Tone library / Metallica / ...And Justice for All

...And Justice for All amp settings — Radio Shack MPS-31

The Metallica guitar tone for “...And Justice for All”, dialed in for a Radio Shack MPS-31 with a Gibson Kramer Focus VT-211S. Studio version, ...And Justice for All (1988)

Original rig

Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ head, ESP MX220 Explorer 'EET FUK' with EMG 81/60 active pickups, Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer as a front-end boost

Extremely scooped mids, tight percussive low end, aggressive treble bite, dry and precise palm mutes

Amp settings — Radio Shack MPS-31

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	6
Mid	1
Treble	8
Presence	6
Reverb	0
Master	5

Don’t have a Radio Shack MPS-31? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Tube Screamer (TS-9 or TS-808 style)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Critical for the Justice tone. Set drive near minimum, level high. This tightens the low end and adds pick attack definition. Without this pedal, the tone will be looser and less percussive. A Behringer TO800 or Boss SD-1 are budget alternatives.

Drive 1 · Tone 5 · Level 7

Why these settings

The Radio Shack MPS-31 is an entry-level practice amp with limited headroom and a basic tone stack — it cannot replicate the tight, high-gain Mesa Boogie response. I have maxed the mid scoop and pushed treble to approximate the Justice character, but the amp lacks the gain structure and low-end tightness of the original. The Kramer Focus VT-211S has passive humbuckers with lower output than Hetfield's active EMGs, so gain is pushed to 7 to compensate. A TS-style pedal is essential to get anywhere close — it will tighten the flubby low end and add the pick attack this tone demands.

PRO TIPThe Justice tone lives in your picking hand — use strict downpicking with your palm lightly muting the strings right at the bridge saddles. The 'chunk' comes from consistent, aggressive attack and precise muting, not just amp settings. Practice the main riff at half speed focusing on even palm-mute pressure before speeding up.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Radio Shack MPS-31. 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.