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Master of Puppets amp settings — Yamaha Micro Cube 3d

The Metallica guitar tone for “Master of Puppets”, dialed in for a Yamaha Micro Cube 3d with a Harley Benton SC-Custom II. Studio version, Master of Puppets album (1986)

Original rig

ESP Explorer with EMG pickups → Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (preamp) → Marshall JCM800 (power amp). V-shaped graphic EQ curve (boosted lows, scooped 750Hz, boosted highs).

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

Amp settings — Yamaha Micro Cube 3d

CHANNELLEAD or HIGH GAIN channel (select the highest gain voicing available)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	7
Mid	2
Treble	8
Presence	6
Reverb	0
Master	5

Don’t have a Yamaha Micro Cube 3d? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The Yamaha Micro Cube is a small solid-state practice amp with limited gain on tap and a naturally polite, compressed voicing — it cannot replicate the Mark IIC+'s preamp saturation or the Marshall power amp thump. Gain is maxed at 8 to squeeze out all available dirt; mids are dropped to 2 to approximate the V-curve scoop; treble pushed to 8 for pick attack clarity. This will sound thinner and less aggressive than the original — a high-gain pedal (Boss MT-2, MXR 5150 OD) would close the gap significantly by providing the saturation the amp lacks.

PRO TIPHetfield's tone is 50% technique: strict downpicking with the pick angled slightly, palm muting right at the bridge saddles, and attacking the strings hard. Practice the downpick endurance — alternate picking will not sound the same, no matter your settings.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Yamaha Micro Cube 3d. 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.