Fade to black amp settings — Boss Katana gen 3
The Metallical guitar tone for “Fade to black”, dialed in for a Boss Katana gen 3 with a Ibanez GRG121DX GIO RG. Studio version, Ride the Lightning (1984) — Hetfield rhythm tone
Marshall JCM800 2203, Gibson Flying V with bridge humbucker, Boss DS-1 as boost, tuned to E♭ Standard
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 7 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Mid | 5 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Presence | 6 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 7 |
01Boss DS-1 (RECOMMENDED — not currently owned)
RECOMMENDED — Used as a clean boost into the dirty amp, not as a distortion. Low Dist setting pushes the amp harder without adding fizz. The Katana's Brown channel already has Marshall-style gain, so this is optional but adds the attack and compression Hetfield's tone has. Use the Katana's built-in DS-1 effect in Tone Studio if available.
Your Katana's Brown channel is voiced after modded Marshalls — direct match for JCM800 territory. Your Ibanez GIO has a ceramic humbucker that's slightly hotter and brighter than a PAF-style Gibson pickup, so I dropped treble from the original's 7 to 6 and bass from 5 to 4 to prevent mud on palm mutes. The recording is bone dry — no reverb.
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These settings are for a Boss Katana gen 3. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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