Master of puppets amp settings — Orange Crush 20
The Mettalica guitar tone for “Master of puppets”, dialed in for a Orange Crush 20 with a Jackson JS22 Dinky. Studio version, Master of Puppets album (1986), recorded at Sweet Silence Studios with Flemming Rasmussen
Jackson King V Custom ('Kill Bon Jovi') with Seymour Duncan Invaders → Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ (preamp) → modified Marshall JCM800 100W (power amp) → Marshall 4x12 cabs
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Mid | 3 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 5 |
01Boss MT-2 Metal Zone or similar high-gain distortion
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. The Crush 20's gain structure is warm and compressed, not tight enough for thrash. A Metal Zone, MXR Fullbore Metal, or Boss ML-2 Metal Core will get you the tight, scooped attack Hetfield needs. Run amp on CLEAN channel with gain at 0 if using this pedal.
The Orange Crush 20 is inherently warm and mid-forward with a compressed low end — the opposite of the Mesa IIC+'s tight, scooped aggression. I pushed bass to 7 (vs original's low 2 on the Mesa, because Orange bass is already thick and needs compensation), scooped mids hard to 3, and maxed gain. Without a high-gain pedal, this is the closest the Crush gets, but it will sound fuzzy rather than tight. Your JS22's high-output humbuckers help, but a dedicated metal distortion pedal is the honest path to this tone.
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These settings are for a Orange Crush 20. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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