Fade to black amp settings — Meteoro Vulcano
The Matallica guitar tone for “Fade to black”, dialed in for a Meteoro Vulcano with a Konig Strato. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984)
Gibson Flying V, Marshall JCM800 2203, Boss DS-1 distortion pedal
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 7 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Mid | 6 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Presence | 6 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 6 |
01Boss DS-1 Distortion
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. The DS-1 is essential to this tone; it adds the tight, aggressive clipping that defined early Metallica. Without it, your amp alone will sound looser and less aggressive. A DS-1 clone or Joyo DS-1 copy runs under $30 and gets you 90% there.
The Meteoro Vulcano is a Brazilian solid-state/hybrid amp with a darker, less mid-forward voicing than a JCM800. I pushed mids from the original's 5 to 6 and pulled bass from 5 to 4 to compensate for the Vulcano's thicker low-end. Treble dropped from 7 to 6 because the Konig Strat's single coils are brighter than Hetfield's Flying V humbuckers. Without a DS-1, the amp's gain alone will be softer and less defined—crank gain to 8 if you skip the pedal, but expect a mushier attack.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Meteoro Vulcano. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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