Beat It by Michael Jackson — Amp Settings & Guitar Tone

Reference tone dialed on a Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster into a Fender Mustang LT25. Settings below are cited from real sources; open the page in a browser for the interactive version, or get this tone dialed for your exact gear.

To recreate the iconic tone of 'Beat It,' we'll use the Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster '60s and the Fender Mustang LT25. The Mustang LT25 will be set to emulate a high-gain Marshall Plexi sound, with added phaser and delay effects to capture the essence of Eddie Van Halen's playing. The Strat's bright single-coils will be adjusted to mimic the humbucker character needed for this song.

Signal chain settings

Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster '60s — Main guitar tone

Control	Setting	Why
Pickup Selector	Bridge Pickup	Select the bridge pickup for a sharper, more aggressive tone.
Master Volume	8	Set to 8 to drive the amp harder and achieve a saturated tone.
Tone 1	Leave at default	Not used for the bridge pickup.
Tone 2	5	Set to 5 to slightly roll off the high end and avoid harshness.

Fender Mustang LT25 — Amp and effects

Control	Setting	Why
Preset	[11] METAL LEAD	Closest preset to a high-gain Marshall Plexi sound, suitable for the song's aggressive tone.
Gain	7	Increase gain to achieve the saturated tube crunch of the original recording.
Volume	6	Set to 6 to maintain a strong output without overpowering the mix.
Treble	6	Set to 6 to keep the tone bright and articulate.
Bass	5	Set to 5 to balance the low end and prevent muddiness.
Master	6	Output level — set to the volume you're playing at; this sets loudness, not tone.
Effects	Phaser and Delay	Engage phaser and delay to emulate the MXR Phase 90 and Echoplex heard on the record. Using the amp's Menu Button and Preset Select, open the effects list to reach it. Press Save Button to keep it in this preset.
Cabinet build	Not used	Not needed for this tone — leave it off.
Amp Models	Not used	Not needed for this tone — leave it off.

Section guide — how the tone changes through the song

Intro

The intro features a sharp, driven tone with a distinct crunch, emulating the Les Paul through a Marshall amp.

the pedal: Gain → 8

What Michael Jackson actually used

The recording of 'Beat It' featured a blend of rock and pop elements, with Eddie Van Halen contributing a memorable guitar solo using his custom Frankenstrat guitar through a rented Marshall amplifier and an Echoplex for delay effects. Rhythm guitars were provided by Steve Lukather and Paul Jackson Jr., though specific details about their equipment are not well-documented. The track also incorporated advanced synthesizer technology of the time, including the Synclavier for the intro and the Synergy synthesizer combined with electric bass for the bass line. Drum programming was initially done using a Roland TR-808, complemented by live drumming from Jeff Porcaro and additional percussion from Michael Jackson himself, who beat on a drum case.

Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstrat — guitar solo. Custom-built guitar with a single humbucker pickup
Echoplex — guitar solo. Used for delay effects
Rented Marshall amplifier — guitar solo. Specific model unknown
Steve Lukather's guitar — rhythm guitar. Specific model unknown
Steve Lukather's amplifier — rhythm guitar. Specific model unknown
Paul Jackson Jr.'s guitar — rhythm guitar. Specific model unknown
Paul Jackson Jr.'s amplifier — rhythm guitar. Specific model unknown
Synclavier digital synthesizer — intro synthesizer. Used for the iconic seven-note intro
Synergy synthesizer — bass line. Combined with electric bass guitar
Roland TR-808 drum machine — drum programming. Used for initial drum programming
Drum case — percussion. Michael Jackson beat on a drum case for additional percussion

Sources