Creeping Death amp settings — Boss Katana50mkIII
The Metallica guitar tone for “Creeping Death”, dialed in for a Boss Katana50mkIII with a Ibanez GRG121DX. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984) — main rhythm riff
Jose Arredondo-modded Marshall JCM800 2203 driven by Ibanez TS9 / ProCo Rat, Gibson Flying V with Seymour Duncan Invader / Jackson RR Custom with EMG 81
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 7 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Mid | 3 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 5 |
01Katana Built-in Booster (Tube Screamer / T-Scream voice)
Engage the onboard Booster button set to the Green/T-Scream voice to tighten the low end
The Katana 50 MkIII lacks a physical presence knob so presence is nulled, but the Brown amp voice paired with the internal T-Scream boost faithfully replicates James's hot-rodded Marshall and overdrive setup. The GRG121DX IBZ-6 bridge humbucker has plenty of output, so keeping amp gain at 7 prevents muddiness while the scooped mid at 3 nails the signature Ride the Lightning EQ profile. Keep the room dry with zero reverb to preserve tight, percussive attack. Clean interlude: switch to the Clean amp type, bypass the boost, and select the neck pickup.
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These settings are for a Boss Katana50mkIII. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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