Reviewed 2026-10-11

Boss KatanaDistortedRiffThrash Metal

Master of Puppets on a Boss Katana

Written for the Katana 50 MkII and the Katana 50 Gen 3, which share these knobs. The Katana 100 adds a Presence knob, and its value is given under the panel.

Master of Puppets Boss Katana settings: a starting point

On a Boss Katana, select the Lead amp type and start at Gain 7, Bass 6, Middle 3, Treble 7 and Reverb 1 or off, with the bridge pickup.

Lead amp typeMaster of Puppets on the Katana

Gain 7
Bass 6
Middle 3
Treble 7
Reverb 1 or off

Gain sits a step under the song's generic 8: Tonelify's Katana metal settings run Gain 6 to 7 on Lead or Brown, and each step past 7 adds fizz and blurs palm mutes.

The Katana 50 has no Presence knob. On a Katana 100, set Presence to 6.

Positions on a 0 to 10 scale, with 5 at twelve o'clock. These are Tonelify's starting points for the Katana, written from the documented rig and BOSS's manual. They are not BOSS's numbers and not the settings on the record.

Picked by gain range

Which Boss Katana amp type for Master of Puppets?

Lead. The record is a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ used as a preamp into Marshall heads. The Katana has a model of neither: BOSS's manuals say all of its amp types are original and name no real amp behind them. So pick by gain range. BOSS describes Lead as covering a wide range from crunch to high gain depending on the Gain setting, which is what a tight thrash rhythm needs.

Brown is the one to try second. BOSS calls it a lead sound with an edge, so take the Gain a step lower on it.

Pick the amp type first: it changes the gain structure more than any knob does, so the same Gain position gives far more distortion on Lead or Brown than on Crunch. Gain sets the amount of distortion, Volume the level of that sound and Master the overall volume. Neither Katana 50 has a Presence knob, so on a 50 the top end is the Treble's job.

Boss Katana effects for Master of Puppets

Booster: Mid BoostTightens the palm mutes, the job a boost pedal does in front of a valve amp.Red in bank B on a MkII as shipped. Keep its knob low and take the amp's Gain down to 6.
Reverb: Plate ReverbStands in for the short room reverb in the starting point: the Katana ships with plate, spring and hall, and no room.Green on a MkII as shipped. Knob at 1, or switch it off.

The Katana runs five effects at once, one each on Booster, Mod, FX, Delay and Reverb. Each button cycles green, red and orange, and each colour holds its own effect. The colours below are the ones BOSS's MkII manual lists from the factory. On a Gen 3 the factory effects differ from channel to channel, so check what a colour holds before you rely on it; BOSS Tone Studio, over USB, can change any of them.

Does it sound off on your Katana?

Pick what you hear. You get the knobs to turn on the Katana from the settings above, and how far.

What the Katana cannot do for Master of Puppets

The starting point opens with a noise gate, and BOSS's manual lists no gate among the Katana's panel controls. Keep the Gain at 7 or under and mute the strings with your hands in the gaps. The amp itself is a stand-in too: no Katana type is a Mark IIC+.

How to store it on the Katana

Hold CH1 or CH2 for one second. It stores every knob and button except Master, so use Volume to balance stored sounds and Master for the room.

What Metallica used on Master of Puppets

James Hetfield's Jackson King V through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ used as a preamp into Marshall heads and 4x12 cabinets, recorded with Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen.

Rig sources: Wikipedia: Master of Puppets, Metallica Gear History: the Crunchberries Mark IIC+, gearnews: how to sound like Master of Puppets

Boss Katana facts checked against BOSS's own documents on 2026-10-11: BOSS: KATANA Mk II Owner's Manual (PDF), BOSS: KATANA Gen 3 Reference Manual (PDF)

Metallica's rig and the generic five-knob settings for the Master of Puppets tone →

A different guitar, or pedals in front?

This page sets the Katana on its own. Name your guitar and your pedals and Tonelify rewrites the settings for that whole rig, pickup position included. Your first match is free with an account, and needs no card.

Match Master of Puppets to my rig

Master of Puppets on the Katana: questions

What Boss Katana settings do you need for Master of Puppets?

Select the Lead amp type and start at Gain 7, Bass 6, Middle 3, Treble 7 and Reverb 1 or off. On a Katana 100, set Presence to 6. These are Tonelify's starting points for the Katana, written from the documented rig and BOSS's manual. They are not BOSS's numbers and not the settings on the record.

Which Boss Katana amp type is closest to the amp on Master of Puppets?

Which Boss Katana effects does Master of Puppets use?

Booster: Mid Boost. Tightens the palm mutes, the job a boost pedal does in front of a valve amp. Reverb: Plate Reverb. Stands in for the short room reverb in the starting point: the Katana ships with plate, spring and hall, and no room.

What can the Katana not do for Master of Puppets?

Does it matter for Master of Puppets that the Katana 50 has no Presence knob?

Not much. Neither the Katana 50 MkII nor the Katana 50 Gen 3 has a Presence knob, so the Treble at 7 sets the top end on its own. On a Katana 100, which has the knob, set Presence to 6.

Is there a Master of Puppets patch for the Boss Katana?

Tonelify does not offer a patch file. The settings on this page are dialled in by hand, which takes a couple of minutes and needs no computer. Hold a channel button for one second to store them.

What if you have a different guitar or pedals in front of the Katana?

These settings assume the unit on its own. Tonelify's matcher rewrites them for the guitar, pedals and amp you name, pickup position included. Your first match is free with an account and needs no card.

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