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

Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love amp settings — Nux Mighty mk II

The Van Halen guitar tone for “Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love”, dialed in for a Nux Mighty mk II with a Ibanez GRX120SP. Studio version, Van Halen (1978) - main riff and rhythm

Original rig

1968 Marshall Super Lead 100W (variac lowered to ~90V), Ibanez Destroyer ('Shark') with PAF-style humbucker, MXR Flanger, Maestro Echoplex EP-3

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

Amp settings — Nux Mighty mk II

CHANNELPlexi 100 / Brit 1959 amp model + 4x12 Greenback cab IRBRIGHTonBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	5
Mid	7
Treble	7
Presence	6
Reverb	2
Master	7

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01NUX Mighty Mod Block: Flanger (MXR-style Flanger block)

Place before amp model for classic chewy sweep on the main arpeggiated riff

Speed 2 · Width 6 · Regen 6

02NUX Mighty Delay Block: Tape Echo (Echoplex EP-3 style)

Post-amp/FX loop placement, dialed for short slapback (~130ms) single repeat

Time 3 · Repeat 2 · Level 3

Why these settings

The Nux Mighty mk II's Plexi model accurately tracks the Super Lead power-tube crunch; setting gain to 7 captures the cranked Variac sag without mush. Your Ibanez GRX120SP Infinity R ceramic bridge humbucker is hotter than EVH's PAF, so gain is kept at 7 and mids boosted to 7 to retain punch without harsh high-end fizz. Keep the built-in flanger before the amp block to get the authentic harmonic interaction into the drive stage.

PRO TIPAnchor your picking hand firmly across the low strings for a tight, percussive palm-mute during the arpeggiated intro riff, striking through the strings with an aggressive, downward pick angle to accentuate the pick-attack transient.

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These settings are for a Nux Mighty mk 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.