GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Dirty Diana Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Jackson Soloist (1980s, custom, likely HSS or HH configuration)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan humbucker (bridge position, exact model not specified)
Amp
Late '60s Marshall Plexi head into Marshall 4x12 cab with Celestion V30 speakers
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1987/1988. Steve Stevens played the solo on the original studio track. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars/amps for this section. Effects are inferred from audio and era-typical rack setups.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6
Gain7.5
Reverb2.5
Treble7.5
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Delay pedal (model unknown) · delay
Jackson Soloist (bridge humbucker) → Delay pedal (rack or stompbox, model unknown) → Late '60s Marshall Plexi head → Marshall 4x12 cab (Celestion V30s)
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Tone Character
- singing sustain
- aggressive bridge pickup attack
- tight and articulate lead lines
- cutting upper mids
- harmonic feedback
- crisp pick attack
- fluid legato runs
- punchy and focused
- classic '80s LA rock lead tone
- moderate delay trails
Notes & Caveats
- No direct amp knob settings found; settings estimated based on late '60s Marshall Plexi typical usage for high-gain '80s rock, and Steve Stevens' known tone.
- Exact pickup model not specified in sources; Seymour Duncan humbucker is inferred from era and Stevens' typical Jackson Soloist configuration.
- No explicit pedal models confirmed for the studio solo; delay is clearly audible, but model is unknown.
- No evidence of chorus, flanger, or wah in the solo section; only delay and light amp reverb are present.
- All effects settings are estimated based on audio and era-typical rack gear.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Steve Stevens' solo tone on 'Dirty Diana' is a classic late-80s high-gain, cutting lead sound with prominent mids and treble for clarity, moderate bass to avoid muddiness, and a touch of reverb for space. These settings reflect typical Marshall-style amp usage and production of the era, matching the aggressive, sustaining, and articulate solo tone.