EVH 5150 Iconic Series 15W settings
Blackened settings for EVH 5150 Iconic Series 15W
Metallica · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Metallica "Blackened" riff tone on a EVH 5150 Iconic Series 15W, set Gain 8, Bass 5, Mid 3, Treble 7, Presence 6, Resonance 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a ESP LTD EC-256 · updated 2026-09-25
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
EVH 5150 Iconic Series 15W knobs
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 3
- Treble
- 7
- Presence
- 6
- Resonance
- 6
- Gain ch1
- 0
- Gain ch2
- 8
- Volume ch1
- 0
- Volume ch2
- 7
- Burn switch
- 1
- Power reduction
- 1
- Overdrive switch
- 0
Playing tips
- Focus on tight palm muting for chugging riffs.
- Use fast downpicking for aggressive attack.
- Maintain a steady rhythm to keep clarity in the notes.
The original rig
What Metallica used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your EVH 5150 Iconic Series 15W 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 EVH 5150 Iconic Series 15W settings for Blackened?
Set Gain 8, Bass 5, Mid 3, Treble 7, Presence 6, Resonance 6.
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 ESP LTD EC-256. 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 EVH 5150 Iconic Series 15W
All Metallica tones →Popular songs on the EVH 5150 Iconic Series 15W
- Walk · Pantera
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Home · Three Days Grace
- Them Bones · Alice In Chains
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Who's Crying Now · Journey
- Kryptonite · 3 Doors Down
- Far Behind · Candlebox
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.