Hit the lights amp settings — Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212
The Metallica guitar tone for “Hit the lights”, dialed in for a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212 with a Fender American Professional II Stratocaster. Studio version, Kill 'Em All (1983) — main rhythm riff
Jose Arredondo modded Marshall Super Lead 100W 1959 + Ibanez TS9 / ProCo Rat + Gibson Flying V (Seymour Duncan Invader)
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 8 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Reverb | 1 |
| Master | 4 |
01ProCo Rat 2
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; with this pedal, switch amp to Clean channel, drop amp gain to 2, and use pedal as primary dirt
The Hot Rod DeVille has a naturally scooped American EQ and a high treble shelf compared to James Hetfield's modded Marshall, so mids are pushed to 8 and treble is pulled back to 5. The Strat's single-coil bridge pickup is far brighter and thinner than a Duncan Invader humbucker, requiring the guitar tone knob at 8 and More Drive engaged to extract the necessary thrash saturation. The amp alone delivers an aggressive, usable crunch today, but a Rat or high-gain distortion pedal will bridge the remaining gap to early-Metallica bite.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
Get ToneAdapt on Google PlaySong, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.