Tone library / Metallica / Fade To Balck

Fade To Balck amp settings — Behringer V-ampire LX210

The Metallica guitar tone for “Fade To Balck”, dialed in for a Behringer V-ampire LX210 with a Yamaha Erg 121. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984)

Original rig

James Hetfield: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ clean channel, Gibson Flying V with EMG pickups, Roland JC-120 chorus effect, tape delay. Kirk Hammett leads: Marshall JCM800, Gibson Les Paul, wah pedal.

Pristine, shimmering clean arpeggios with lush chorus and ambient delay for intro/verses; aggressive mid-focused crunch for rhythm sections; singing lead tone with sustain

Amp settings — Behringer V-ampire LX210

CHANNELClean channel (Roland JC-120 or Fender Twin model on V-ampire) for intro/verses; switch to Mesa Boogie or Marshall model for heavy sectionsBRIGHTonBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	5
Mid	6
Treble	7
Presence	6
Reverb	3
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Chorus (Line 6 Pod Go - 80s Chorus or Dimension)

Essential for the shimmering clean intro sound. Modeled after Roland JC-120 built-in chorus.

Speed 3 · Depth 6 · Mix 5 · Tone 7

02Digital Delay (Line 6 Pod Go - Transistor Tape or Digital Delay)

Set delay time around 350-400ms for the atmospheric clean sections.

Time 4 · Feedback 4 · Mix 3 · Mod 2

03Noise Gate (Line 6 Pod Go)

Tighten up palm mutes during heavy rhythm sections.

Threshold 4 · Decay 3

Why these settings

The Behringer V-ampire's Roland JC-120 or Fender Twin model gets closest to the original's clean platform. Your Yamaha ERG 121 has passive humbuckers versus the original's active EMGs, so I raised treble +1 and presence +1 to compensate for the lower output and warmer character. The Pod Go handles the critical chorus and delay — route the V-ampire through the Pod Go's FX loop return for best results, using the Pod Go as your effects processor.

PRO TIPFor the clean arpeggios, use a light touch and let the strings ring into each other — Hetfield picks near the neck pickup with the fleshy part of his thumb brushing the strings for that warm, bell-like attack. Roll your tone knob to 6-7 during the softest intro passages for extra warmth.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Behringer V-ampire LX210. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.