Tone library / Metallica / For Whom the Bell Tolls

For Whom the Bell Tolls amp settings — Orange Crush 12

The Metallica guitar tone for “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, dialed in for a Orange Crush 12 with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984) - Main heavy rhythm riff

Original rig

1984 Gibson Explorer (Dirty Fingers humbuckers) / 1974 Gibson Flying V -> Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer -> Marshall JCM800 2203 -> Marshall 1960B 4x12 Cab

Aggressive, mid-forward British crunch with tight low-end punch and biting high-mids

Amp settings — Orange Crush 12

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	6
Mid	5
Treble	7
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss DS-1 Distortion

Main gain source running into clean amp input

Tone 4 · Level 7 · Dist 6

Why these settings

The Boss DS-1 provides the primary saturation to emulate the JCM800 crunch, so the single-channel Orange Crush 12 gain is set low at 2 to avoid muddy double-gain stacking. Treble is pushed to 7 on the amp while cutting the DS-1 Tone to 4 to replicate the bite of James Hetfield's Dirty Fingers humbuckers without creating harsh solid-state fizz. Mid is kept at 5 and Bass at 6 to retain tight low-end punch on the 6-inch speaker.

PRO TIPUse heavy, aggressive downpicking exclusively right near the bridge saddles to get the percussive, mechanical chug that defines the Ride the Lightning rhythm attack.

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