Tone library / Metallica / Master of Puppets

Master of Puppets amp settings — Mooer Hornet

The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of Puppets”, dialed in for a Mooer Hornet with a Squier Affinity Stratocaster. Studio version, Master of Puppets album (1986)

Original rig

Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ preamp → Marshall JCM800 power section, ESP Explorer/Jackson King V with EMG 81 (bridge), V-shaped graphic EQ

Tight, aggressive thrash rhythm with scooped mids, razor-sharp pick attack, crushing low end

Amp settings — Mooer Hornet

CHANNELOD2 (High Gain) or closest high-gain voicingBRIGHToffBOOSTon

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	7
Mid	2
Treble	7
Presence	6
Reverb	0
Master	5

Don’t have a Mooer Hornet? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Noise Gate (built-in or RECOMMENDED)

RECOMMENDED — essential for high-gain thrash to kill string noise between palm mutes

Threshold 4 · Decay 3

Why these settings

Your Squier Strat's single-coil bridge pickup is significantly lower output and brighter than Hetfield's EMG 81 humbucker. Compensate by pushing gain +1 higher than original and boosting bass +1 to add the low-end weight the single-coil lacks. Mid is scooped harder (2 vs original 3-4) because the Strat already has prominent upper-mids that will cut through. The Mooer Hornet's digital high-gain voicing is tighter than a real tube amp, so this works in your favor for thrash clarity.

PRO TIPHetfield's tone lives in his picking hand — strict downstrokes only on the main riff, palm muting right at the bridge saddles, and attacking the strings hard with a thick pick (1mm+). Without this technique, no amount of EQ will sound like the record.

Get this tone on your amp

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

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More tones for the Mooer Hornet

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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.