One amp settings — Fender Champion 20

The Mettalica guitar tone for “One”, dialed in for a Fender Champion 20 with a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster. Studio version, ...And Justice for All (1988) — main rhythm riff tone

Original rig

Guitar: ESP MX-220 with EMG pickups; Amp: Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+; Effects: Noise gate, light reverb

Tight, scooped thrash metal crunch with aggressive pick attack and dry, focused low-mids

Amp settings — Fender Champion 20

CHANNELVoice selector: position 3 (highest gain)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	10
Bass	7
Treble	6
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss DS-1 Distortion

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for reaching thrash gain levels. Run amp Voice on cleanest setting (position 1) when using this pedal, gain at 3-4 on amp.

Tone 6 · Level 7 · Dist 7

Why these settings

The Champion 20 is a clean-voiced solid-state amp with no mid control — it cannot produce Mesa Mark IIC+ high-gain saturation from the preamp alone even at max gain. The amp's Voice selector maxed provides mild overdrive only. A DS-1 or similar distortion pedal is required to reach thrash territory; without one, you'll get a crunchy classic rock tone at best, not the tight scooped metal of the original. Treble pulled back from 7 to 6 because your Strat's single coils are brighter than Hetfield's EMG humbuckers.

PRO TIPPalm-mute hard and pick aggressively right over the bridge pickup pole pieces — Hetfield's attack is half the tone. If the low E sounds flubby through the Champion's 8-inch speaker, roll bass back to 5-6 and let the distortion pedal's low-end carry the thump instead.

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These settings are for a Fender Champion 20. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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