GuitarDistortedRiff
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
Mids5
Bass5.5
Gain7.5
Reverb1
Treble7.5
Presence6
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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
Sources
Tone Story / Why This Tone Works
studio