Battery
A very fast, tightly doubled thrash riff in E minor that follows a two-guitar acoustic intro.
What is the Battery guitar tone?
The Battery guitar tone is a very fast, tightly doubled thrash riff in E minor that follows a two-guitar acoustic intro, heard on Metallica's 1980s thrash metal recording. It is a distorted riff tone, and Metallica reportedly tracked it with James Hetfield's Jackson King V through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ modified as a preamp, the rhythm rig listed for the whole of Master of Puppets, with Kirk Hammett's leads through his own Mark IIC++, according to a Metallica gear history site; asked about the rhythm sound on this song, producer Flemming Rasmussen said every rhythm guitar is doubled at least once, that in places six to eight guitars play at the same time, and that Hetfield is so tight it sounds like one guitar, with some of the sounds made to fit around the main one; the song opens with a chord progression on an acoustic guitar and a simple melody on a second acoustic over it, then distorted electric guitars, drums and bass take over the same progression before the very fast main riff arrives; Hetfield improvised that riff while relaxing in London, the song is in E minor, and the title points to the Old Waldorf, a club at 444 Battery Street in San Francisco that Metallica played in the city's thrash scene; it opens Master of Puppets, recorded at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen between September and December 1985 and released on 3 March 1986. Tones in this style live or die on tight low end and a scooped midrange, with the picking hand doing as much of the work as the amp.
You do not need that exact gear to land in the same place. What carries this sound is the gain structure, the EQ curve, the pickup choice and the order of the effects, and all four can be rebuilt on equipment that costs a fraction of the original. The numbers change from amp to amp, because a high-gain head and a small practice amp reach the same voicing from different knob positions. That translation is what Tonelify works out for the rig you actually own.
Battery amp settings: a starting point
On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 8, Bass 6, Middle 3, Treble 7, Presence 6, Reverb 1 for the thrash riffs, with the bridge pickup. There is a second setting for the acoustic intro below.
- Gain 8
- Bass 6
- Middle 3
- Treble 7
- Presence 6
- Reverb 1
- Signal chain
- Noise gate → Amp distortion → Short room reverb
- The control that matters most
- Tightness, not gain. Rasmussen doubled every rhythm guitar at least once and stacked six to eight in places, so the record's weight comes from layers played exactly together rather than from a saturated amp. Set a tight, scooped sound with the low end under control and work on playing the riff evenly at speed; if you record it, double the riff rather than adding gain.
These positions are free and they are a starting point. A Katana, a Spark and a valve head reach this voicing from different knob positions, so Tonelify rewrites every value above for the amp and guitar you own. Your first match is free with an account, and needs no card.
Adapt these to my amp- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
These are positions on a generic five-knob amp with gain, bass, middle, treble and presence, each running 0 to 10. They are a starting point, not the settings used on the record, and they will not transfer unchanged to an amp with a different gain structure or EQ voicing. If you tell Tonelify which amp you own, it rewrites every value above for the controls that amp actually has.
Second sound
Battery amp settings for the acoustic intro
For the acoustic intro, start at Gain 2, Bass 6, Middle 3, Treble 7, Presence 6, Reverb 3, with the neck or middle position.
- Gain 2
- Bass 6
- Middle 3
- Treble 7
- Presence 6
- Reverb 3
- Signal chain
- Straight into the amp
- Where the song switches
- The intro is two acoustic guitars, a chord progression with a simple melody over it, before distorted electrics take over the same progression. On an electric guitar, play it on a clean sound.
- Pickup
- Neck or middle position
The same reference as the panel above: positions on a generic five-knob amp, a starting point rather than the settings on the record.
What gear did Metallica use on Battery?
James Hetfield's Jackson King V through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ modified as a preamp, the rhythm rig listed for the whole of Master of Puppets, with Kirk Hammett's leads through his own Mark IIC++, according to a Metallica gear history site; asked about the rhythm sound on this song, producer Flemming Rasmussen said every rhythm guitar is doubled at least once, that in places six to eight guitars play at the same time, and that Hetfield is so tight it sounds like one guitar, with some of the sounds made to fit around the main one; the song opens with a chord progression on an acoustic guitar and a simple melody on a second acoustic over it, then distorted electric guitars, drums and bass take over the same progression before the very fast main riff arrives; Hetfield improvised that riff while relaxing in London, the song is in E minor, and the title points to the Old Waldorf, a club at 444 Battery Street in San Francisco that Metallica played in the city's thrash scene; it opens Master of Puppets, recorded at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen between September and December 1985 and released on 3 March 1986.
Sources: Wikipedia: Battery (song), SFL Music: producer Flemming Rasmussen on recording Metallica, Wikipedia: Master of Puppets, Metallica Gear History: the Crunchberries Mark IIC+
Tonelify reads that chain and translates it to the amp and guitar you already own, returning gain, bass, mids, treble and presence values along with a pickup position.
How do you get the Battery tone on your own amp?
Tell us your guitar, amp, and pedals
AI researches the original tone of Battery
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Battery tone questions
What amp settings do you need for Battery?
On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 8, Bass 6, Middle 3, Treble 7, Presence 6, Reverb 1 for the thrash riffs, with the bridge pickup, and at Gain 2, Bass 6, Middle 3, Treble 7, Presence 6, Reverb 3 for the acoustic intro, with the neck or middle position. These are positions on a generic five-knob amp with gain, bass, middle, treble and presence, each running 0 to 10. They are a starting point, not the settings used on the record, and they will not transfer unchanged to an amp with a different gain structure or EQ voicing. Tonelify rewrites the same values for the specific amp and guitar you own, because a high-gain head and a small solid-state combo reach the same very fast, tightly doubled thrash riff in E minor that follows a two-guitar acoustic intro from different positions.
Does Battery use one amp setting or two?
Two. The intro is two acoustic guitars, a chord progression with a simple melody over it, before distorted electrics take over the same progression. On an electric guitar, play it on a clean sound. On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 8, Bass 6, Middle 3, Treble 7, Presence 6, Reverb 1 for the thrash riffs, and at Gain 2, Bass 6, Middle 3, Treble 7, Presence 6, Reverb 3 for the acoustic intro.
What is the most important control for the Battery tone?
Tightness, not gain. Rasmussen doubled every rhythm guitar at least once and stacked six to eight in places, so the record's weight comes from layers played exactly together rather than from a saturated amp. Set a tight, scooped sound with the low end under control and work on playing the riff evenly at speed; if you record it, double the riff rather than adding gain.
Can you get the Battery tone without the original gear?
Yes. The original was tracked with James Hetfield's Jackson King V through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ modified as a preamp, the rhythm rig listed for the whole of Master of Puppets, with Kirk Hammett's leads through his own Mark IIC++, according to a Metallica gear history site; asked about the rhythm sound on this song, producer Flemming Rasmussen said every rhythm guitar is doubled at least once, that in places six to eight guitars play at the same time, and that Hetfield is so tight it sounds like one guitar, with some of the sounds made to fit around the main one; the song opens with a chord progression on an acoustic guitar and a simple melody on a second acoustic over it, then distorted electric guitars, drums and bass take over the same progression before the very fast main riff arrives; Hetfield improvised that riff while relaxing in London, the song is in E minor, and the title points to the Old Waldorf, a club at 444 Battery Street in San Francisco that Metallica played in the city's thrash scene; it opens Master of Puppets, recorded at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen between September and December 1985 and released on 3 March 1986, but the parts that define the sound are the gain structure, the EQ curve, the pickup position and the effects order. Those translate to other equipment, which is what the adaptation step does.
Is Battery a rhythm or a lead tone?
It is a riff part with a distorted character, from Metallica's 1980s thrash metal catalogue.
Does Tonelify cost anything to try?
Your first match for your own gear is free with an account, and needs no card. After that both plans start with a 7-day free trial: Stage is $6.99 a month for 20 matches, Headliner is $10.99 a month for unlimited matching within a fair use limit of 150 new matches a day, and yearly billing works out cheaper on both. Reading this page and the rest of the library costs nothing and needs no account.
