Tone library / Metallica / Seek and destroy

Seek and destroy amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII

The Metallica guitar tone for “Seek and destroy”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 50 MkII with a Epiphone Explorer. Studio version, Kill 'Em All (1983) - Main Riff

Original rig

Jose Arredondo-modded 100W Marshall Super Lead (1959), ProCo Rat, Epiphone Flying V with Seymour Duncan Invader pickup

Aggressive early thrash crunch with prominent bite, tight low-end, and boosted upper-mids
Amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII
CHANNELBrown amp typeBOOSTon
GAIN 7 BASS 5 MID 7 TREBLE 7 REVERB 0 MASTER 5
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain7
Bass5
Mid7
Treble7
Reverb0
Master5
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Onboard Booster (Rat / Pro OD setting)

Engage the onboard Booster in Boss Tone Studio to recreate the front-end Rat boost into the modded Marshall.

Drive 3 · Tone 6 · Level 7
Why these settings

The Katana's Brown voice delivers the hot-rodded Marshall core, while the onboard boost pushes the front end just like Hetfield's Rat pedal. Unlike later scooped Metallica tones, Kill 'Em All relies on prominent midrange bark, so mids are kept high at 7 and bass is controlled at 5 to prevent low-end flub. Presence is physically absent on the 50 MkII faceplate, so upper-end bite is dialed via treble at 7.

PRO TIPUse aggressive, strict downpicking with the side of your palm anchored firmly against the bridge saddles to get that signature early-thrash percussive attack.

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These settings are for a Boss Katana 50 MkII. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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