Tone library / Metallica / Enter Sandman

Enter Sandman amp settings — Peavey MAX 100

The Metallica guitar tone for “Enter Sandman”, dialed in for a Peavey MAX 100 with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, Metallica / The Black Album (1991) — iconic heavy rhythm riff

Original rig

ESP MX-250 Explorer with EMG 81 active pickups into blended Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++ and Jose Arredondo-modded Marshall JCM800 2203 with Aphex parametric EQ

Massive, tight, percussive high-gain rhythm crunch with deeply scooped midrange and razor-sharp palm-mute attack

Amp settings — Peavey MAX 100

BRIGHToffBOOSToff

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

Don’t have a Peavey MAX 100? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01ProCo Rat 2 or High-Gain Distortion

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; essential for true Black Album saturation into a bass amp

Distortion 7 · Filter 5 · Volume 7

Why these settings

The Peavey MAX 100 is a bass combo with no dedicated guitar high-gain channel, so engage its onboard TransTube Overdrive circuit with gain pushed to 7 to generate the closest possible saturation today. Single-coil Strat pickups lack the output and low-end girth of Hetfield's active EMG 81, so keep the bridge pickup wide open, cut the mid knob to 3 to simulate the Mark IIC+ 'V' scoop, and keep bass moderate at 5 to stop the 10-inch bass driver from flubbing out. Adding an external high-gain distortion pedal into the clean input is the definitive upgrade path to achieve true Metallica crunch on this rig.

PRO TIPAnchor your picking hand firmly against the bridge saddles and execute aggressive, downstrokes-only palm muting right on the string break point to replicate James Hetfield's percussive attack.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Peavey MAX 100. 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.