
Hughes & Kettner Metal Shredder / Metal Master
The controls, switches, jacks etc. of the Metal Shredder (U.S. name)/Metal Master
(European name) are nearly identical to those of the Cream Machine and Blues
Master/Crunch Master. The instructions for using the Metal Shredder/Metal Master
are therefore the same, with the following exceptions:
• The Metal Shredder/Metal Master utilizes a two-stage tube preamplifier. The two
stages can be controlled separately by means of the GAIN 1 and GAIN 2 knobs.
An infinite number of sound combinations can be attained depending on the
relationship between these two knobs, from clean or crunch to heavy overdrive.
• The MID control takes its place in the signal chain before the tube stages and its
main purpose is to adapt to the characteristics of the guitar and pickups.
• For the sake of avoiding undesirable distortion in the bass or treble range, the
BASS and TREBLE controls are positioned in the signal chain after the tube
• The Metal Shredder/Metal Master has a separate headphone jack (PHONES). This
jack is turned ON or OFF with the back panel switch marked Phones.
• The Phones switch serves a second function as well. At the same time that it
switches the headphone jack on, it also applies CABINET SIMULATOR circuitry
(like in the Hughes & Kettner Red Box) to the signal appearing at the SPEAKER
OUT jack. This will give hi- speakers or full-range P.A. speakers connected to
this jack the sound character of a guitar loudspeaker. (Warning! If you connect
hi-fi, full-range speakers to the SPEAKER OUT jack, make sure you use the
Cabinetulator circuitry by pressing in the red Phones switch, or else you
might blow your speakers’ high-frequency drivers out!)
• The TUBE AMP VOLUME control determines the overall output level of the Metal
Master/Metal Shredder at the SPEAKER OUT, but not does affect the Bypass
• The Metal Master/Metal Shredder has an integral 4½-watt solid-state power amp
for connecting a guitar loudspeaker cabinet or – in the manner described above –
As with the Cream Machine and the Blues Master/Crunch Master, the BYPASS output
signal can be used with or without the Cabinet Simulator circuitry, or switched off
completely. In contrast to the Cream Machine and Blues Master/Crunch Master, the
internal switches, which set how Bypass works, are as follows: