One amp settings — Marshall Mg15 cdr

The Metallica guitar tone for “One”, dialed in for a Marshall Mg15 cdr with a Gibson Kirk Hammett Les Paul Standard. Studio version, ...And Justice for All (1988)

Original rig

Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amp, ESP MX-220 (Hetfield) / Gibson Flying V & ESP (Hammett), EMG 81/85 active pickups, Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer as boost

Tight, scooped, aggressive high-gain with sharp treble attack and compressed low-end—the iconic dry, mechanical AJFA sound

Amp settings — Marshall Mg15 cdr

CHANNELOD (Overdrive channel)

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

Don’t have a Marshall Mg15 cdr? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9 (or clone)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Used as a clean boost to tighten low-end and add midrange cut. Essential for the AJFA tone. Run into amp input.

Drive 2 · Tone 7 · Level 7

Why these settings

The MG15 is a solid-state practice amp with limited gain saturation compared to a Mesa Mark IIC+. Push gain to 8 to compensate for the lack of tube compression. The MG's EQ is mid-forward compared to Mesa's naturally scooped voicing, so mids are dropped to 2 to approximate the AJFA scoop. Your Gibson KH Les Paul has passive humbuckers vs the original EMG actives—this means slightly less compression and output, hence the higher gain setting. A Tube Screamer in front is strongly recommended to achieve the tight, focused attack.

PRO TIPPalm mute hard and pick close to the bridge for that machine-gun tightness on the main riff. The AJFA tone lives in aggressive right-hand technique—loose palm muting will sound flabby even with perfect settings.

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These settings are for a Marshall Mg15 cdr. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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