Beat it amp settings — Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212
The Michael Jackson guitar tone for “Beat it”, dialed in for a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212 with a Telecaster Fender. Studio version, Thriller (1982) — iconic main rhythm riff
Steve Lukather's 1959 Gibson Les Paul into a modded Fender Deluxe Reverb with light overdrive
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 6 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Reverb | 2 |
| Master | 4 |
To compensate for the Telecaster's single-coil bridge pickup compared to Lukather's '59 Les Paul humbuckers, tone is rolled back slightly and amp midrange is pushed to 7 on the DeVille's Drive channel. Because the DeVille has a naturally scooped, glassy Fender voicing, keeping the Drive channel gain at 6 provides the necessary crunch while cutting highs slightly avoids excessive bridge-pickup bite. Adding a TS9 in front later will tighten the low-end attack and add the signature smooth mid-hump.
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These settings are for a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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