GuitarDistortedSolo
Mean Street Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Van Halen
Van Halen · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Frankenstrat (homemade Strat-style, maple neck, single humbucker, Floyd Rose, 1979-1981 configuration)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop '78 humbucker (PAF-style, wax-potted, bridge position)
Amp
Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (run through Variac at ~90V, possibly modded, no master volume)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1981, Fair Warning album. Guitar volume and tone rolled back slightly for dynamics. No evidence of chorus or delay on solo. Effects are pedal-based, not amp-based. No effects loop used.
Amp Settings
Mids7.5
Bass6
Gain8
Reverb0.5
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- MXR Phase 90 · phaser
- MXR Flanger (likely MXR Flanger M-117) · flanger
Frankenstrat → MXR Phase 90 → MXR Flanger → Marshall Super Lead (Variac at ~90V, no effects loop, no amp reverb)
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Tone Character
- explosive harmonics
- tight and percussive
- singing sustain
- aggressive pick attack
- British crunch
- complex overtones
- cutting, articulate highs
- dynamic response to picking
- warm low-mids
- slightly scooped but present mids