Master of Puppets amp settings — Denstone GA-15
The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of Puppets”, dialed in for a Denstone GA-15 with a Denstone Stratocaster copy. Studio version, Master of Puppets (1986) — main rhythm riff
Jackson Custom Shop King V (Seymour Duncan Invader humbuckers) into Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ preamp (V-curve 5-band graphic EQ) slaved into Marshall JCM800 2203 power amp into 4x12 Marshall cab
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Mid | 2 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Master | 5 |
01ProCo Rat 2 (or modern high-gain distortion)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; adds the tight, cascading preamp saturation this practice amp lacks
The Denstone GA-15 is a basic solid-state practice amp, so we engage the Drive switch with Gain at 8 to maximize onboard clipping while keeping Bass at 6 to prevent the small 6.5-inch speaker from farting out. Mids are cut hard to 2 to recreate the iconic Mesa IIC+ graphic EQ 'V-curve' scoop, while Treble is pushed to 7 to compensate for single-coil Strat brightness needing aggressive thrash bite without fizz. Clean interlude: switch the amp Drive button off and select the neck+middle pickup.
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These settings are for a Denstone GA-15. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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