GuitarInferred1

Beat It

Michael Jackson

Adapt to my rig

Tone Snapshot

Pickup: Bridge humbucker

0Gain

0Treble

Choose a plan to see every setting.

Tone profile

Gain

Tightness

Brightness

Mid Scoop

Ambience

What makes this tone

High Gain
Bright Attack
Delay

Signal chain

Guitar: Frankenstrat
Pickup: Bridge humbucker
Amp: Modified Hartley Thompson HT45 combo/cab borrowed from
Effects: Echoplex tape delay

Adapt to my rig

Tone Character

Recorded tone character

Gain character

Explosive, harmonically rich high-gain lead with fast EVH attack.

Bass

Moderate and controlled.

Mids

Present and vocal.

Treble

Bright and searing.

Brightness / presence

High and immediate.

Compression

Strong but responsive, with long sustain.

Effects

Echoplex tape delay is part of the solo chain. The main rhythm guitars are Steve Lukather's separate Rivera-modified Fender Deluxe path.

Adapt to my rig to read the full tone character

Evidence / Sources

Tone character: explosive, searing, harmonically rich, dynamic, saturated, bright, sustaining, delay-tailed

This seed deliberately targets the iconic Eddie Van Halen solo. MusicRadar's detailed account says Eddie used his Frankenstrat, favorite Echoplex and a modified Hartley Thompson amp borrowed from Allan Holdsworth. Lukather recorded the rest of the song's guitars on a different rig.

2 sources