Orion (Metallica) bass tone and bass amp settings
Orion bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3: high gain (Gain 7), medium drive (Drive 5), heavy lows (Bass 2), neck P pickup.
Settings for your amp
The song has distinct sounds: Interlude. Each rig below lists what to change for them.
Orion settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3
Fender Rumble 40 V3 settings for every songThese settings play the interlude.
AmpFender Rumble 40 V3
BassPassive P/J bass
The same settings in text
Amp
- Gain
- 7
- Bright
- Off
- Contour
- Off
- Vintage
- Off
- Overdrive
- On
- Drive
- 5
- Level
- 5
- Bass
- +2
- Low Mid
- +1
- High Mid
- +2
- Treble
- +1
- Master
- Set to your room
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 7
- Tone
- 7
Orion settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108
Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108 settings for every songThese settings play the interlude.
AmpAmpeg Rocket Bass RB-108
BassPassive P/J bass
The same settings in text
Amp
- SGT
- On
- Volume
- Set to your room
- Bass
- +1
- Midrange
- +3
- Treble
- +2
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 10
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 7
- Tone
- 8.5
A harmonics-and-delay unit would better recreate the layered interlude texture.
Orion settings on any bass amp with Bass, Mid, Treble, Drive
These settings play the interlude.
Amp
BassPassive P/J bass
The same settings in text
Amp
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Drive
- 5.5
Passive P/J bass
- Neck Volume (P)
- 8
- Bridge Volume (J)
- 7
- Tone
- 8
Add a Tube Screamer-style boost to push the amp.
Why it sounds like that
Cliff Burton wrote the whole middle section of Orion on bass. He worked out its harmony parts on guitar and then played them on bass, with two-part guitars laid over his bass part. The solo was first meant for Kirk Hammett, but Burton had already laid the track when Hammett came back to the studio. On Master of Puppets his Aria bass saw extensive studio use, and an Ibanez TS-808 replaced his Big Muff to drive his Mesa Boogie heads. His wider rig also included an Ibanez harmonics and delay rack unit. Flemming Rasmussen recorded the bass as a DI and the amp.
- Gitarre & Bass reports a change into Cliff Burton's bass part, with two-part guitars laid over it.
- Mix reports that recording Burton's bass usually meant capturing one single performance for each song.
What amp did Cliff Burton use on Orion?
- Kirk Hammett said Cliff Burton wrote the whole middle section on bass and worked out its harmony parts on guitar, then played them on bass. (on this song)[1]
- Gitarre & Bass reports a change into Cliff Burton's bass part, with two-part guitars laid over it. (on this song)[2]
- Robert Trujillo said Kirk Hammett was originally meant to play the Orion solo, and that Cliff Burton had laid the track by the time Hammett returned. (on this song)[3]
- Flemming Rasmussen said Cliff Burton had more or less all of the bass ideas himself and perfected them in the studio. (on the album Master of Puppets)[4]
- Mixdown reports that Cliff Burton's Aria SB Black n' Gold saw extensive studio use on the Master of Puppets recording. (on the album Master of Puppets)[5][2]
- Mixdown reports that around Master of Puppets Cliff Burton swapped his Big Muff for an Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer to power his Mesa Boogie heads. (on the album Master of Puppets)[5][2]
- Gitarre & Bass reports that Burton's effects included a Morley Power Wah Boost, a Boss CS-2 and an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff. (in a later era)[2][5]
- Gitarre & Bass reports that Burton used an Ibanez HD-1500 harmonics/delay rack unit on the Master of Puppets album. (on the album Master of Puppets)[2][5]
- Mixdown reports that Cliff Burton's heavy tone in Metallica came from two Mesa Boogie D-180 heads. (in a later era)[5][2]
- Flemming Rasmussen said Burton's bass was recorded as a DI and the amp. (on the album Master of Puppets)[6]
- Mix reports that recording Burton's bass usually meant capturing one single performance for each song. (on the album Master of Puppets)[6]
Questions
What amp did Cliff Burton use on Orion?
The sources on this page document Cliff Burton's gear on Orion by Metallica: bass, Aria SB Black n' Gold [5][2]; amp, Mesa Boogie heads [5][2]; effects, Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer [5][2], Ibanez HD-1500 harmonics/delay rack unit [5][2]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Orion settings on a Fender Rumble 40 V3?
For the Orion bass tone on a Fender Rumble 40 V3, set Gain 7, Overdrive On, Drive 5, Level 5, Bass +2, Low Mid +1, High Mid +2, Treble +1; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 10, Bridge Volume (J) 7, Tone 7. Set Master to your room. These settings play the interlude. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Orion settings on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108?
For the Orion bass tone on an Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108, set SGT On, Bass +1, Midrange +3, Treble +2; on the passive P/J bass, Neck Volume (P) 10, Bridge Volume (J) 7, Tone 8.5. Set Volume to your room. These settings play the interlude. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the Orion tone on my own amp?
Yes. The settings above cover 2 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, bass and pedals for Orion, using only the controls your gear has.
Get it for your exact rig
KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, bass and pedals for this song.
Download KnobMaster on the App Store