Seek and destroy amp settings — Roland JC-40 Jazz Chorus
The Metallica guitar tone for “Seek and destroy”, dialed in for a Roland JC-40 Jazz Chorus with a ESP LTD KH-202 Kirk Hammett. Studio version, Kill 'Em All (1983)
Hot-rodded Marshall JMP/2203 head, Gibson Flying V with stock humbuckers, Ibanez Tube Screamer, wah pedal
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 0 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 3 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Presence | 0 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 6 |
01High-Gain Distortion (Boss DS-1 or similar)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. The JC-40 is a pristine solid-state clean amp with zero breakup; without a distortion pedal, this tone is unobtainable. A Boss DS-1, MXR Distortion+, or ProCo RAT will get you in the ballpark.
The JC-40 has no gain stage and will not distort at any volume—it's designed for crystal-clean headroom. The original Marshall tone came from preamp saturation at high gain (8+). All drive must come from an external distortion pedal into the JC-40's clean platform. I raised mid slightly from the original's deep scoop (2.5) to 3 because the JC-40's EQ is already neutral/scooped compared to a Marshall's mid-forward voicing; going lower would sound thin. Treble dropped from 8 to 7 because the JC-40's treble circuit is brighter than a Marshall's.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Roland JC-40 Jazz Chorus. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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