EVH 5150 Iconic settings
Sad But True settings for EVH 5150 Iconic
Metallica · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Metallica "Sad But True" riff tone on a EVH 5150 Iconic, set Gain 8.5, Bass 5, Mid 1.5, Treble 6, Presence 6, Resonance 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Epiphone Les Paul · updated 2026-07-19
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
EVH 5150 Iconic knobs
- Gain
- 8.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 1.5
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 6
- Resonance
- 6
- Reverb
- 0
- Burn
- 1
- Boost
- 0
- Overdrive
- 0
- Noise gate
- 4
Playing tips
- Focus on tight palm muting for chugging riffs.
- Maintain a percussive attack to enhance the rhythm.
- Use aggressive picking to achieve a saturated distortion sound.
The original rig
What Metallica used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your EVH 5150 Iconic actually has.
- Guitar
- ESP MX-220 (black finish)
- Amp
- Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++
- Gain
- 8.5
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 1.5
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 4.5
- Reverb
- 0
Different guitar or pedals? Get Sad But True 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 settings for Sad But True?
Set Gain 8.5, Bass 5, Mid 1.5, Treble 6, Presence 6, Resonance 6.
Which pickup should I use for Sad But True?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 10 and volume at 10.
What gear did Metallica use on Sad But True?
Guitar: ESP MX-220 (black finish). Amp: Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++.
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Epiphone Les Paul. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Sad But True on other amps
More Metallica on the EVH 5150 Iconic
All Metallica tones →Popular songs on the EVH 5150 Iconic
- Walk · Pantera
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Welcome To The Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- War Pigs · Black Sabbath
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Back In Black · AC/DC
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
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.