Beat it amp settings — Tyler Mini amp

The Michael Jackson guitar tone for “Beat it”, dialed in for a Tyler Mini amp with a Kawes Stratocaster. Studio version, Thriller (1982) — signature main riff (Steve Lukather)

Because the Tyler Mini is an unrecognized micro practice amp with basic controls and no dedicated midrange knob, the amp's built-in overdrive switch must be engaged with gain around 6 to generate the necessary crunch. To compensate for the thin, trebly character of a budget Strat bridge single-coil versus Lukather's fat bridge humbucker, keep treble back at 5 and roll the guitar tone knob down to 8. Adding a basic overdrive pedal in the future will smooth out the solid-state clipping and push the punchy low-mids that small speakers lack.

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.