Blackened amp settings — Marshall Mg100fx

The Metallica guitar tone for “Blackened”, dialed in for a Marshall Mg100fx with a Epiphone Thunderbird. Studio version, …And Justice for All (1988) — Jason Newsted's bass track (famously buried in original mix; referencing isolated tracks and remaster for tone)

Original rig

Alembic Spoiler bass → Mesa Boogie Bass 400 or Ampeg SVT (studio reports vary) → 4x10 or 8x10 cab. Newsted used fingers, roundwound strings, aggressive attack. Signal chain married tightly to Hetfield's rhythm guitars with scooped mids and tight low-end.

Aggressive, clanky pick-attack style (though Newsted played fingers), tight controlled low-end, scooped mids to sit under guitars, metallic high-mid grind for note definition in fast passages

Amp settings — Marshall Mg100fx

CHANNELOD1BOOSToff

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

Don’t have a Marshall Mg100fx? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The MG100FX is guitar-voiced, not bass-optimized — it lacks the deep low-end extension of a Mesa Bass 400 or SVT. Compensate by keeping bass at 6 (not higher, or it gets flubby through a guitar amp's voicing), scooping mid to 3 to replicate the Justice-era buried-bass character, and pushing treble to 7 for Newsted's clanky attack. The Thunderbird's neck-thru mahogany and humbuckers are naturally warm and thick — bridge pickup and tone at 8 adds the bite this tone needs. OD1 channel at moderate gain gives the grindy edge without full distortion.

PRO TIPNewsted dug in HARD with his fingers right over the bridge pickup — that aggressive plucking hand position near the bridge is where the metallic clank and note definition come from on fast 16th-note passages like the Blackened intro. Let your fingertips hit the strings at an angle to get that percussive snap.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Marshall Mg100fx. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

Get ToneAdapt on Google Play

Find your amp

Browse

Blackened on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Metallica tonesALL SONGS Epiphone Thunderbird 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.