Master of puppets amp settings — Watson XL15R
The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of puppets”, dialed in for a Watson XL15R with a Yamaha Erg 21. Main rhythm riff, studio album cut (1986)
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ preamp slaved to Marshall JCM800 2203 power section, Aphex EQF-1 / Boss GE-7 V-shaped graphic EQ, Jackson King V / Gibson Explorer with Seymour Duncan Invader / EMG 81
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 2 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Mid | 3 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 5 |
01Wah
Leave bypassed for rhythm riff
02Boss DS-1
Gain source — drives the clean channel into tight thrash saturation
The Watson XL15R practice amp cannot replicate a Mesa Mark IIC+ high-gain preamp on its own, so your owned Boss DS-1 acts as the primary gain source running into the cleanest channel with amp gain kept low to prevent double-gain mud. The DS-1 Tone knob is backed down to 4 to avoid harsh clipping through an 8-inch practice speaker while keeping the amp mids pulled back to 3 to emulate the iconic Mark series V-curve EQ. Clean interlude: bypass the DS-1 pedal entirely and roll the guitar volume to 7.
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These settings are for a Watson XL15R. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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