Riff Tone
Fade to Black
Metallica
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson 1969 Les Paul Custom (James Hetfield, studio recording)
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1984)
PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers (likely T-Top, passive, not EMG)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5.5
mid4
treble7
reverb1.5
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording for 'Fade to Black' (1984, Ride the Lightning). Clean intro/riff section. Not the live rig or later EMG-equipped guitars. No evidence of pedal use for clean tone; amp reverb likely used.
Tone Character(10)
bright and sparklingwarm and roundedarticulate and clearslightly compressedstudio-polishedgentle reverb taildynamic and touch-sensitivefull-bodied lowsnot brittle or thinclassic 1980s clean
Difficulty
The clean riff requires precise arpeggiated picking, smooth chord changes, and dynamic control to maintain clarity and avoid string noise, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast tempo.
Sources
This tone has been researched 11 times by the community
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson 1969 Les Paul Custom (James Hetfield, studio recording)
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1984)
PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers (likely T-Top, passive, not EMG)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5.5
mid4
treble7
reverb1.5
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
This tone has been researched 11 times by the community
Notes
Studio recording for 'Fade to Black' (1984, Ride the Lightning). Clean intro/riff section. Not the live rig or later EMG-equipped guitars. No evidence of pedal use for clean tone; amp reverb likely used.
Tone Character(10)
bright and sparklingwarm and roundedarticulate and clearslightly compressedstudio-polishedgentle reverb taildynamic and touch-sensitivefull-bodied lowsnot brittle or thinclassic 1980s clean
Difficulty
The clean riff requires precise arpeggiated picking, smooth chord changes, and dynamic control to maintain clarity and avoid string noise, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast tempo.
Fade to Black settings for your amp
Exact settings ToneAdapt players use on these amps.
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