Tone library / Metallica / Enter sandman

Enter sandman amp settings — Zoom G2.1u

The Metallica guitar tone for “Enter sandman”, dialed in for a Zoom G2.1u with a Fender American Professional II Stratocaster. Studio version, Metallica / The Black Album (1991) — iconic heavy rhythm riff

Original rig

ESP MX-250 Explorer with EMG 81 active humbuckers into blended Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++ (scooped 5-band EQ) and modded Marshall JCM800 2203 with Aphex parametric EQ

Massive, tight, percussive high-gain rhythm crunch with deeply scooped 800Hz-1.2kHz midrange and razor-sharp palm-mute attack

Amp settings — Zoom G2.1u

CHANNELDRIVE module: 'US BLUES' or 'BG CRUNCH' / 'BG DRIVE' model (Mesa Boogie Mark series simulation)BRIGHToffBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	7
Mid	2
Treble	7
Reverb	0
Master	8

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Zoom G2.1u Noise Reduction (ZNR) Block

Essential to clamp high-gain hiss and keep the stop-start palm-muted chugs razor-sharp.

Threshold 6

02Zoom G2.1u Drive / Preamp Model (BG DRIVE)

Mesa Mark series emulation block acting as the core high-gain rhythm voice.

Gain 7 · Tone 6 · Level 8

03Zoom G2.1u Extra EQ Block

Recreates the post-distortion 5-band graphic V-curve scoop around 800Hz.

Bass 7 · Middle 2 · Treble 7

Why these settings

The Fender Stratocaster single-coil bridge pickup is much brighter and lower output than Hetfield's active EMG 81 humbuckers, so tone is pulled back to 8 and mids are scooped sharply to 2 to eliminate single-coil glassiness. Gain is set to 7 on the G2.1u's Mesa emulation block to provide saturated sustain while preserving tight low-end tracking without turning muddy. The G2.1u has no physical presence knob, so top-end bite is shaped entirely via the Treble control set to 7.

PRO TIPAnchor your picking palm firmly across the bridge saddles to aggressively choke the open low E string, and strike exclusively with heavy, precise downpicks near the bridge for the percussive 'thwack' defining the riff.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Zoom G2.1u. 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.