For whom the bell tolls amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII
The Metallica guitar tone for “For whom the bell tolls”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 50 MkII with a Gibson Les Paul Classic. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984) - Main heavy rhythm riff
1984 Gibson Explorer (Dirty Fingers humbuckers) / 1974 Gibson Flying V -> Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer -> Marshall JCM800 2203 -> Marshall 1960B 4x12 Cab
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 7 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Reverb | 1 |
| Master | 6 |
01Built-in Booster (Screamer / TS-style)
Enable the Katana's internal Booster set to Screamer (green indicator) to tighten the bass and replicate the original TS9 in front of the JCM800.
The Katana 50 MkII lacks a physical presence knob, so upper-harmonic bite is achieved by setting Treble to 7 on the Brown amp type. To recreate the hot output and tight attack of James Hetfield's TS9-boosted Marshall without external pedals, the internal Katana Screamer boost is engaged with zero drive and high level. Mids are kept prominent at 7 because Ride the Lightning relied heavily on mid-forward Marshall crunch before the scooped-mid era of later albums.
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These settings are for a Boss Katana 50 MkII. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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