Tone library / Metallica / Fade to Black

Fade to Black amp settings — Vox Pathfinder 10

The Metallica guitar tone for “Fade to Black”, dialed in for a Vox Pathfinder 10 with a Cort C50. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984) — heavy electric sections, not the acoustic intro

Original rig

Gibson Flying V → Boss DS-1 → Marshall JCM800 2203, tuned to E♭ Standard

Warm mid-forward crunch with moderate gain — less scooped than later Metallica, punchy and articulate

Amp settings — Vox Pathfinder 10

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	10
Bass	4
Treble	7
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss DS-1 Distortion

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. This is essential — the Pathfinder 10 cannot produce JCM800 crunch on its own. Run into amp input with amp set clean. A Boss DS-1 clone runs $30-50 and gets you 85% there.

Tone 6 · Level 8 · Dist 7

Why these settings

The Vox Pathfinder 10 is a 10-watt solid-state practice amp with only gain, bass, treble, and volume — no mid, presence, or reverb knobs. It cannot reach JCM800 saturation levels even at max gain; cranking it just produces fizzy breakup through the small speaker. The DS-1 is mandatory to supply the Marshall-style midrange grind. Amp gain stays maxed to add a touch of compression behind the pedal, but the DS-1 is doing the heavy lifting. Bass is cut vs the original (was 5-6) because the Pathfinder's small speaker gets muddy above 5.

PRO TIPTune to E♭ Standard before dialing in — the slight string slack is part of the Ride the Lightning feel. Palm-mute aggressively on the low strings and let the DS-1's midrange cut handle the chug; don't dig in too hard or the Pathfinder clips harshly.

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These settings are for a Vox Pathfinder 10. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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