Tone library / Metallica / For Whom the Bell Tolls

For Whom the Bell Tolls amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

The Metallica guitar tone for “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, dialed in for a Marshall MG30CFX with a Fender Player Jazz Bass. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984) - Intro Lead Chromatic Bass Riff

Original rig

Modified Rickenbacker 4001 (Seymour Duncan bridge / Gibson EB mudbucker neck), Morley Power Wah Boost, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff / Morley Fuzz Wah into Mesa Boogie D-180 tube heads

Aggressive mid-heavy fuzz-wah lead bass with singing sustain and biting harmonic bite

Amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

CHANNELClean

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	4
Mid	8
Treble	6
Reverb	1
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge+middle TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Jim Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95

Leave parked/cocked roughly 60-70% forward for the signature biting vocal filter sweep

02Behringer HD300

Gain source (heavy distortion to mimic Cliff's Big Muff/Power Boost saturation)

Dist 8 · Tone 6 · Bottom 4 · Level 7

Why these settings

Because the HD300 acts as your high-gain distortion engine, the MG30CFX must run on the cleanest 'Clean' channel with gain dialed down to 2 to prevent muddy double-gain stacking. The MG30CFX faceplate lacks a presence control, so mids are pushed to 8 and treble to 6 to emulate the cutting upper-midrange snarl of Mesa Boogie tube heads. Main rhythm section: bypass both the Cry Baby and HD300 or reduce distortion for the clean driving bassline.

PRO TIPCliff Burton used aggressive fingerstyle striking right over the bridge pickup with high attack force—dig in hard with your index and middle fingers near the bridge to maximize harmonic overtones through the cocked wah.

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These settings are for a Marshall MG30CFX. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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