Tone library / Metallica / Master of puppets

Master of puppets amp settings — Laney Ironheart IRT60H

The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of puppets”, dialed in for a Laney Ironheart IRT60H with a Squier Bullet Stratocaster. Studio version, Master of Puppets (1986) — main rhythm riff

Original rig

Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (slaved into Marshall JCM800 2203 power amp), Mesa 5-band Graphic EQ in V-curve, Jackson King V / Gibson Flying V with high-output humbuckers

Aggressive, tight high-gain thrash crunch with deeply scooped mids and precise low-end punch

Amp settings — Laney Ironheart IRT60H

CHANNELLead Channel (Dynamics: 7, Tone: 8)BOOSTon

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	7
Mid	2
Treble	7
Reverb	0
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Tube Screamer (TS9)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; tightens low-end tracking for fast palm-muted thrash downpicking

Drive 0 · Tone 6 · Level 9

Why these settings

The Ironheart Lead channel provides ample preamp saturation, but the Squier Strat's lower-output single coil requires rolling tone back to 8 and pushing bass to 7 to replicate the thickness of James Hetfield's humbuckers. The mids are dropped hard to 2 to emulate the iconic Mesa graphic EQ 'V-curve' scoop directly on the amp's passive tone stack. Clean interlude: switch to Clean channel with boost disengaged.

PRO TIPStrict all-downstroke palm muting locked tight against the bridge saddle is required to get the percussive, mechanical chug of the main riff.

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These settings are for a Laney Ironheart IRT60H. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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