Tone library / Metallica / Nothing Else Matters

Nothing Else Matters amp settings — Marshall Code 50

The Metallica guitar tone for “Nothing Else Matters”, dialed in for a Marshall Code 50 with a Yamaha Revstar RSS20. Studio version, Metallica 'Black Album' (1991) — clean arpeggiated sections

Original rig

Tom Anderson ProAM (Strat-style, single coils) → MXR DynaComp → Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus with built-in stereo chorus + direct DI signal blended

Pristine, glassy clean with stereo chorus shimmer and light compression — no dirt, maximum clarity

Amp settings — Marshall Code 50

CHANNELJC-120 model (Clean Amp category)BRIGHToffBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	5
Mid	6
Treble	5
Presence	4
Reverb	3
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Compressor (Code 50 built-in effect)

Emulates the MXR DynaComp on the original — light squeeze, sustains the arpeggios without squashing dynamics

Sensitivity 5 · Level 6

02Chorus (Code 50 built-in effect)

Critical for the JC-120 sound — the original's built-in chorus is THE defining texture of this tone

Speed 3 · Depth 5 · Tone 6 · Mix 5

Why these settings

Your Revstar's humbuckers are hotter and warmer than the original's single coils, so I rolled treble back to 5 (original JC-120 was 6-7) and pushed mids to 6 to compensate for the Marshall voicing's natural mid-scoop vs the JC-120's flat response. Neck pickup with tone at 7 softens the humbucker bite to approximate single-coil clarity. Gain stays minimal—this tone has zero breakup.

PRO TIPFingerpick the intro arpeggio with your thumb on the low E and three fingers plucking G/B/high E simultaneously—Hetfield used no pick for this part, which is why the attack sounds so soft and rounded on the record.

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More tones for the Marshall Code 50

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