master of puppets amp settings — Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV
The metallica guitar tone for “master of puppets”, dialed in for a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV with a Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s. Studio version, Master of Puppets (1986) - Main iconic rhythm track
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (preamp with classic V-curve 5-band graphic EQ) slaved into Marshall JCM800 2203 power amp + Marshall 4x12 cab, Jackson King V / Gibson Explorer with high-output humbuckers
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 2 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Mid | 3 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 4 |
01Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion
Set Turbo mode to Turbo I (Mode 1) for a tighter, more scooped thrash distortion curve.
The Hot Rod Deluxe IV is an open-back, clean-platform tube amp that cannot produce thrash-level saturation on its own, so your Boss DS-2 acts as the primary gain stage into the Clean channel with amp gain kept low. The amp EQ is set with mids scooped to 3 and bass pushed to 7 to emulate the Mesa Mark IIC+ iconic 'V-curve' graphic EQ into a Marshall power section. The Bright switch is turned off to prevent the DS-2 from becoming harsh on the Fender top-end.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
Get ToneAdapt on Google PlaySong, 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.