Tone library / Michael Jackson / Beat It

Beat It amp settings — B.C. Rich. GA10

The Michael Jackson guitar tone for “Beat It”, dialed in for a B.C. Rich. GA10 with a Fender American Professional II Stratocaster. Studio version, Thriller (1982) - Main iconic rhythm riff

Original rig

Paul Rivera-modded 1964 Fender Deluxe Reverb, 1977 'Robot' Strat / Valley Arts Custom Strat, modest preamp overdrive

Punchy, tight, moderate overdrive with crisp Strat attack and clear mid bite

Amp settings — B.C. Rich. GA10

CHANNELOverdrive switch ON

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	6
Bass	5
Treble	6
Master	4

Don’t have a B.C. Rich. GA10? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The B.C. Rich GA10 is a basic solid-state practice amp with Volume, Gain, Drive Select, Treble, and Bass knobs (no mid, presence, or reverb controls). Steve Lukather tracked the iconic riff using a modded Fender Deluxe dialed back to a moderate crunch; engaging the GA10's Drive switch with Gain around 6 delivers that crisp, percussive bite without over-saturating. Treble is kept moderate at 6 and the guitar tone is rolled slightly to 8 to avoid harshness on the small practice speaker.

PRO TIPExecute the opening riff with aggressive palm muting on the low open strings while hitting the syncopated double-stops with crisp staccato picking to nail Lukather's tight studio groove.

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These settings are for a B.C. Rich. GA10. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.