GuitarDistortedSolo
You Really Got Me Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Van Halen
Van Halen · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Frankenstrat (homemade Strat-style, single humbucker, maple neck, Floyd Rose prototype or vintage tremolo)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop humbucker (PAF-style, wax-potted, bridge position)
Amp
Marshall Super Lead 1959 100W (run through a Variac at ~90V, with 1960A 4x12 cabinet loaded with Celestion G12M Greenbacks)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1977-1978. Guitar volume and tone rolled back slightly for clarity. No distortion pedal; amp cranked for natural distortion. Echoplex EP-3 tape delay used for solo. No chorus, flanger, or phaser on this track. Effects loop not used; all effects before amp. No amp reverb.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass5.5
Gain8.5
Reverb0.5
Treble7
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Echoplex EP-3 Tape Echo · delay
Frankenstrat (bridge humbucker) → Echoplex EP-3 Tape Echo → Marshall Super Lead 1959 (Variac at 90V) → Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet
Tone Matcher
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Tone Character
- saturated British crunch
- explosive pick attack
- singing sustain
- tight palm muting
- harmonic overtones
- cutting upper mids
- percussive attack
- classic 'brown sound'
- dynamic response to picking
- aggressive bridge pickup