GuitarDistortedSolo
Eruption Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Van Halen
Van Halen · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Homemade 'Frankenstein' (Boogie Bodies Strat-style ash body, bird’s eye maple neck, vintage Strat tremolo, Gibson PAF bridge humbucker, single volume control)
Pickups
Gibson PAF bridge humbucker
Amp
1968 Marshall Super Lead 100-watt head (model 1959) with Sylvania 6CA7 power tubes, Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12M 'greenback' speakers, Variac set to ~90V
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1977-1978, Van Halen debut album. Amp cranked with all controls set to 10. No effects loop. Effects are pedals before amp. No amp reverb or delay; all ambience from room mics. No post-processing effects on solo. Guitar volume and tone on 10.
Amp Settings
Mids8.5
Bass7.5
Gain8.5
Reverb0.5
Treble8
Presence8
Effects Chain
- MXR Phase 90 · phaser
Guitar (Frankenstein, bridge humbucker, volume/tone on 10) → MXR Phase 90 → 1968 Marshall Super Lead 100 (all controls on 10, Variac at 90V) → Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12M Greenbacks), close and room mics
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Tone Character
- explosive and harmonically rich
- tight and percussive attack
- singing sustain on tapped notes
- aggressive upper mids
- raw, uncompressed amp saturation
- classic British crunch
- articulate pick response
- slight phaser swirl (subtle modulation)
- roomy ambience from studio mics
- high-output, biting bridge pickup