Fade to black amp settings — Peavey 6505
The Metallica guitar tone for “Fade to black”, dialed in for a Peavey 6505 with a ESP LTD KH-202 Kirk Hammett. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984) — lead solo tone
Gibson Flying V → Marshall JCM800 2203, Boss DS-1 boost; Kirk Hammett used neck pickup with Cry Baby wah parked in up position for the warm solo
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 6 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Mid | 6 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Presence | 5 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 4 |
01Dunlop Cry Baby Wah (GCB95 or similar)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Park the wah in the 'up' (toe-down) position and leave it there — this is the secret to Hammett's warm filtered tone on this solo. Do not rock it.
The 6505 has more gain and tighter low-end than the JCM800, so I dropped gain from 7→6 and bass from 5→4 to avoid mud. The 6505's mid control is more aggressive, so mid stays at 6 for that vocal sustain. Treble and presence pulled back 1-2 points each because the 6505 is harsher in the upper mids than a JCM800 — without the parked wah filtering the highs, you need to compensate with these reductions.
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These settings are for a Peavey 6505. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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