Boss Katana settings
Blackened settings for Boss Katana
Metallica · adapted 5 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Metallica "Blackened" riff tone on a Boss Katana, set Gain 8, Bass 5, Mid 2, Treble 7, Presence 6, Solo 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Epiphone Extura Prophecy · updated 2026-09-09
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Boss Katana knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 2
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Solo
- 0
- Contour
- 2
- Power control
- 3
- Cabinet resonance
- 2
Playing tips
- Focus on tight palm muting for chugging riffs.
- Use fast downpicking to achieve the aggressive attack.
- Maintain a steady rhythm to ensure articulate note separation.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Ibanez GIO GRG121DX · updated 2026-04-20
- Pickup
- Neck pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Boss Katana knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 4
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 0
- Solo
- 6
- Contour
- 1
- Power control
- 3
- Cabinet resonance
- 2
Playing tips
- Use aggressive picking to enhance the attack of the notes.
- Incorporate slides and bends for expressive phrasing.
- Experiment with vibrato to add character to sustained notes.
The original rig
What Metallica used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana actually has.
- Guitar
- ESP MX220 'EET FUK' Explorer
- Amp
- Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head (studio recording, 1988)
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 3
- Treble
- 7.5
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0
Different guitar or pedals? Get Blackened adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Metallica's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Boss Katana settings for Blackened?
Set Gain 8, Bass 5, Mid 2, Treble 7, Presence 6, Solo 0.
Which pickup should I use for Blackened?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 10 and volume at 10.
What gear did Metallica use on Blackened?
Guitar: ESP MX220 'EET FUK' Explorer. Amp: Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head (studio recording, 1988).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Epiphone Extura Prophecy. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Blackened on other amps
More Metallica on the Boss Katana
All Metallica tones →Popular songs on the Boss Katana
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.