Tone library / Metallica / Master of Puppets

Master of Puppets amp settings — Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3

The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of Puppets”, dialed in for a Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3 with a Schecter C-1 Hellraiser. Studio version, Master of Puppets (1986) - Main rhythm riff

Original rig

Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ ('Crunchberries' preamp) slaved into Marshall JCM800 power amp, Jackson King V with Seymour Duncan Invader/EMG pickups, onboard 5-band graphic EQ V-curve

Aggressive, tight high-gain thrash crunch with punchy lows, scooped lower mids, and biting top end

Amp settings — Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3

CHANNELOD1 (ISF set to 3 / 9 o'clock)BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The ID:Core 20 V3 uses OD1 for tight thrash crunch and features a single ISF knob rather than a conventional 3-band EQ, so bass, mid, and treble are set to null. Turning the ISF counter-clockwise toward 3 yields the aggressive, scooped American Mesa Mark IIC+ midrange character while your active EMG pickups deliver the immediate, razor-sharp attack of the original track. Clean interlude: switch to Clean Warm with ISF at 5.

PRO TIPAnchor your palm firmly against the bridge saddles and execute strict, heavy downstrokes to reproduce Hetfield's percussive, machine-gun pick attack without letting the low strings bloom.

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These settings are for a Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3. 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.