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Fade to Black — Metallica1 / 2
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Fade to Black Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica

Metallica · 1980s · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Gibson Explorer (1980s, stock pickups)
Pickups
Gibson Dirty Fingers humbuckers
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2203 (borrowed European model, studio recording)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording for 'Fade to Black' (1984, Ride the Lightning). James Hetfield used a Gibson Explorer with stock Dirty Fingers pickups into a borrowed Marshall JCM800 2203 head. No evidence of pedals for the riff section; distortion is amp-based. No evidence of effects loop or additional rack gear for the rhythm/riff section.

Amp Settings

Mids
5
Bass
5.5
Gain
7.5
Reverb
1
Treble
7.5
Presence
6

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Tone Character

  • tight and percussive
  • crunchy, mid-forward
  • slightly scooped upper-mids
  • clear note separation
  • aggressive palm muting
  • articulate attack
  • classic Marshall crunch
  • warm but not muddy
  • dynamic response to picking
  • focused low end

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct studio amp knob settings found for 'Fade to Black' riff; settings estimated based on Marshall JCM800 typical use for 1980s Metallica rhythm tones and genre conventions.
  • ⚠️No evidence of pedals or rack effects for the riff section; all distortion is amp-based.
  • ⚠️Some sources mention later use of Mesa/Boogie amps and ESP guitars, but these are not relevant to the original 1984 studio recording.
  • ⚠️No evidence of chorus, delay, or modulation effects in the riff section; clean intro and solo sections use different gear/effects.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. For 'Fade to Black' (riff section), Metallica used a scooped, high-gain 80s metal tone typical of Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amps: gain is high but not maxed, bass is tight, mids are scooped, treble and presence are bright for clarity, and reverb is off for a dry, aggressive sound.

Sources