One amp settings — Orange Crush 12
The Metallica guitar tone for “One”, dialed in for a Orange Crush 12 with a Epiphone Les paul special. Studio version, ...And Justice for All (1988)
Mesa Boogie Mark IIC++ head, ESP MX-220 with EMG pickups, ADA MP-1 preamp for cleans, scooped EQ cutting 1.2kHz, Marshall 1960 4x12 with Celestion Vintage 30s
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 6 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Master | 5 |
01Distortion Pedal (Boss DS-1 or similar)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for reaching the heavy sections. Run amp clean (gain 2-3) when using this pedal.
02Digital Delay with Modulation
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. For the clean intro's spacious atmosphere. A Boss DD-7 or any delay with modulation/reverb works.
The Orange Crush 12 is a single-channel practice amp with no mid knob, no presence, and no reverb — all set to null. It cannot produce Mesa IIC++ high-gain saturation on its own; the amp tops out at light crunch. For the famous clean intro, use neck pickup with tone rolled back to 6 for warmth, gain at 6 for slight shimmer. For the heavy sections, you MUST add a distortion pedal — drop amp gain to 2-3 when the pedal is engaged to avoid mud. The Epiphone's humbuckers approximate the EMG output reasonably well.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Orange Crush 12. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
Get ToneAdapt on Google PlaySong, 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.