Tone library / Metallica / Seek and destroy

Seek and destroy amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

The Metallica guitar tone for “Seek and destroy”, dialed in for a Marshall MG30CFX with a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster. 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 humbucker

Aggressive early thrash crunch with prominent bite, tight low-end, and boosted upper-mids

Amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

CHANNELCleanBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	6
Mid	7
Treble	5
Reverb	0
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion

Gain source — Turbo Mode I provides the tight, vintage Rat-style mid-focused clipping

Level 7 · Tone 5 · Dist 7 · Turbo 1

Why these settings

The Boss DS-2 acts as the primary gain source to replicate the ProCo Rat pushing a modded Marshall, so the MG30CFX is set to the Clean channel with low preamp gain to avoid muddy double-clipping. Because your Stratocaster has brighter, lower-output single coils compared to Hetfield's hot Invader humbucker, the amp's mid and bass are boosted while the guitar's tone knob is rolled back slightly to tame treble ice-pick. Note that the Marshall MG30CFX lacks a physical Presence control, so presence is omitted.

PRO TIPAggressive, heavy palm muting strictly with downstrokes near the bridge saddles is essential to get the percussive, tight low-end 'chug' characteristic of early Metallica riffing.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Marshall MG30CFX. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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