Tone library / Metallica / Ride the Lightning

Ride the Lightning amp settings — Zoom G2X Four

The Metallica guitar tone for “Ride the Lightning”, dialed in for a Zoom G2X Four with a Epiphone Les Paul Classic. Main rhythm riff, Ride the Lightning (1984 studio track)

Original rig

1984 Gibson Flying V (bridge humbucker) into Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer boosting a cranked Marshall JCM800 2203 with 4x12 Celestion G12M-70 cab

Aggressive mid-scooped early thrash crunch with sharp high-end bite and tight low end

Amp settings — Zoom G2X Four

CHANNELMS 800 (Marshall JCM800 model) + MS4x12 cab IRBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	6
Mid	3
Treble	7
Presence	8
Reverb	0
Master	7

Don’t have a Zoom G2X Four? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01TS Drive (Tube Screamer model)

Tightening boost in front of the MS 800 amp model; cuts flubby sub-bass and pushes upper-mid attack

Gain 1 · Tone 7 · Level 8

02ZNR (Noise Gate)

Essential to clamp high-gain hiss and keep thrash palm-muting razor-tight

Depth 8 · Threshold 6

Why these settings

The MS 800 model provides the core British crunch, while the onboard TS Drive acts strictly as a clean boost to tighten the bottom end for palm-muted thrash gallops. We scoop the mids down to 3 and push treble and presence to replicate the biting Flemming Rasmussen console EQ without losing punch on your Epiphone Les Paul humbuckers. Clean interlude: switch off the TS Drive block, roll guitar volume down to 6, and engage an onboard chorus.

PRO TIPUse strict, aggressive downpicking with the side of your palm anchored firmly against the bridge saddles; the Ride the Lightning rhythm tone relies on percussive pick attack driving into the boosted preamp.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Zoom G2X Four. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

Get ToneAdapt on Google Play

More tones for the Zoom G2X Four

Dearest (I'm so Sorry)Picture Me Broken HysteriaDef Leppard Pray for PlaguesDecayer Seize the DayAvenged Sevenfold Comfortably NumbPink Floyd HysteriaMuse

Find your amp

Browse

Zoom G2X Four settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP Ride the Lightning on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Metallica tonesALL SONGS Epiphone Les Paul Classic tonesSAME GUITAR Tone libraryEVERYTHING

Song, 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.