Tone library / Metallica / Fade to Black

Fade to Black amp settings — POD HD400

The Metallica guitar tone for “Fade to Black”, dialed in for a POD HD400 with a BC rich Mockingbird st legacy. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984) — main heavy rhythm and outro lead

Original rig

Modified Marshall JCM800 2203 (José Arredondo mod), Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9 boost, Gibson Flying V (Seymour Duncan Invader), Marshall 1960B 4x12 cab

Saturated, scooped thrash rhythm with aggressive bite and tight palm-muted low end

Amp settings — POD HD400

CHANNELBrit J-800 model + 4x12 1960 T75 Cab IRBRIGHToffBOOSToff

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

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Screamer (HD400 onboard block)

Used as clean boost in front of the amp model to tighten the low end

Drive 0 · Tone 6 · Gain 8

Why these settings

The Brit J-800 amp model on the POD HD400 replicates the aggressive upper-mid crunch of the modified JCM800. Running the onboard Screamer with zero drive and high output cuts flubby bass before the preamp, while the amp EQ scoops the mids to recreate the classic 1984 thrash voicing on your Duncan-equipped Mockingbird. Clean intro/verse: bypass the Screamer block, switch amp model to Blackface D-Lux with subtle chorus and reverb.

PRO TIPAnchor your palm directly over the bridge saddles and use strictly aggressive downstrokes; the tight percussive 'chug' on this track comes from hard pick attack driving the pushed preamp tubes.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a POD HD400. 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.