Ride The Lightning (Metallica) guitar tone and amp settings

Ride The Lightning guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Brown amp type, medium gain (Gain 6.5), bright top (Treble 6.5), balanced lows (Bass 4.5), bridge pickup.

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

Ride The Lightning settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every song

AmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

VariationOff
Amp TypeBrown
Gain6.5
Volume5Balances the driven preamp against the room-level Master setting.
Bass4.5
Middle4.5
Treble6.5
Booster0
Mod0
FX0
Delay0
Reverb0
Set to your roomMaster
Set to your roomPower Control

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the bridge humbucker driving the amp.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Variation
Off
Amp Type
Brown
Gain
6.5
Volume
5
Bass
4.5
Middle
4.5
Treble
6.5
Booster
0
Mod
0
FX
0
Delay
0
Reverb
0
Master
Set to your room
Power Control
Set to your room

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

Ride The Lightning settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40

Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every song

AmpPositive Grid Spark 40

Amp TypeCrunch
Gain7
Bass5.5
Mid4
Treble6.5
Set to your roomMaster
Mod0
Delay0
Reverb0
Set to your roomOutput
App Amp ModelPlexiglasin the app, optional
App DriveOffin the app, optional
App Comp/WahOffin the app, optional
App Mod/EQOffin the app, optional
App DelayOffin the app, optional
App ReverbOffin the app, optional

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output drives the amp for a firm, saturated rhythm sound.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Type
Crunch
Gain
7
Bass
5.5
Mid
4
Treble
6.5
Master
Set to your room
Mod
0
Delay
0
Reverb
0
Output
Set to your room
App Amp Model
Plexiglas
App Drive
Off
App Comp/Wah
Off
App Mod/EQ
Off
App Delay
Off
App Reverb
Off

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

Ride The Lightning settings on a Fender Mustang LT25

Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every song

AmpFender Mustang LT25

Amp Model80S ROCKin the menu
Gain7.5
Volume6Sets preset level while preserving the chosen amp drive.
Treble6
Bass5
Middle4in the menu
Set to your roomMaster
StompNonein the menu
ModNonein the menu
DelayNonein the menu
ReverbNonein the menu

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the bridge humbucker driving the amp.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Model
80S ROCK
Gain
7.5
Volume
6
Treble
6
Bass
5
Middle
4
Master
Set to your room
Stomp
None
Mod
None
Delay
None
Reverb
None

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

Ride The Lightning settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

Amp

Gain8
Bass5
Mid4
Treble7

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the amp driven for tight rhythm tone.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
8
Bass
5
Mid
4
Treble
7

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8
The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Why it sounds like that

Guitar strings over the frets, close up

The album's sound rests on Marshall amps and Gibson guitars. All of the band's equipment was stolen in Boston before they left for Europe, so for the sessions they had to get Marshall amps from metal bands in Denmark and spent the first day testing them. Kirk Hammett tracked the whole album with Marshall amps and his Gibson Flying V. By then James Hetfield had a Gibson Explorer, a shape he came to prefer to the V.

What amp did James Hetfield use on Ride The Lightning?

A guitarist’s pedalboard, a dozen pedals cabled together

James Hetfield

Guitar
Gibson Explorer[1]
Amp
Marshall[2]

Kirk Hammett

Guitar
Gibson Flying V[1]
Amp
Marshall[1]
  • James Hetfield said: ‘By then I had the Gibson Explorer.’ (on the album Ride the Lightning)[1]
  • Hammett said he tracked the whole of Ride the Lightning with Marshall amps and his Gibson Flying V. (on the album Ride the Lightning)[1]
  • Rasmussen said the band had to get Marshall amps from metal bands in Denmark and spent the first day testing them. (on the album Ride the Lightning)[2]
  • Hammett said all the band's equipment was stolen in Boston before they left for Europe, leaving only their guitars. (on the album Ride the Lightning)[2]
  • Rasmussen said the band started by getting every single Marshall amp in Denmark at that time. (on the album Ride the Lightning)[3]

Questions

What amp did James Hetfield use on Ride The Lightning?

The sources on this page document James Hetfield's gear on Ride The Lightning by Metallica: guitar, Gibson Explorer [1]; amp, Marshall [2]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.

What are the Ride The Lightning settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?

For the Ride The Lightning guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Brown, Gain 6.5, Volume 5, Bass 4.5, Middle 4.5, Treble 6.5, Booster 0, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Power Control to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Ride The Lightning settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?

For the Ride The Lightning guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 7, Bass 5.5, Mid 4, Treble 6.5, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0, App Amp Model Plexiglas; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Output to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Ride The Lightning settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?

For the Ride The Lightning guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 80S ROCK, Gain 7.5, Volume 6, Treble 6, Bass 5, Middle 4, Stomp None, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb None; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

Can I get the Ride The Lightning tone on my own amp?

Yes. The settings above cover 3 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for Ride The Lightning, using only the controls your gear has.

Get it for your exact rig

KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for this song.

Download KnobMaster on the App Store