Ride the Lightning amp settings — Marshall G30R CD
The Metallica guitar tone for “Ride the Lightning”, dialed in for a Marshall G30R CD with a Jackson JS dinky. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984)
Marshall JCM800 2203 (Jose Arredondo modded / boosted), Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, Gibson Flying V / Explorer with Seymour Duncan Invader / Gibson pickups
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 2 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Mid | 4 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Reverb | 1 |
| Master | 5 |
01Jim Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95
Leave bypassed for rhythm riffing; engage for lead work
02TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion
Gain source — set middle toggle switch to 'Scoop' (or 'Raw') for classic 80s thrash bite
03Ibanez Chorus Mini
Leave bypassed for the main riff. Clean/intro switch: bypass the Fangs and engage this chorus on the clean channel.
To avoid double-gain mush and get the authentic, tight thrash attack of Hetfield's boosted Marshall, run your Marshall G30R CD on the Clean channel and use the TC Electronic Fangs as your dedicated high-gain engine. The Fangs provides the cascaded saturation and mid-scoop that the solid-state G30R overdrive channel cannot replicate cleanly, while setting the amp EQ (mid at 4, bass/treble at 7) preserves clarity. For the clean intro and bridge interludes, bypass the Fangs distortion and switch on the Ibanez Chorus Mini.
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These settings are for a Marshall G30R CD. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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