Fuel (Live) amp settings — Vision Mg 20

The Metallica guitar tone for “Fuel (Live)”, dialed in for a Vision Mg 20 with a Vision Stratocaster. Live version, M72 World Tour era (2023-2025) — current touring rig setup

Original rig

Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+/Mark V heads, ESP Explorer/Snakebyte (Hetfield) and ESP KH-2 (Hammett) with EMG 81/60 pickups, Klon Centaur, various wahs, and extensive rack processing

Tight, aggressive high-gain metal with scooped mids, razor-sharp attack, and crushing palm-muted low end

Amp settings — Vision Mg 20

CHANNELOverdrive/Distortion channel (if available) or single channel cranked

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	7
Mid	3
Treble	7
Presence	6
Reverb	0
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Distortion Pedal (Boss DS-1 or similar)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for achieving Metallica's tight high-gain saturation since the MG 20's built-in gain won't reach Mesa territory. A Boss DS-1, MT-2 Metal Zone, or any affordable metal distortion pedal will get you there. Run amp gain at 3-4 when using this pedal.

Tone 6 · Level 7 · Dist 7

Why these settings

The MG 20 is a solid-state practice amp with limited gain compared to Hetfield's Mesa tube stacks. I've maxed the gain and scooped mids (3) to mimic the classic Metallica 'V-curve' EQ, with bass and treble pushed to 7 for that chunky-yet-cutting attack. Your Strat's single coils are significantly brighter and lower output than their EMG-loaded ESPs, so I've rolled treble back from where it would sit on a humbucker rig and boosted bass to compensate for the thinner low end.

PRO TIPHetfield's legendary 'Fuel' tone comes from his relentless downpicking with palm muting positioned closer to the bridge for maximum tightness — practice the main riff with strict downstrokes only and keep your muting hand firm but not choking the strings completely.

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These settings are for a Vision Mg 20. 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.