GuitarCleanRiff
Master of Puppets Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica
Metallica · 1980s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1984 Gibson Explorer
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge), EMG 60 (neck) active humbuckers (note: original recording likely used stock Gibson pickups or Seymour Duncan Invader; EMGs were adopted later, but some sources suggest they may have been used during the Puppets sessions)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, 1985-1986. Clean section likely used the neck pickup and clean channel of the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+. No pedals confirmed for the clean section. Some sources suggest a Roland JC-120 was used for cleans live, but not confirmed for studio. Settings estimated based on typical 1980s metal clean tones and available forum discussions.
Amp Settings
Mids4
Bass5.5
Gain0
Reverb1
Treble7
Presence5.5
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- bright and glassy
- articulate and clear
- slightly compressed
- percussive attack
- warm but not muddy
- dynamic response
- minimal breakup
- studio reverb adds space
- no chorus or modulation
- classic 1980s clean metal