Tone library / Metallica / Welcomehome sanitarium

Welcomehome sanitarium amp settings — GA-20 GA-20

The Metallica guitar tone for “Welcomehome sanitarium”, dialed in for a GA-20 GA-20 with a Gibson Explorer. Studio version, Master of Puppets (1986) — recorded at Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen

Original rig

Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head, Gibson Explorer with EMG 81/60 pickups, Ibanez Tube Screamer as boost, Marshall cabinets with Celestion speakers

Clean arpeggiated intro with chorus shimmer, transitions to tight aggressive thrash rhythm with scooped mids and razor presence

Amp settings — GA-20 GA-20

CHANNELLead channel (for heavy sections) / Normal channel (for clean intro)BRIGHTon

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	6
Mid	4
Treble	7
Presence	6
Reverb	2
Master	5

Don’t have a GA-20 GA-20? Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Behringer Ultra Metal UM300

Use for heavy rhythm sections only — bypass for clean intro. Set amp to cleanest setting when this is engaged. Mode switch to 'Mid' position for tighter response.

Level 6 · High 7 · Low 5 · Distortion 7

02Irin 10-Band EQ

Classic 'V-curve' scoop — cut 500Hz for that Metallica thrash tone, boost 2-4kHz for pick attack and cut. Level slider at unity or slight boost.

31Hz 4 · 62Hz 5 · 125Hz 6 · 250Hz 4 · 500Hz 3 · 1kHz 4 · 2kHz 6 · 4kHz 7 · 8kHz 6 · 16kHz 5

03Chorus pedal (RECOMMENDED — not currently owned)

RECOMMENDED — Essential for the shimmering clean intro arpeggios. A Boss CE-5 or TC Electronic Corona would nail this. Use only for intro section.

Rate 3 · Depth 5 · Level 7

Why these settings

The GA-20 is a vintage-voiced amp without high-gain capability, so the UM300 becomes your primary distortion source — set amp gain to 3 when the pedal is on to avoid mud. Your Explorer's passive humbuckers are warmer than Hetfield's active EMGs, so the EQ's 4kHz boost compensates for the missing high-end bite. For the clean intro, bypass all pedals and use amp gain at 2-3 with reverb at 4.

PRO TIPThe intro's haunting quality comes from letting notes ring into each other while palm-muting selectively — practice the arpeggio pattern with your picking hand hovering just above the bridge, applying light damping only on specific bass notes to create that breathing, melancholic sustain Hetfield achieves.

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These settings are for a GA-20 GA-20. 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.