creeping death amp settings — Yamaha THR10II
The metallica guitar tone for “creeping death”, dialed in for a Yamaha THR10II with a Yamaha Pacifica 112V. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984) — main rhythm riff
Guitar: 1984 Gibson Explorer (white) with Gibson Dirty Fingers humbucker / ESP MX220 with EMG 81. Amp: Marshall JCM800 2203 (Jose Arredondo modded) or Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head into Marshall 4x12. No pedals — all distortion from amp. Quad-tracked, bone dry.
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Mid | 2 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 7 |
01Tube Screamer style overdrive (e.g. Ibanez TS9, Boss SD-1, or budget clone)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Use as a boost into the HI GAIN channel to tighten low end and add pick attack. With this pedal, drop amp gain to 6.
The THR10II's HI GAIN MODERN voicing approximates the tight, saturated character of the Mark IIC+/JCM800 mod. Your Pacifica's Alnico V bridge humbucker is lower output and brighter than Hetfield's EMG 81, so bass is raised +0.5 and mid dropped further to compensate for the Pacifica's natural mid presence. The THR10II has no presence knob — that control is handled internally by the amp model. A TS-style pedal in front would tighten the low end and improve palm-mute definition, which is critical for this riff.
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These settings are for a Yamaha THR10II. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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