Tone library / Michael Jackson / Beat It

Beat It amp settings — Lekato JA-02 II

The Michael Jackson guitar tone for “Beat It”, dialed in for a Lekato JA-02 II with a Best Choice Products Skyline7395. Studio version, Thriller (1982) — main rhythm riff by Steve Lukather

Original rig

Valley Arts Custom Pro guitar → Rivera-modded Fender Deluxe Reverb amp, no pedals

Crunchy, mid-forward rhythm crunch with tight low-end and smooth breakup

Amp settings — Lekato JA-02 II

CHANNELOD channel (or highest gain voicing available)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	6
Bass	4
Mid	7
Treble	6
Presence	5
Reverb	1
Master	5

Don’t have a Lekato JA-02 II? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The Lekato JA-02 II is a small headphone/practice amp with limited headroom and a darker, compressed voicing compared to Lukather's Rivera-modded Fender. Push mids to 7 (original was around 5.5) to compensate for the Lekato's scooped character and to help the riff cut. Keep gain moderate at 6—the JA-02 II's gain stage saturates quickly and will mud out if pushed too hard. The Best Choice Products guitar has ceramic single-coil-sized pickups with lower output, so the extra mid emphasis helps fill out the tone.

PRO TIPPalm-mute the low E string riff tightly right at the bridge saddle—Lukather's attack is precise and percussive, not loose. Dig in hard with the pick for that 80s snap.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Lekato JA-02 II. 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.