Tone library / Metallica / Ride the Lightning

Ride the Lightning amp settings — Boss Katana 100 MkII

The Metallica guitar tone for “Ride the Lightning”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 100 MkII with a Jackson Pro Series Rhoads. Studio version, Ride the Lightning album (1984)

Original rig

Marshall JCM800 2203 (Jose Arredondo modded) + 1984 Gibson Explorer with Dirty Fingers humbucker, no pedals

Tight, aggressive thrash rhythm with scooped mids, bright attack, and chunky low end

Amp settings — Boss Katana 100 MkII

CHANNELBrown amp typeBRIGHToffBOOSTon

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	5
Mid	3
Treble	7
Presence	6
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The Katana's Brown channel emulates the JCM800 architecture Hetfield used. Gain is dropped from the original's estimated 8 to 7 because the Katana's Brown boost already adds saturation—stacking both at max gets muddy. Mids stay scooped at 3 for that classic thrash scoop, but the Katana's mid voicing is slightly darker than a real 800, so treble stays aggressive at 7 to maintain bite.

PRO TIPHetfield's pick attack is the secret weapon—use thick picks (1mm+), angle them slightly, and strike hard right over the bridge pickup pole pieces for that percussive chunk on palm mutes.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Boss Katana 100 MkII. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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