Battery amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

The Metallica guitar tone for “Battery”, dialed in for a Marshall MG30CFX with a Dean Ml 79 floyd. Studio version, Master of Puppets (1986) — main thrash riff, not the acoustic intro

Original rig

ESP MX220 or Jackson King V (EMG 81 / Seymour Duncan Invader bridge) → Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ preamp → modified Marshall 100W power section → 4x12 cab. No pedals. Recorded at Sweet Silence Studios by Flemming Rasmussen.

Tight, aggressive thrash rhythm with scooped mids, razor-sharp pick attack, and massive low-end chunk

Amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

CHANNELOD1BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	5
Mid	3
Treble	7
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss OS-2 (OverDrive/Distortion)

Color knob toward distortion side (8-10) for tighter saturation. Use as a boost to tighten the MG30's OD1 channel—low drive, high color pushes the amp harder without mud.

Level 7 · Tone 6 · Drive 3 · Color 8

Why these settings

The original Mark IIC+ has a tight, surgically mid-scooped voicing with enormous gain on tap. The MG30CFX's OD1 channel is looser and more mid-forward, so mid drops to 3 (vs the original's ~3.5) to approximate the scoop while bass stays moderate at 5 to avoid flub through the 10" speaker. The OS-2 set to high Color with low Drive acts as a tightening boost—it pushes the front end harder and adds the saturation the MG30 lacks compared to a IIC+. Treble at 7 preserves the pick attack bite.

PRO TIPHetfield's tone lives in his picking hand—strict downpicking with the pick angled slightly and attacking the strings hard near the bridge. Palm-mute firmly but not completely choked; you want percussive chunk, not dead thuds. The OS-2's Color knob is your secret weapon here: crank it toward 10 for more Marshall-style grind that gets closer to the IIC+ snarl.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Marshall MG30CFX. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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