Master of Puppets amp settings — Mesa Boogie Lone Star
The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of Puppets”, dialed in for a Mesa Boogie Lone Star with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, Master of Puppets (1986)
Jackson King V with Seymour Duncan Invader humbuckers (bridge) → Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ (preamp mode, 5×12AX7 + 6L6/EL34 hybrid power) → Marshall JCM800 2203 100W power amp → Marshall 4×12 cabs with G12-T75 speakers. Tuned to E♭ Standard.
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 9 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Mid | 3 |
| Treble | 8 |
| Presence | 8 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 6 |
Lone Star's Class A power section is warmer and less compressed than the original's Mark IIC+ → JCM800 hybrid power amp chain. To compensate: gain pushed to 9 (vs original's 8) for tighter saturation, bass raised to 7 (vs 6) because Lone Star's bass response is looser and needs more punch, mids dropped to 3 (vs 4) to maintain the scooped thrash voicing, and presence maxed at 8 to recover the biting Marshall-style top-end that the Lone Star's smoother power stage naturally softens. Your Strat's single-coil bridge pickup outputs far less than Hetfield's Invader humbuckers — expect less compression and attack; consider adding a high-output bridge humbucker or a high-gain overdrive pedal (e.g. MXR Fullbore Metal, ProCo Rat) in front to make up the difference.
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These settings are for a Mesa Boogie Lone Star. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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