Fender Mustang III settings
Master of Puppets settings for Fender Mustang III
Metallica · adapted 19 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Metallica "Master of Puppets" riff tone on a Fender Mustang III, select the Metal 2000 preset, then set Gain 9, Bass 6, Mid 3, Treble 7, Reverb 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Yamaha Pacifica 012 · updated 2026-11-04
- Preset / mode
- Metal 2000
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Fender Mustang III knobs
- Gain
- 9
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 3
- Treble
- 7
- Reverb
- 0
Playing tips
- Use aggressive palm muting to achieve tight chugs.
- Focus on fast alternate picking for clarity in the riff.
- Keep the dynamics loud to match the aggressive tone of the original.
The original rig
What Metallica used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Mustang III actually has.
- Guitar
- ESP MX220 (custom, aka 'Eet Fuk')
- Amp
- Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (preamp) into Marshall JCM800 (power amp section), Mesa 4x12 cabinet
- Gain
- 9
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 3
- Treble
- 7.5
- Presence
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 1
Different guitar or pedals? Get Master of Puppets 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 preset should I use on the Fender Mustang III for Master of Puppets?
Start from the Metal 2000 preset, then set Gain 9, Bass 6, Mid 3, Treble 7, Reverb 0.
Which pickup should I use for Master of Puppets?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 10 and volume at 10.
What gear did Metallica use on Master of Puppets?
Guitar: ESP MX220 (custom, aka 'Eet Fuk'). Amp: Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (preamp) into Marshall JCM800 (power amp section), Mesa 4x12 cabinet.
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Yamaha Pacifica 012. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Master of Puppets on other amps
- Master of Puppets on Fender Mustang LT25 · 1,425
- Master of Puppets on Boss Katana · 926
- Master of Puppets on Fender Frontman 10G · 434
- Master of Puppets on Line 6 Helix Floor / LT / Rack · 280
- Master of Puppets on Fender Champion 20 · 218
- Master of Puppets on Fender Frontman 15G · 207
- Master of Puppets on Neural DSP Quad Cortex · 193
- Master of Puppets on Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 · 182
Popular songs on the Fender Mustang III
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Walk · Pantera
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Pride and Joy · Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Black Hole Sun · Soundgarden
- Man in the Box · Alice in Chains
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.