Am I evil amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII

The Metallica guitar tone for “Am I evil”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 50 MkII with a Gibson Les Paul Classic. Studio version, Creeping Death EP (1984) / Kill 'Em All era sessions

Original rig

Jose-modded Marshall Super Lead Plexi 100W, ProCo RAT distortion, Gibson Flying V with EMG 81 humbuckers, Marshall 1960 4x12 cab

Bright, punchy mid-forward early thrash crunch with aggressive pick attack and raspy upper-mid bite

Amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII

CHANNELBrown amp type (Variation ON)BOOSTon

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	6
Bass	5
Mid	7
Treble	7
Reverb	1
Master	5

Don’t have a Boss Katana 50 MkII? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Katana Built-in Booster (RAT / Guv'nor model)

Engage the onboard Katana Booster assigned to the ProCo Rat model via Boss Tone Studio or panel button

Drive 3 · Tone 6 · Level 7

02ProCo Rat 2

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; adds the exact vintage gritty clipping of the original recording

Distortion 4 · Filter 6 · Volume 7

Why these settings

The Katana 50 MkII Brown amp type captures the cranked hot-rodded Marshall Plexi character without requiring an external cabinet. Passive Les Paul humbuckers have slightly less output and high-end sizzle than James and Kirk's EMG 81s, so the treble and mids are pushed to 7 with the onboard booster active to supply the aggressive attack. Note that the Katana 50 faceplate lacks a physical presence knob, so all high-end cut is shaped via the treble control.

PRO TIPAnchor your palm directly against the bridge saddles for fast, percussive downpicked chugs, and use the sharp edge of a rigid 1.0mm+ pick to replicate the sharp transient bite heard on early Metallica recordings.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Boss Katana 50 MkII. 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 Boss Katana 50 MkII

You should probably leaveChris Stapleton I got betterMorgan Wallen Memory sure don't mess aroundJordan Davis GoosePolyphia Stairway to Heaven (Live)Led Zeppelin Dead Girl WalkingCarrie Hope Fletcher & Jamie Muscato

Find your amp

Browse

Boss Katana 50 MkII settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP Am I evil on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Metallica tonesALL SONGS Metallica on the Boss Katana 50 MkIISAME ARTIST, SAME AMP Gibson Les Paul Classic 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.