Tone library / Metallica / Master of Puppets

Master of Puppets amp settings — Thomson Be-15

The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of Puppets”, dialed in for a Thomson Be-15 with a Thomson Telecaster. Studio version, Master of Puppets album (1986)

Original rig

Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ preamp → Marshall JCM800 power amp, Jackson King V 'Kill Bon Jovi' with Seymour Duncan Invaders, EMG 81 (bridge) for rhythms

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

Amp settings — Thomson Be-15

CHANNELOverdrive/Distortion channel (if available)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	3
Bass	7
Mid	2
Treble	6
Presence	5
Reverb	0
Master	5

Don’t have a Thomson Be-15? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Crunch Distortion

This is your primary gain source. The Thomson Be-15 lacks the high-gain architecture of a Mesa Mark IIC+, so the Crunch pedal must deliver all the saturation. Run amp clean behind it.

Gain/Distortion 8 · Tone 6 · Level/Volume 7

02EQ Pedal (e.g., Boss GE-7 or Behringer EQ700)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. The V-shaped graphic EQ (boosted lows, scooped 400-800Hz mids, boosted upper presence) is essential to the Master of Puppets tone. Without it, your tone will lack the signature thrash scoop. Place after distortion pedal.

100Hz 7 · 200Hz 6 · 400Hz 3 · 800Hz 2 · 1.6kHz 4 · 3.2kHz 6 · 6.4kHz 5 · Level 6

Why these settings

The Thomson Be-15 is a low-wattage practice amp without high-gain voicing, and the Thomson Telecaster has single-coil pickups — the opposite of Hetfield's hot EMG humbuckers through a Mesa/Marshall stack. Amp gain is set to 3 because the Crunch pedal is doing all the heavy lifting; stacking amp gain would create mud. Bass is pushed to 7 to compensate for the Telecaster's thinner low-end output. Mids are cut hard to 2 to approximate the scooped Mark IIC+ graphic EQ curve. Without an EQ pedal, you will not achieve the full V-curve scoop — the recommended GE-7 is critical for authenticity.

PRO TIPHetfield's tone is 50% technique: aggressive downpicking with the pick angled slightly, palm muting tight against the bridge, and striking the strings hard with conviction. Practice the relentless downstroke pattern at 212 BPM before chasing gear — no amp setting replaces disciplined picking mechanics.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Thomson Be-15. 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.