Dance the Night Away Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Van Halen
Van Halen · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Frankenstrat (custom-built Strat-style, maple neck, single humbucker, Floyd Rose prototype, no tone knob)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop '78 Model humbucker (PAF-style, wax-potted, bridge position)
Amp
Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (run at reduced voltage with Variac, EL34 tubes, no master volume, cranked)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup (single humbucker, direct to volume pot)
Studio recording, 1979. Guitar volume rolled back for cleaner edge-of-breakup tone. No pedal distortion. Effects added via pedals and studio echo chamber. No evidence of chorus, flanger, or phaser on this riff section; Univox echo chamber used for slapback/ambience at song tail. No effects loop.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass5.5
Gain7.5
Reverb3
Treble7.5
Presence6
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Tone Character
- bright and chimey
- open and ringing
- articulate and dynamic
- edge-of-breakup crunch
- percussive attack
- slightly compressed
- clear and present highs
- tight low end
- not saturated or fuzzy
- classic late-70s Marshall 'brown sound'
Sources
Tone Story / Why This Tone Works
studio