Clean Tone
The Thing That Should Not Be
Metallica
BassThrash metal / Heavy metal1980s
Original Gear
BassModded Rickenbacker (Cliff Burton’s modded Ric bass)
AmpMesa/Boogie D‑180 heads (paired with Mesa cabinets)
PickupsMudbucker in the neck position
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5
mid6
treble5
presence4
compression4
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Cliff Burton used a modded Rickenbacker with a mudbucker in the neck, and ran dual Mesa/Boogie D‑180 heads (one for clean, one for effects) into Mesa cabinets for his heavy tone.
Tone Character(4)
fuzzyblown‑outmessyheavy
Difficulty
Intermediate difficulty due to syncopated riff doubling in a low D‑standard tuning with heavy, fuzzy tone requiring control and clarity.
Sources
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Create Free AccountBassThrash metal / Heavy metal1980s
Original Gear
BassModded Rickenbacker (Cliff Burton’s modded Ric bass)
AmpMesa/Boogie D‑180 heads (paired with Mesa cabinets)
PickupsMudbucker in the neck position
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5
mid6
treble5
presence4
compression4
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Cliff Burton used a modded Rickenbacker with a mudbucker in the neck, and ran dual Mesa/Boogie D‑180 heads (one for clean, one for effects) into Mesa cabinets for his heavy tone.
Tone Character(4)
fuzzyblown‑outmessyheavy
Difficulty
Intermediate difficulty due to syncopated riff doubling in a low D‑standard tuning with heavy, fuzzy tone requiring control and clarity.
The Thing That Should Not Be settings for your amp
Exact settings ToneAdapt players use on these amps.
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