GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Dirty Diana Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Jackson Soloist
Pickups
Jackson stock humbuckers (likely J-50BC bridge humbucker, 1980s era)
Amp
Late '60s Marshall Plexi head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1987-1988, riff section. Steve Stevens confirmed using his Jackson Soloist into his rack setup and a late '60s Marshall Plexi for the Dirty Diana studio session. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars/amps for the studio riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6
Gain7
Reverb2
Treble7.5
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Compressor pedal (model unknown) · compression
Jackson Soloist → Compressor (rack or pedal, model unknown) → Late '60s Marshall Plexi (light spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- raunchy and aggressive
- tight and punchy
- articulate attack
- British crunch
- present upper mids
- slightly compressed
- clear note separation
- high-output humbucker bite
- not overly saturated
- dynamic pick response
Notes & Caveats
- No direct amp knob settings found in sources; settings estimated based on typical late '60s Marshall Plexi usage for 1980s rock and Steve Stevens' known tone.
- No explicit pedal or effect model confirmed for the riff section; effects inferred from audio and era.
- Pickup model inferred from typical Jackson Soloist specs of the era; not directly confirmed by source.
- No evidence of additional pedals or rack effects for the riff section; solo section may differ.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Steve Stevens' riff tone on 'Dirty Diana' is a classic 80s high-gain sound: saturated but tight, with pronounced mids and treble for cut, moderate bass for clarity, and subtle reverb. These settings reflect typical 80s hard rock amp setups (likely a Marshall JCM800 or similar), tailored for aggressive, articulate riffing.