Tone library / Metallica / Master of Puppets

Master of Puppets amp settings — EVH 5150III 50W

The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of Puppets”, dialed in for a EVH 5150III 50W with a Fender Player Telecaster. Studio version, Master of Puppets (1986) — main rhythm riff

Original rig

Jackson Custom Shop King V (Seymour Duncan Invader) -> Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (preamp slaved into Marshall JCM800 power amp) with 5-band graphic EQ in classic 'V' scoop

Aggressive, tight, scooped thrash rhythm with crushing low-end chunk and sharp attack

Amp settings — EVH 5150III 50W

CHANNELRed (Lead)BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	6
Bass	6
Mid	3
Treble	7
Presence	6
Reverb	0
Master	4

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The EVH 5150III Red channel delivers intense saturation early, so gain is kept at 6 to prevent muddiness while matching the Mark IIC+ tightness. To compensate for the brighter, thinner single-coil bridge pickup on the Telecaster compared to high-output humbuckers, the tone knob is pulled back to 8 and bass is pushed to 6 with the rear resonance set around 6. Clean interlude: switch to the Green channel with mid at 6 and neck pickup selected.

PRO TIPAnchor your palm firmly against the bridge saddles and execute strict, aggressive downstrokes with a heavy gauge pick (1.0mm+) to emulate Hetfield's signature percussive chug.

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These settings are for a EVH 5150III 50W. 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.