Tone library / Metallica / For Whom the Bell Tolls

For Whom the Bell Tolls amp settings — Orange Crush 35RT

The Metallica guitar tone for “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, dialed in for a Orange Crush 35RT with a Squier Contemporary Stratocaster. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984)

Original rig

Gibson Explorer (Dirty Fingers humbuckers) → Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer → Marshall JMP 2203 100W head → Marshall 4x12 cab

Tight, aggressive mid-forward crunch with palm-mute clarity and upper-mid bite

Amp settings — Orange Crush 35RT

CHANNELDirty channel

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	9
Bass	6
Mid	6
Treble	7
Reverb	0
Master	7

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

RECOMMENDED — not owned. Used as a tight boost, not primary gain source. Without it, push amp gain to 10 and mid to 7 to compensate for lost tightness.

Drive 2 · Tone 5 · Level 8

Why these settings

Orange Crush 35RT is naturally warm and thick in the lows vs the Marshall JMP's mid-forward bark, so bass is pulled back 1 point from original (7→6) and mids pushed up 1.5 points (4.5→6) to reclaim cut-through. Your Strat's single-coils are lower output than Explorer humbuckers, so gain is maxed at 9 (vs original 7.5) to match saturation level. The TS9 boost recommendation compensates for the Crush's looser low-end vs a JMP—without it, the palm-mutes won't have the same surgical tightness Hetfield gets on the record.

PRO TIPAnchor your picking hand's pinky and ring finger on the bridge plate just behind the bridge pickup and execute the gallop strictly with downstrokes—this physical anchor point plus tight muting with the heel of your palm creates the percussive attack that defines the riff, regardless of amp. Hetfield's tone is 50% picking hand discipline.

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These settings are for a Orange Crush 35RT. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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