Beat It amp settings — Roland Cube 40GX
The Michael Jackson guitar tone for “Beat It”, dialed in for a Roland Cube 40GX with a Fender American Ultra Stratocaster. Studio version, Thriller (1982) — main riff by Steve Lukather
Paul Rivera-modded Fender Deluxe Reverb, Valley Arts Custom Pro (HSS, bridge humbucker), no pedals on the riff
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 5 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 4 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 7 |
Lukather used a modded Fender Deluxe with modest overdrive — the Cube's CRUNCH channel approximates this breakup. Your Strat's single-coil bridge is brighter and lower output than his Valley Arts humbucker, so I dropped treble by 1 from the original and kept mid slightly scooped (4) to retain that tight, percussive character. Gain at 5 gives the controlled crunch Quincy Jones demanded after telling Lukather to back off the Marshalls.
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These settings are for a Roland Cube 40GX. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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