Tone library / Van Halen / Runnin' with the Devil

Runnin' with the Devil amp settings — Positive Grid Spark MINI

The Van Halen guitar tone for “Runnin' with the Devil”, dialed in for a Positive Grid Spark MINI with a Squier Affinity Telecaster. Studio version, Van Halen I (1978)

Original rig

Frankenstrat (single PAF-style humbucker) → MXR Phase 90 → Marshall 1959 Plexi Super Lead (Variac'd to ~89V)

Warm, compressed 'brown sound' crunch with singing sustain, midrange bark, and loose low-end sag

Amp settings — Positive Grid Spark MINI

CHANNELMetal 2000 amp model (closest to hot-rodded Plexi voicing)BRIGHToffBOOSToff

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

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Spark Phaser (built-in effect)

Engage only for verse chord swells — slow sweep rate is critical. Bypass for main riff.

Speed 2 · Depth 5 · Mix 6

Why these settings

Your Tele's single-coil bridge is brighter and lower output than Eddie's humbucker, so I dropped treble -1 and raised mid +1 vs the original Plexi settings. Gain is pulled back to 6 because the Spark's Metal 2000 model saturates faster than a real Variac'd Plexi. Rolling your tone knob to 7 tames the Tele ice-pick and approximates the PAF's warmer top end.

PRO TIPEddie tuned his guitar slightly flat of E♭ standard — specifically flattening the G string a few cents — so the major 3rd in the A chord rings sweeter without beating. Tune to E♭, then nudge your G string just under pitch until the chorus chords sound glassy and locked.

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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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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.