One
Clean arpeggiated intro that builds to scooped machine-gun thrash.
What is the One guitar tone?
The One guitar tone is clean arpeggiated intro that builds to scooped machine-gun thrash, heard on Metallica's 1980s thrash metal recording. It is a distorted riff tone, and Metallica reportedly tracked it with James Hetfield's EMG-loaded guitars into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+, his main recording amp on ...And Justice for All, set for that album's scooped rhythm sound. 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.
One 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, with the bridge pickup.
- Signal chain
- Noise gate → Amp distortion → Short room reverb
- The control that matters most
- Two sounds, not one. The intro and the first solo are clean, and the scooped high-gain sound only arrives for the heavier second half, so set up a clean channel first and switch.
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.
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.
What gear did Metallica use on One?
James Hetfield's EMG-loaded guitars into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+, his main recording amp on ...And Justice for All, set for that album's scooped rhythm sound.
Sources: Ground Guitar: James Hetfield's Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+, Wikipedia: Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+, Wikipedia: One (Metallica song), Wikipedia: ...And Justice for All
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 One tone on your own amp?
Tell us your guitar, amp, and pedals
AI researches the original One tone
Get exact knob settings adapted to your rig
One tone questions
What amp settings do you need for One?
On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 8, Bass 6, Middle 3, Treble 7, Presence 6, Reverb 1, with the 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. 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 clean arpeggiated intro that builds to scooped machine-gun thrash from different positions.
What is the most important control for the One tone?
Two sounds, not one. The intro and the first solo are clean, and the scooped high-gain sound only arrives for the heavier second half, so set up a clean channel first and switch.
Can you get the One tone without the original gear?
Yes. The original was tracked with James Hetfield's EMG-loaded guitars into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+, his main recording amp on ...And Justice for All, set for that album's scooped rhythm sound, 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 One 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?
Both plans start with a 7-day free trial and nothing is charged until it ends. Stage is metered and Headliner is unlimited within a fair use limit of 150 new matches a day, and yearly billing works out cheaper on both; the current prices are on your account page once you have one. Reading this page and the rest of the library costs nothing and needs no account.