Quick answer
For the Enter Sandman riff on a Boss Katana-50 MkII, use the Leadamp type with Gain 7, Bass 7, Middle 3, Treble 6, Volume 6 and Master 5. Keep Booster, Mod, FX and Delay at 0, with reverb barely on (0.5) or off. Play it on your guitar's bridge pickup.
These are Tonafy's settings for an Epiphone Explorer with EMG pickups into a Katana-50 MkII. With a different guitar or Katana, Tonafy adapts them to your gear.
What James Hetfield used on the original recording
Tonafy's research for the Black Album rhythm tone points to this rig. It's strongly inferred from interviews rather than a confirmed session sheet:
- An ESP Explorer with EMG active humbuckers
- The bridge pickup (an EMG 81-style rhythm sound)
- A Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++ as the core rhythm tone
- Extra Marshall and other amp and cabinet tracks layered on top
Engineer Randy Staub told Mix that Hetfield's standard setup was a Mesa/Boogie head, with other amps — possibly an old Marshall — and nine or 11 cabinets filling in the sound. He describes a scoopedtone, with Hetfield asking for more crunch, which to him meant more bottom end. The size comes from those layered amps and cabinets plus some room-mic ambience; the account doesn't mention reverb or other effects on the guitars. That's the target the Katana settings below are built around.
Boss Katana-50 MkII settings for Enter Sandman
This is the main riff (Tonafy's “Riff” part) with an Epiphone Explorer 80s EMG into a Katana-50 MkII, no pedals:
| Control | Setting |
|---|---|
| Amp type | Lead |
| Gain | 7 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Middle | 3 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Master | 5 |
| Reverb | 0.5 |
Compared with the estimated original settings (Gain 7.5, Bass 6, Middle 4), the Katana result uses slightly less gain, a little more bass and a deeper mid scoop. Presence 5.5 is a digital setting: the Katana-50 MkII has no Presence knob, so set it in BOSS Tone Studio if you use it. Leave the amp in Panel mode so the front-panel knobs are what you hear, with Power Control at 50 W (or lower for home volume).
Effects and guitar settings
Keep it dry. Booster, Mod, FX and Delay stay at 0: the gain comes from the Lead amp type, not a boost. Reverb sits at just 0.5and is optional: the record's space came from room mics and layered cabinets, not a reverb effect. Turn it to 0 if you want no ambience at all.
- Pickup: bridge
- Guitar volume: 9
- Guitar tone: 8
Backing the guitar volume off slightly lowers the signal going into the amp, and tone at 8 softens the top end of the active EMG pickups a little.
Common mistakes
- Maxing the gain. The reference is saturated but polished and crunchy. With gain far past 7 the riff turns fizzy and loses its punch.
- Scooping the mids to zero. The tone is scooped, not hollow. Middle at 3 keeps enough body for the riff to stay solid.
- Adding reverb or delay for size.The record's size comes from layered amps and cabinets. Effects make it washy, not bigger.
- Using the neck pickup. The reference rhythm tone is a bridge-pickup sound.
- Expecting one amp to sound like the whole record. The album layers several amps and cabinets. One Katana gets you the core character; fine-tune the rest by ear.
How Tonafy adapts this tone to your rig
Copying another player's numbers rarely works, because the same knob positions behave differently on a different guitar or amp. Active EMG pickups hit the Katana much harder than passive humbuckers or single coils, and every amp has its own gain structure.
Tonafy starts from the researched original tone, then works out settings for the controls your amp actually has. For this example, it chose the Katana's Lead voice, kept the full low end and scooped mids, matched the bridge pickup, and left the effects off except an optional touch of reverb.
Choose your own guitar and amp, including other Katana models, and you get settings for that exact combination. You can also see the Enter Sandman original tone and amp settings, compare it with the Sweet Child O' Mine tone on a Boss Katana for a lower-gain crunch, or read the guitar tone finder guide for the full method. Using a multi-effects unit instead? See the Voodoo Child tone on a Line 6 HX Stomp or the Come As You Are tone on a Line 6 POD Go.
No settings will make a Katana sound exactly like a layered Mesa/Boogie studio recording. Start here, play the riff at your normal volume, and fine-tune by ear.
Enter Sandman on a Katana: FAQ
Which Boss Katana amp type is best for Enter Sandman?
Lead. In Tonafy's result for a Katana-50 MkII, the riff uses the Lead amp type with Gain 7, a full low end (Bass 7) and scooped mids (Middle 3).
Do I need a drive pedal for Enter Sandman on a Katana?
Not for this result. Tonafy leaves the Katana's Booster at 0 and gets the gain from the Lead amp type, so you can play the riff straight into the amp.
Which pickup should I use?
The bridge pickup, with guitar volume at 9 and tone at 8 for this Epiphone Explorer with EMG pickups. Hetfield's reference rhythm tone is a bridge EMG active humbucker.
Does the Katana-50 MkII have a Presence knob?
No. Presence is a digital setting on the Katana-50 MkII, adjusted in BOSS Tone Studio rather than on the front panel. Tonafy's result sets it to 5.5.
Should I add reverb?
Only a touch, if any. The engineer's account credits the record's size to layered amps, cabinets and room mics, not reverb, so the result's Reverb 0.5 is optional — turn it to 0 if you want it completely dry.
Will these settings sound exactly like the record?
No. The record layers several amps and cabinets, recorded and mixed in a studio. These settings are a gear-specific starting point that you fine-tune by ear.