🎚️ Amp settings

Mesa/Boogie Mark Series settings

A Mesa/Boogie Mark Series guitar tone starts around gain 6.5, bass 5.5, mid 5, treble 7, presence 6 (out of 10), averaged from 27 famous recordings made on one. Use the all-rounder dials below, then jump into any specific tone — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials it for the exact guitar, pickups and amp you actually own.

All-rounder starting point
Gain
6.5
Bass
5.5
Mid
5
Treble
7
Presence
6
Reverb
1.5
🎛️ Adapt any of these to YOUR guitar & amp — free →

Starting points by genre

Metal · 15 tones
Gain
7
Bass
6
Mid
4.5
Treble
7
Presence
6
Reverb
1
Rock · 7 tones
Gain
5
Bass
5.5
Mid
6.5
Treble
6.5
Presence
6
Reverb
2.5

Mesa/Boogie Mark Series settings for a specific genre

Mesa/Boogie for Metal →Mesa/Boogie for Rock →

Artists who use the Mesa/Boogie

Metallica ×11Dream Theater ×3Santana ×2The Smashing Pumpkins ×1Whitesnake ×1Lamb of God ×1Weezer ×1Prince ×1

27 famous tones on a Mesa/Boogie Mark Series

Master of PuppetsMetallica · metalgain 9 · treb 7.5
bass 6 · mid 3
OneMetallica · metalgain 8.5 · treb 7
bass 5.5 · mid 3.5
...And Justice for AllMetallica · metalgain 8.5 · treb 7.5
bass 6 · mid 3.5
BatteryMetallica · metalgain 8.5 · treb 7.5
bass 6 · mid 3.5
WaffleSevendust · metalgain 8.5 · treb 6.5
bass 6 · mid 5
That Was Just Your LifeMetallica · metalgain 8.5 · treb 7.5
bass 6 · mid 4
Enter SandmanMetallica · metalgain 8 · treb 7
bass 5.5 · mid 4.5
Creeping DeathMetallica · metalgain 8 · treb 7
bass 5.5 · mid 3
TodayThe Smashing Pumpkins · rockgain 8 · treb 7
bass 6 · mid 7
Stream of ConsciousnessDream Theater · metalgain 8 · treb 7
bass 6 · mid 5.5
Enter SandmanMetallica · metalgain 8 · treb 7
bass 6 · mid 5
The Best of TimesDream Theater · metalgain 7.5 · treb 7
bass 6 · mid 6
Pull Me UnderDream Theater · metalgain 7.5 · treb 7
bass 5.5 · mid 6
Is This Love (2017 Remaster)Whitesnake · rockgain 7.5 · treb 7
bass 6 · mid 6.5
Blood and ThunderMastodon · progressive metalgain 7.5 · treb 6.5
bass 6.5 · mid 4.5
Laid to RestLamb of God · groove metalgain 7 · treb 6.5
bass 4.5 · mid 5.5
Black StarYngwie Malmsteen · neoclassical metalgain 7 · treb 7
bass 4 · mid 7
EuropaSantana · latin rockgain 7 · treb 6
bass 5 · mid 7
Nothing Else MattersMetallica · metalgain 6.5 · treb 7.5
bass 5.5 · mid 5.5
Black Magic WomanSantana · blues rockgain 6.5 · treb 5.5
bass 4.5 · mid 8
Purple RainPrince & The Revolution · rockgain 6 · treb 6.5
bass 5.5 · mid 6.5
Island In the SunWeezer · rockgain 6 · treb 6.5
bass 6.5 · mid 7
My SharonaThe Knack · rockgain 5 · treb 6.5
bass 5 · mid 6
KissPrince · rockgain 1.5 · treb 7
bass 3.5 · mid 5
...And Justice for AllMetallica · metalgain 0 · treb 7
bass 5.5 · mid 3
Wherever I May RoamMetallica · metalgain 0 · treb 7
bass 6 · mid 4
Hunger StrikeTemple of the Dog · rockgain 0 · treb 6.5
bass 6.5 · mid 6.5

Full songs you can dial in on a Mesa/Boogie

Master of Puppets — every part →One — every part →...And Justice for All — every part →Enter Sandman — every part →Today — every part →

Mesa/Boogie tones by character

Tight tones →Percussive tones →Aggressive tones →High Gain tones →All characters →

New to dialing in an amp? Guitar amp settings explained — what gain, bass, mid, treble & presence each knob does, with starting-point settings by style.

Mesa/Boogie Mark Series settings — FAQ

What are good starting settings for a Mesa/Boogie Mark Series?

Across 27 famous recordings: gain 6.5, bass 5.5, mid 5, treble 7, presence 6 (out of 10). Tune from there per song.

What EQ / knob settings does a Mesa/Boogie Mark Series need?

Set the EQ to roughly bass 5.5, mid 5, treble 7, presence 6, with gain 6.5 (all out of 10). Lower the gain for cleaner tones; push the mids to cut through a band.

What are the best Mesa/Boogie Mark Series settings for each genre?

Genre averages on this amp: metal (gain 7, mid 4.5); rock (gain 5, mid 6.5). See "Starting points by genre" above for exact gain/bass/mid/treble/presence, or open any song and GuitarToneAdapt re-dials it for your own rig.

Do I need a real Mesa/Boogie Mark Series?

No. GuitarToneAdapt models how a Mesa/Boogie Mark Series shapes the sound and compensates for the amp and guitar you have, free in the browser.

Settings are community-researched estimates averaged across recordings, adapted to your gear by GuitarToneAdapt. Browse by gear · Amp settings by genre · All 1,100+ tones