Tone library / Metallica / Enter sandman

Enter sandman amp settings — Harley benton HB-20B

The Metallica guitar tone for “Enter sandman”, dialed in for a Harley benton HB-20B with a Harley benton PJ-4 deluxe series. Studio version, Metallica (The Black Album, 1991) - Main Bass Riff

Original rig

Spector NS-2 / Wal bass (EMG PJ pickups, pick played with heavy downstrokes) into Ampeg SVT / Mesa Boogie bass heads and direct DI blend with slight compression and upper-mid cut/treble bite

Punchy, aggressive pick attack with tight low-end thump and defined upper-mid bite

Amp settings — Harley benton HB-20B

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Bass	7
Mid	4
Treble	7
Reverb	0
Master	6

Don’t have a Harley benton HB-20B? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPneck+middle TONE9 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI (or Darkglass B7K)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned

Drive 3 · Blend 7 · Bass 6 · Treble 7 · Presence 6 · Level 6

Why these settings

Jason Newsted achieved this tone using active EMG pickups picked aggressively with a heavy plectrum, giving a fast transient snap and compressed low end. On your PJ bass, blend both the P-neck and J-bridge pickups full up to get both the solid body thump and the bridge definition. The HB-20B 3-band EQ is set with slightly scooped mids (4) and elevated bass (7) and treble (7) to emulate the massive Black Album mix contour on an 8-inch practice speaker. Clean intro switch: tone stays the same, played softer over the clean guitar.

PRO TIPPlay with a heavy gauge pick (0.88mm to 1.14mm) using hard downstrokes positioned directly over the P-pickup for the signature metallic Newsted string attack.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Harley benton HB-20B. 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.