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One (Metallica) guitar tone and amp settings

One guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Brown amp type, high gain (Gain 7.2), scooped mids (Middle 3), bright top (Treble 6.5), bridge pickup.

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

The song has distinct sounds: Clean intro, Chorus, Solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.

One settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every song

These settings play the chorus.

AmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

VariationOff
Amp TypeBrown
Gain7.2
Volume6.5Balances preamp drive and amp-section output.
Bass5.5
Middle3
Treble6.5
Booster0
Mod0
FX0
Delay0
Reverb ColorGreen
Reverb0.7
Set to your roomMaster
Set to your roomPower Control

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output for a firm, saturated rhythm attack.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Variation
Off
Amp Type
Brown
Gain
7.2
Volume
6.5
Bass
5.5
Middle
3
Treble
6.5
Booster
0
Mod
0
FX
0
Delay
0
Reverb Color
Green
Reverb
0.7
Master
Set to your room
Power Control
Set to your room

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

One settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40

Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every song

These settings play the chorus.

AmpPositive Grid Spark 40

Amp TypeMetal
Gain6.5
Bass4
Mid3.5
Treble6.5
Set to your roomMaster
Mod0
Delay0
Reverb0
Set to your roomOutput
App Amp ModelTreadplatein the app, optional
App DriveOffin the app, optional
App Comp/WahOffin the app, optional
App Mod/EQOffin the app, optional
App DelayOffin the app, optional
App ReverbOffin the app, optional

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the tight rhythm attack.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Type
Metal
Gain
6.5
Bass
4
Mid
3.5
Treble
6.5
Master
Set to your room
Mod
0
Delay
0
Reverb
0
Output
Set to your room
App Amp Model
Treadplate
App Drive
Off
App Comp/Wah
Off
App Mod/EQ
Off
App Delay
Off
App Reverb
Off

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

One settings on a Fender Mustang LT25

Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every song

These settings play the chorus.

AmpFender Mustang LT25

Amp Model90S ROCKin the menu
Gain7.5
Volume5Set for a strong preset level without changing the room loudness.
Treble7
Bass4.5
Middle3.5in the menu
Set to your roomMaster
StompNonein the menu
ModNonein the menu
DelayNonein the menu
ReverbSMALL ROOMin the menu

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the bridge humbucker driving the amp.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Model
90S ROCK
Gain
7.5
Volume
5
Treble
7
Bass
4.5
Middle
3.5
Master
Set to your room
Stomp
None
Mod
None
Delay
None
Reverb
SMALL ROOM

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

One settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

These settings play the chorus.

Amp

Gain7.5
Bass6
Mid3
Treble7

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the bridge humbucker driving the amp.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
7.5
Bass
6
Mid
3
Treble
7

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

Song parts

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

  1. Clean intro:

    Amp Type Clean, Gain 2, Bass 4.5, Middle 5, Treble 6, Reverb 1.5, Pickup Selector Neck, Volume 8.5

    .

    Pick lightly and let the arpeggios ring.

  2. Solo:

    Amp Type Lead, Gain 7.8, Middle 4, Treble 6.8

    .

    Use controlled vibrato and articulate the tapped ending.

Song parts

Positive Grid Spark 40

  1. Clean intro:

    Amp Type Clean, Gain 3, App Amp Model AD Clean

    .

    Switch to the clean amp sound for the opening.

  2. Solo:

    Gain 7.5, Mid 4.5

    .

    Bring the mids forward for the melodic lead.

Song parts

Fender Mustang LT25

  1. Clean intro:

    Amp Model SUPER CLEAN, Gain 2.5, Treble 6.5, Bass 5, Middle 5, Pickup Selector Neck + Bridge, Volume 7.5

    .

    Play the arpeggios cleanly and let each note sustain.

  2. Solo:

    Gain 8, Middle 5.5

    .

    Keep the lead notes clear through bends and tapping.

Song parts

Any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

  1. Clean intro:

    Gain 2.5, Pickup Selector Neck, Volume 7

    .

    Use a light touch for clear, ringing notes

  2. Solo:

    Gain 8.5, Mid 4.5

    .

    Let sustained notes sing; articulate the tapping passage

The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Why it sounds like that

Guitar strings over the frets, close up

Hammett used an ESP neck-thru-body guitar with skulls on the fingerboard. His clean tone came almost entirely from an ADA MP-1, a programmable digital amp with tubes in it. The band's new Boogie amps had graphic EQ on everything, so an outboard equaliser on their insert loops was adjusted from the control room. The song starts out with clean guitars. Hetfield's rhythm guitars help build the chorus, and by the end six or eight of them stack into one wall. Hammett planned to use part of a melodic idea Hetfield played over the intro.

  • Start the track on clean guitars before the rhythm layers come in.
  • Build the first solo around melodic ideas heard over the intro.

What amp did Kirk Hammett use on One?

A guitarist’s pedalboard, a dozen pedals cabled together

Kirk Hammett

Guitar
ESP neck-thru-body KH-1[2]
Amp
ADA MP-1[2]
  • Rasmussen said the band had new Boogie amps with graphic EQ on everything. (on the album ...And Justice for All)[1]
  • Rasmussen said he put an equaliser on the amps' insert loops. (on the album ...And Justice for All)[1]
  • Rasmussen said he could adjust the amps' sound from the control room. (on the album ...And Justice for All)[1]
  • Rasmussen said the amps sat in the control room while the cabinets were in the studio. (on the album ...And Justice for All)[1]
  • Hammett said he was using an ESP neck-thru-body KH-1 with skulls on the fingerboard at that point. (on the album ...And Justice for All)[2]
  • Hammett said he got that guitar in '88 and used it prominently in the studio. (on the album ...And Justice for All)[2]
  • Hammett said he also used an ADA preamp and an ADA MP-1 during the sessions. (on the album ...And Justice for All)[2]
  • Hammett described the ADA MP-1 as a programmable digital amp that had tubes in it. (on the album ...And Justice for All)[2]
  • Hammett said he blended that unit with the Boogies for lead and clean sounds. (on the album ...And Justice for All)[2]
  • Hammett said the clean sound on One was done almost exclusively with the ADA MP-1. (on this song)[2]
  • Clean intro: Rasmussen said the song starts out with clean guitars. (on this song)[1]
  • Intro: Hetfield said the intro idea came from a Venom song called Buried Alive. (on this song)[1]
  • Chorus: Rasmussen said a couple of Hetfield rhythm guitars helped build the chorus. (on this song)[1]
  • Rasmussen said six or eight rhythm guitars, played by James, were layered by the end of the song. (on this song)[1]
  • Rasmussen said James was so tight that the layered rhythm guitars sounded like one big wall. (on this song)[1]
  • Solo: Rasmussen said the famous solo on One is a Lars/Flemming/Kirk construction. (on this song)[1]
  • Solo: Rasmussen said Hammett probably did five or six takes before the best parts were put together. (on this song)[1]
  • Solo: Hammett said the first solo was a little bit more worked out. (on this song)[2]
  • Solo: Hammett said he heard James playing melodic stuff over the intro and planned to use part of it. (on this song)[2]
  • Solo: Hammett credited James Hetfield with pushing him in a melodic direction. (on this song)[2]
  • Solo: Hammett described the main solo at the end as having right-hand, Eddie Van Halen-type tapping. (on this song)[2]

Questions

What amp did Kirk Hammett use on One?

The sources on this page document Kirk Hammett's gear on One by Metallica: guitar, ESP neck-thru-body KH-1 [2]; amp, ADA MP-1 [2]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.

What are the One settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?

For the One guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Brown, Gain 7.2, Volume 6.5, Bass 5.5, Middle 3, Treble 6.5, Booster 0, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb Color Green, Reverb 0.7; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Power Control to your room. These settings play the chorus. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the One settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?

For the One guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Metal, Gain 6.5, Bass 4, Mid 3.5, Treble 6.5, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0, App Amp Model Treadplate; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Output to your room. These settings play the chorus. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the One settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?

For the One guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 90S ROCK, Gain 7.5, Volume 5, Treble 7, Bass 4.5, Middle 3.5, Stomp None, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb SMALL ROOM; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master to your room. These settings play the chorus. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

Can I get the One tone on my own amp?

Yes. The settings above cover 3 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for One, using only the controls your gear has.

Get it for your exact rig

KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for this song.

Download KnobMaster on the App Store