Master of Puppets amp settings — Vault Vault frenzy 20
The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of Puppets”, dialed in for a Vault Vault frenzy 20 with a Vault Vault Artisan Rg2. Studio version, Master of Puppets (1986) — main rhythm riff
Jackson Custom Shop King V (Seymour Duncan Invader) -> Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (slaved into Marshall JCM800 power amp) with 5-band Graphic EQ (classic V-curve scoop)
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Mid | 3 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 5 |
The Vault Frenzy 20 is a compact solid-state practice amp lacking the massive headroom and Mesa graphic EQ of the original recording, so you must engage its Drive channel with gain pushed to 8 to reach thrash saturation. The mids are pulled down to 3 to emulate the classic Mark IIC+ 'V-curve' scoop, while treble and bass are set to 7 to deliver the aggressive pick attack and palm-muted punch. Clean interlude: switch to the clean channel and select the neck pickup.
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These settings are for a Vault Vault frenzy 20. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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