Tone library / Van Halen / Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love

Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love amp settings — Fender Frontman

The Van Halen guitar tone for “Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love”, dialed in for a Fender Frontman with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, Van Halen (1978) - intro arpeggiated riff & rhythm parts

Original rig

1968 Marshall Super Lead 100W (variac ~90V), Ibanez Destroyer (PAF humbucker), MXR Flanger, MXR Phase 90, Maestro Echoplex EP-3

Punchy 'Brown Sound' crunch with chewy upper-mid bite, tight palm-muted lows, and dynamic flanger/slapback ambiance

Amp settings — Fender Frontman

CHANNELDrive (Gain Channel)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	5
Treble	6
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01MXR Flanger (M117R)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; key modulation for the arpeggiated riff

Manual 6 · Width 4 · Speed 3 · Regen 6

02Analog / Tape Delay

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; simulates the EP-3 slapback echo (~120ms)

Time 3 · Repeats 2 · Mix 3

Why these settings

The solid-state Fender Frontman lacks the deep power-tube saturation of a variac-cranked Marshall Super Lead, so we engage the amp's built-in drive channel at gain 7 to deliver the necessary British crunch directly from your owned gear. Because the Frontman voice is naturally bright and lacks dedicated mid/presence controls, keep treble around 6 and bass at 5 to prevent the small speaker from sounding harsh or flubby on palm mutes. Adding an MXR Flanger clone in front of the amp will instantly capture the iconic chewy sweep heard across the main riff.

PRO TIPEddie constantly used heavy right-hand palm muting right near the bridge saddles on the arpeggios, hitting the open strings with an aggressive, slanted downstroke attack to produce that tight, percussive bite.

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