Tone library / Metallica / Master of puppets

Master of puppets amp settings — Positive Grid Spark 40

The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of puppets”, dialed in for a Positive Grid Spark 40 with a Harley Benton Ex-84 EMG. Studio version, Master of Puppets album (1986), Sweet Silence Studios Copenhagen

Original rig

Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ preamp slaved into Marshall JCM800 power amp, Jackson King V / ESP Explorer with EMG 81 (bridge), V-shaped graphic EQ in loop

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

Amp settings — Positive Grid Spark 40

CHANNELMetal amp model (Mesa Mark IIC+ or 'Cali IV Lead' equivalent)BRIGHToffBOOSToff

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

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Parametric/Graphic EQ (use Spark's built-in EQ block)

V-curve is essential — boost lows and highs, deeply cut 750Hz mids. Use the Spark app's EQ block post-amp or the parametric EQ if available

80Hz 8 · 240Hz 3 · 750Hz 2 · 2.2kHz 8 · 6.6kHz 8

02Noise Gate

Tight gate cleans up palm-mute rests — essential for thrash precision

Threshold 4 · Decay 3

Why these settings

Your Harley Benton EX-84 with EMGs is a near-exact pickup match to Hetfield's rig — no compensation needed there. The Spark's Mesa/Rectifier or 'Cali Lead' model gets you closest to the Mark IIC+ voicing; select that over the Marshall models. The V-curve EQ is non-negotiable — without it, you have a generic high-gain tone, not the MOP scoop. Mids at 3 on the amp, then cut 750Hz further with the EQ block.

PRO TIPDownpick everything at tempo — this is 70% of the tone. Alternate picking sounds completely different and will not replicate the track's aggressive punch regardless of your settings. Extremely tight palm muting where each muted note hits like a punch, not a thud.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Positive Grid Spark 40. 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.