Tone library / Metallica / Master of Puppets

Master of Puppets amp settings — Soran Tiny stomp

The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of Puppets”, dialed in for a Soran Tiny stomp with a YAMAHA RGX121Z. Studio version, Master of Puppets (1986) — main rhythm riff

Original rig

Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (slaved into Marshall JCM800 2203 power section) + Jackson King V with Seymour Duncan Invader / EMG 81, Mesa 5-band Graphic EQ in classic V-curve

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

Amp settings — Soran Tiny stomp

CHANNELHigh-Gain / Modern Metal amp model (e.g. Cali Dual / Mark-style lead voice)BOOSToff

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

Don’t have a Soran Tiny stomp? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Soran Tiny Stomp (Onboard TS / Tube Drive Block)

Place before the amp model block as a clean boost to tighten low-end attack and add bite

Gain 0 · Tone 6 · Level 8

02Soran Tiny Stomp (Onboard Noise Gate Block)

Essential for cutting string hum and tightening percussive downpicked palm mutes

Threshold 6 · Decay 2

Why these settings

The Soran Tiny Stomp is dialed into a modern high-gain American amp model with the mids scooped to emulate the Mesa Mark IIC+ classic post-preamp graphic EQ V-curve. The Yamaha RGX121Z bridge ceramic humbucker supplies the necessary high output, while the internal overdrive block is set as a clean boost (gain 0, high level) to shave off flubby bass before the distortion stage. Clean interlude: switch to neck pickup, disengage the drive block, and select a clean amp model with light chorus.

PRO TIPAnchor your picking hand strictly near the bridge saddle and execute all rhythm passages with heavy, uniform downstrokes to get the signature percussive snap and harmonic punch of James Hetfield's 1986 tracks.

Get this tone on your amp

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

Get ToneAdapt on Google Play

Find your amp

Browse

Master of Puppets on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Metallica tonesALL SONGS YAMAHA RGX121Z tonesSAME GUITAR Tone libraryEVERYTHING

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.