Tone library / Metallica / Seek & Destroy

Seek & Destroy amp settings — Marshall 15g

The Metallica guitar tone for “Seek & Destroy”, dialed in for a Marshall 15g with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, Kill 'Em All (1983) — main rhythm riff by James Hetfield

Original rig

1981 Gibson Flying V with stock humbuckers → Pro Co Rat or MXR Distortion+ → Marshall JCM800 2203 100W head → Marshall 4x12 cabinet

Tight and percussive, scooped mids, aggressive palm muting, high-gain saturation, razor-sharp pick attack, dry with no reverb, chunky low end, articulate note separation

Amp settings — Marshall 15g

CHANNELClean (use DS-2 for all gain)BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	6
Mid	3
Treble	7
Master	6

Don’t have a Marshall 15g? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion

Mode II (Turbo) for tighter, more aggressive voicing. This is your sole gain source — amp stays clean.

Level 7 · Tone 7 · Dist 8

Why these settings

The Marshall MG15G cannot reach JCM800 saturation levels, so the DS-2 becomes your gain stage while the amp stays clean to avoid muddy double-clipping. Original tone is mid-scooped (mid 2.5 on the JCM800), but the MG15G's smaller speaker needs slightly more mids (3) to retain note definition. Treble at 7 compensates for the DS-2's natural darkness compared to a Rat.

PRO TIPPalm mute directly over the bridge pickup for that tight, percussive chunk — Hetfield's right hand positioning is as important as the gear for this tone.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Marshall 15g. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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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.