Eddie Van Halen — £200 · Beginner Rig

• Bridge humbucker only — single coils or neck pickups won't give the right saturation
• Pick with the edge of the plectrum at a slight angle for articulated, aggressive attack
• Tone knob on guitar stays fully open — brightness and harmonics are essential
• Two-handed tapping: right-hand index finger hammers on at higher frets while left hand frets normally
• Whammy bar for vibrato throughout, not just dramatic dive bombs
• Phase 90 runs in front of the amp — adds movement without changing pitch
• EVH's amp was surprisingly clean on the dial; the saturation came from volume and pickup output
• MXR Flanger in its "through-zero" setting for the iconic flanged intro of Unchained

• ✗Running the EVH 5150's gain channel at maximum — above 8 on most high-gain channels, palm mutes lose note separation and become an indistinct wall. The target is the minimum gain for the target saturation, not maximum
• ✗Setting amp gain to maximum — superstrats with high-output humbuckers already drive the amp aggressively. Gain at 8-9 into a high-gain channel gives muddy intermodulation, not more power.
• ✗Scooping the mids on a Marshall-style amp — the upper midrange emphasis is what makes British amps cut through. Mid-scoop EQ sounds good alone but disappears in a band mix.
• ✗Using a distortion pedal to replace amp saturation — amp-driven tone has a specific feel (dynamics, touch sensitivity, natural compression) that pedal distortion cannot replicate. The source of gain matters.
• ✗Not setting delay to song tempo — a delay that doesn't match the song tempo creates a rhythmic clash that builds and becomes increasingly obvious. Tap the tempo every time.
• ✗Forgetting to dial the tone at band volume — EQ settings that work in a quiet room often need adjustment when competing with drums and bass. Mid frequencies in particular need upward adjustment.
• ✗No noise gate at high gain — self-noise at high gain levels is constant and distracting. A gate is not optional for this style.

Single humbucker (bridge) into a modified Marshall Super Lead — the combination is surprisingly warm and full, not harsh. Van Halen's amp was dialled with the gain relatively moderate; the volume and pickup output did the heavy lifting. A Phase 90 adds subtle movement; an Echoplex served as a preamp boost and added a touch of slapback warmth.