Enter sandman amp settings — Harley Benton HB-20R
The Metallica guitar tone for “Enter sandman”, dialed in for a Harley Benton HB-20R with a Donner DST-550. Studio version, Metallica / The Black Album (1991) — iconic heavy rhythm riff
ESP MX-250 Explorer with EMG 81 active pickups into blended Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++ (primary, scooped 5-band EQ) and Jose Arredondo-modded Marshall JCM800 2203 with Aphex parametric EQ in FX loop
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 7 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Mid | 3 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 4 |
01ProCo Rat 2 or Boss MT-2 Metal Zone
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned
The HB-20R has a simple solid-state analog preamp with 3-band EQ and built-in spring reverb, but no presence knob. Setting the amp to its Overdrive channel with Gain at 7 and Mid cut to 3 mimics the classic Mesa IIC+ V-curve scoop without making the 8-inch speaker fart out on low palm mutes. While this provides the best possible riff saturation using only your amp, adding a dedicated distortion pedal into the clean channel will dramatically tighten up the low-end punch to match Hetfield's quad-tracked wall of sound. Clean intro: switch amp channel select OUT to Clean and roll guitar volume to 7.
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These settings are for a Harley Benton HB-20R. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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