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

Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love amp settings — Positive Grid Spark MINI

The Van Halen guitar tone for “Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love”, dialed in for a Positive Grid Spark MINI with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, Van Halen (1978) - intro arpeggio and main rhythm

Original rig

1968 Marshall Super Lead 100W (variac at ~90V), Ibanez Destroyer ('Shark') with bridge 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 — Positive Grid Spark MINI

CHANNELPlexi (Vintage British) amp model block + 4x12 Greenback Cab IRBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	5
Mid	8
Treble	6
Reverb	2
Master	7

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Positive Grid Spark Flanger (Modulation Block)

Engaged for the chewy sweep on the iconic intro riff and verse arpeggios

Manual 6 · Width 4 · Speed 3 · Regen 5

02Positive Grid Spark Tape Echo (Delay Block)

EP-3 slapback simulation (approx 120ms with low repeats)

Time 3 · Feedback 2 · Level 3

Why these settings

On the Spark MINI, the Plexi model delivers the foundational cranked Marshall crunch. To compensate for the Stratocaster's lower output and brighter single-coil pickup compared to Eddie's PAF humbucker, the mids are pushed to 8 and the guitar tone knob is rolled back to 8 to eliminate thin highs while fattening the palm-muted arpeggios. Presence is null as the physical Spark MINI faceplate lacks a presence knob.

PRO TIPEddie used heavy palm muting near the bridge saddles combined with aggressive, percussive downstrokes; let the flanger sweep create the chewiness on the trailing open strings rather than over-saturating the preamp.

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These settings are for a Positive Grid Spark MINI. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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