GuitarDistortedRiff
Master of Puppets (Live) Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica
Metallica · 1980s · metal
live
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP MX220 (aka 'EET FUK' Explorer-style, white finish, 1984-1987 era)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB (bridge humbucker, stock for this era, not EMG)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head (live, mid-1980s), into Marshall 4x12 cabinets
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Live performance, 1986-1987 era. James Hetfield played the ESP MX220 with Seymour Duncan JB pickups through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head and Marshall cabs. No evidence of additional distortion pedals for the riff section; compression pedal (Boss CS-1) sometimes used in studio, rarely live. Settings and effects are for the heavy, palm-muted riff sections, not the clean intro.
Amp Settings
Mids3
Bass6
Gain8.5
Reverb1
Treble7.5
Presence6.5
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- scooped mids
- aggressive palm muting
- high-gain saturation
- articulate attack
- chunky low end
- crisp, biting treble
- minimal ambience
- razor-sharp pick attack
- dry, focused rhythm sound