Tone library / Metallica / Nothing else matters

Nothing else matters amp settings — Fender Champion 20

The Metallica guitar tone for “Nothing else matters”, dialed in for a Fender Champion 20 with a Harley Benton SC-Custom II. Studio version, Metallica (The Black Album, 1991) — iconic clean fingerpicked intro

Original rig

Roland JC-120 and Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ clean channel, ESP Explorer with EMG 60 neck pickup, studio rack reverb

Pristine, warm, round clean tone with gentle presence and studio hall space

Amp settings — Fender Champion 20

CHANNELVoice: Blackface Clean ('65 Twin style)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	3
Bass	6
Treble	5
Reverb	5
Master	4

Don’t have a Fender Champion 20? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The Fender Champion 20 lacks mid and presence controls, so shape the clean tone using the '65 Twin voice with Bass at 6 and Treble at 5 for round body without harsh high-end. Your Harley Benton's passive neck humbucker yields plenty of warm low-mids; rolling the tone knob slightly to 8 mimics the dark, pristine clarity of Hetfield's active EMG 60. Set the onboard FX Type knob to Hall Reverb at level 5 to match the studio rack ambience. Heavy interlude/solo: switch to the Metal voice with Gain at 7 and Treble at 7.

PRO TIPPluck the open strings cleanly using the flesh of your thumb and fingers rather than a pick to get the soft, rounded transient Hetfield achieved on the opening chords.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Fender Champion 20. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Fender Champion 20 settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP Nothing else matters on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Metallica tonesALL SONGS Metallica on the Fender Champion 20SAME ARTIST, SAME AMP Harley Benton SC-Custom II 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.