Riff Tone

Master of Puppets (Live)

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

Guitar1984 Gibson Explorer (white, stock pickups for live 1986-87)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (live, 1986 era)

PickupsGibson Dirty Fingers humbuckers (passive, ceramic magnet, stock for 1986 live shows)

Amp Settings

gain9

bass6

mid3

treble7.5

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

compressionBoss Boss CS-1 Compression Sustainer

Notes

Live rig for 'Master of Puppets' riff section, 1986-87 tour. No EMGs yet; Explorer with stock Dirty Fingers. Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ used as main preamp, into Marshall 4x12. Studio used similar setup, but this is for live. Effects loop with rack EQ sometimes used. No time-based or modulation effects audible in riff section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midrangeaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate note separationchunky low endrazor-sharp clarityminimal ambiencefast attackcrisp pick response

Difficulty

The riff section requires extremely fast and consistent alternate picking, tight palm muting, and precise rhythm, demanding advanced right-hand technique and stamina.

Sources

Metallica – Master of Puppets (Remastered) - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard The making of Metallica's Master Of Puppets | MusicRadar What are the Amp settings for a Metallica sound : r/Guitar - Reddit

This tone has been researched 4 times by the community

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