Lords of Summer amp settings — Mesa Boogie Mark IV
The Metallica guitar tone for “Lords of Summer”, dialed in for a Mesa Boogie Mark IV with a PHX Les Paul. Studio version, Hardwired... to Self-Destruct bonus track (2016)
ESP Snakebyte / Iron Cross (EMG Het Set) into Fractal Axe-Fx II / Mesa Boogie Mark Series & Diezel VH4 blend
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 2 |
| Mid | 4 |
| Treble | 8 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 4 |
On the Mark IV, keep pre-EQ rotary Bass low at 2 to prevent flub and crank Treble to 8 to feed gain into the lead circuit. Engage the 5-band graphic EQ in the classic Metallica 'V' curve: boost 80Hz and 6.6kHz, keep 240Hz and 2.2kHz near center, and deeply scoop 750Hz. Passive humbuckers on your Les Paul lack the output of Hetfield's active EMGs, so pull the Lead Gain knob out for the extra gain boost.
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These settings are for a Mesa Boogie Mark IV. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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