Eruption amp settings — Blackstar Fly 3

The Van Halen guitar tone for “Eruption”, dialed in for a Blackstar Fly 3 with a Ibanez RG550. Studio version, Van Halen I (1978)

Original rig

Frankenstrat (Gibson PAF humbucker, bridge) → MXR Phase 90 (script logo) → Maestro Echoplex EP-3 → 1968 Marshall 1959 Super Lead Plexi (Variac at ~89V)

Warm, compressed 'brown sound' — singing sustain with harmonic richness, neither too clean nor too saturated, highly touch-sensitive

Amp settings — Blackstar Fly 3

CHANNELOD channel (ISF fully clockwise for British voicing)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	4
Mid	6
Treble	5
Presence	0
Reverb	0
Master	7

Don’t have a Blackstar Fly 3? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Behringer OD300 (TS mode)

Set to TS (Tube Screamer) mode. This adds the midrange push and compression that mimics the Variac-starved Plexi saturation. Run into the OD channel for stacked warmth — the Fly 3's small speaker benefits from the mid-hump.

Level 7 · Tone 5 · Drive 4

Why these settings

The Fly 3 is a 3W practice amp with limited headroom and no presence control, so we rely on the OD300 to inject the harmonic compression Eddie got from his Variac'd Plexi. ISF fully clockwise gives Marshall-style midrange bark. Treble is pulled back from the original's dimed settings because the RG550's ceramic bridge humbucker is brighter and hotter than Eddie's wax-potted PAF. Rolling your guitar's tone knob to 7 tames the high-frequency ice pick the small speaker can produce.

PRO TIPEddie's brown sound was defined by his right-hand touch — he picked lightly and let the amp do the work. Back off your picking attack and use your volume knob to clean up for dynamics; the tone should 'bloom' when you dig in, not compress into mush.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Blackstar Fly 3. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

Get ToneAdapt on Google Play

More tones for the Blackstar Fly 3

Cemetary GatesPantera Purple RainPrince & The Revolution Can't StopRed Hot Chili Peppers Kickstart My HeartMötley Crüe Enter SandmanMetallica Let It HappenTame Impala

Find your amp

Browse

Blackstar Fly 3 settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP Eruption on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Van Halen tonesALL SONGS Ibanez RG550 tonesSAME GUITAR Tone libraryEVERYTHING

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.