Tone library / Metallica / Master of puppets

Master of puppets amp settings — Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier

The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of puppets”, dialed in for a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier with a Jackson JS22 Dinky. Studio version, Master of Puppets (1986)

Original rig

Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ (preamp) → Marshall JCM800 (power amp), Jackson King V with Seymour Duncan Invaders, 5-band graphic EQ with V-shape

Tight, aggressive thrash rhythm with scooped mids, chunky low-end, and cutting treble presence

Amp settings — Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier

CHANNELOrange (Vintage)BRIGHToffBOOSToff

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

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Why these settings

Your Dual Rectifier is voiced darker and more scooped than the Mark IIC+, so mids stay at 3 rather than going lower—the Recto already cuts mids naturally. Orange/Vintage mode tightens the low-end closer to the Mark series response versus the looser Modern mode. Your JS22's passive humbuckers have less output than Hetfield's Invaders, so gain sits at 6 to compensate without getting muddy.

PRO TIPHetfield's tone lives in the picking hand—use strict downstrokes with your pick angled slightly, palm muting right at the bridge saddles, and dig in hard; the attack transient is what makes this tone cut, not extra gain.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. 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.