Tone library / Chris Stapleton / Nothing Else Matters

Nothing Else Matters amp settings — marshall MG15

The Chris Stapleton guitar tone for “Nothing Else Matters”, dialed in for a marshall MG15 with a Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s. Studio version, The Metallica Blacklist (2021) — Chris Stapleton cover produced by Dave Cobb

Original rig

Fender '62 Princeton (Brownface) x2, Gibson ES-355 or similar semi-hollow, minimal pedals — clean amp tone with natural tube compression

Warm, vocal clean with subtle edge-of-breakup compression, rich low-mids, rolled-off highs, intimate studio sound

Amp settings — marshall MG15

CHANNELClean (single channel amp — use Overdrive section OFF)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	3
Bass	6
Mid	7
Treble	4
Presence	3
Reverb	2
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE6 VOLUME8

Why these settings

The original Brownface Princeton is warm, scooped, and naturally compressed at low volumes. Your MG15 is solid-state and brighter with more aggressive mids. Compensate by boosting mid to 7, cutting treble to 4, and keeping gain low at 3 to avoid the fizzy transistor breakup. Rolling your Les Paul's tone to 6 and volume to 8 replicates the soft, blooming attack Stapleton gets from the tube amp's sag.

PRO TIPPick closer to the neck over the fretboard and use your fingers or a felt pick to soften the attack — Stapleton's tone on this track breathes because there's no pick clack or harsh transients hitting the front of the amp.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a marshall MG15. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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More tones for the marshall MG15

DogsPink Floyd Fluorescent AdolescentArctic Monkeys Sweet Child O' MineGuns N' Roses Whiskey In the JarMetallica Cemetery gatesPantera Du hastRammstein

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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.