Tone library / Metallica / Nothing Else Matters

Nothing Else Matters amp settings — marshall MG15

The Metallica guitar tone for “Nothing Else Matters”, dialed in for a marshall MG15 with a Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s. Studio version, Metallica 'Black Album' (1991), recorded at One on One Studios, LA

Original rig

Roland JC-120 (clean), Tom Anderson ProAM Strat (borrowed from Kirk Hammett), MXR Dynacomp compressor; heavy sections used Mesa Boogie Mark IIC++ and ESP Explorer with EMG pickups

Pristine, shimmering clean with chorus-enhanced stereo width; fingerpicked arpeggios with long natural sustain and no grit

Amp settings — marshall MG15

CHANNELCleanBRIGHToffBOOSToff

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

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Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Compressor (Boss CS-3 or similar)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. The original used an MXR Dynacomp for sustain and even dynamics. Essential for the fingerpicked clean tone.

Level 7 · Tone 5 · Attack 6 · Sustain 6

02Chorus (Boss CE-5 or similar)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. The Roland JC-120's built-in chorus is THE defining element of this tone. Without chorus, you lose the shimmering width.

E.Level 6 · Rate 3 · Depth 5 · Lo Filter 5 · Hi Filter 5

Why these settings

The Marshall MG15 lacks the JC-120's signature solid-state clean headroom and built-in stereo chorus, so I've set gain very low and pushed mids +1 to compensate for the MG's thinner clean channel. Your Les Paul's passive humbuckers are warmer and higher output than the original single-coil Tom Anderson Strat — I rolled treble down to 4 and recommend the neck pickup with tone at 7 to approximate that glassy-but-warm character. Without a chorus pedal, you will get the notes but not the lush stereo shimmer that defines this recording.

PRO TIPHetfield plays the intro arpeggio entirely with fingerpicking — no pick. Use the fleshy pad of your fingertips rather than nails for a softer attack, and let all six open strings ring together without muting; the natural decay is part of the tone.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a marshall MG15. 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.