Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love amp settings — Positive Grid Spark 2
The Van Halen guitar tone for “Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love”, dialed in for a Positive Grid Spark 2 with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, Van Halen (1978) - intro arpeggio riff & rhythm track
1968 Marshall Super Lead 100W (variac lowered to ~90V), Ibanez Destroyer (Korina body / Super 70 / PAF pickup), MXR Flanger, MXR Phase 90, Maestro Echoplex EP-3
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 7 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Reverb | 2 |
| Master | 7 |
01Onboard Flanger (Flanger block)
Engaged for the iconic arpeggiated intro riff and chorus sweeps
02Onboard Tape Delay (Delay block)
Simulates the Echoplex EP-3 slapback (~120ms single repeat)
The Spark 2's Plexiglass model captures the Marshall Super Lead character accurately without needing external dirt. Since a single-coil Player Strat is brighter and thinner than Eddie's bridge humbucker, mids are bumped to 7, treble is kept at 6, and the guitar tone knob is rolled down to 8 to tame the single-coil spike. Gain sits at 7 to hit the cranked variac saturation while preserving clean string separation during the open arpeggios.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Positive Grid Spark 2. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
Get ToneAdapt on Google PlaySong, 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.