Tone library / Metallica / Master of puppets

Master of puppets amp settings — Harley benton Harley Benton ex 76

The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of puppets”, dialed in for a Harley benton Harley Benton ex 76 with a Harley Benton Harley Benton ex 76. Studio version, Master of Puppets album (1986, Eb Standard tuning)

Original rig

Jackson King V 'Kill Bon Jovi' w/ Seymour Duncan Invaders → Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ (preamp) → Marshall JCM800 (power amp) → Marshall 4x12 w/ G12T-75s

Tight, aggressive scooped-mid thrash rhythm with razor pick attack and crushing low end

Amp settings — Harley benton Harley Benton ex 76

CHANNELOverdrive/High Gain channel (if available)BRIGHToffBOOSTon (if available)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	7
Mid	3
Treble	7
Presence	6
Reverb	0
Master	5

Don’t have a Harley benton Harley Benton ex 76? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Arion SDI-1 Distortion

Use to boost/tighten the amp's gain. The SDI-1 is a Tubescreamer-style circuit — it will add midrange and tighten the low end, which helps approximate the Mark IIC+ compression. Run into amp's clean or crunch channel if amp gain alone is muddy.

Level 7 · Tone 6 · Distortion 8

Why these settings

The Harley Benton EX-76 is an Explorer-style guitar with humbuckers — correct platform for this tone. Your amp is a budget solid-state unit lacking the Mark IIC+'s preamp saturation and tight low-end response; the Arion SDI-1 compensates by adding gain staging and midrange focus. Mids are set to 3 (scooped) but not lower — solid-state amps lose definition faster than tube amps when fully scooped. Bass is pushed to 7 to get the palm-mute thump Hetfield is known for.

PRO TIPHetfield's tone lives in his picking hand — aggressive, consistent downstrokes with the pick angled slightly and striking close to the bridge. Practice palm-muting with your hand barely touching the strings for that tight 'chug' without killing sustain. Tune to Eb standard to match the album.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Harley benton Harley Benton ex 76. 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.