Download

Seek & Destroy (Metallica) guitar tone and amp settings

Seek & Destroy guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Brown amp type, medium gain (Gain 5.5), bright top (Treble 6.5), balanced lows (Bass 4.5), bridge pickup.

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

The song has distinct sounds: Solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.

Seek & Destroy 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
Gain5.5Moderate drive keeps the riff tight and defined
Volume5Balances the amp section against the overall level
Bass4.5
Middle5.5
Treble6.5
Booster ColorOrange
Booster2
Mod0
FX0
Delay0
Reverb0
Set to your roomMaster
Set to your roomPower Control

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Variation
Off
Amp Type
Brown
Gain
5.5
Volume
5
Bass
4.5
Middle
5.5
Treble
6.5
Booster Color
Orange
Booster
2
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

Seek & Destroy settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40

Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every song

AmpPositive Grid Spark 40

Amp TypeCrunch
Gain6.5
Bass4.5
Mid5.5
Treble6.5
Set to your roomMaster
Mod0
Delay0
Reverb0
Set to your roomOutput
App Amp ModelPlexiglasin the app, optional
App DriveBlack Opin 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 to drive the amp model firmly.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Type
Crunch
Gain
6.5
Bass
4.5
Mid
5.5
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
Black Op
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

Seek & Destroy settings on a Fender Mustang LT25

Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every song

AmpFender Mustang LT25

Amp Model70S ROCKin the menu
Gain5.5
Volume6Sets preset level while retaining a strong signal into the model
Treble7
Bass5
Middle6.5in the menu
Set to your roomMaster
StompROCK DIRTin the menu
ModNonein the menu
DelayNonein the menu
ReverbNonein the menu

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output to drive the amp and stomp
Tone8Keeps the bridge humbucker cutting without excess edge
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Model
70S ROCK
Gain
5.5
Volume
6
Treble
7
Bass
5
Middle
6.5
Master
Set to your room
Stomp
ROCK DIRT
Mod
None
Delay
None
Reverb
None

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

Seek & Destroy settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

Amp

Gain7.5
Bass5
Mid4.5
Treble7.5

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output to drive the amp.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
7.5
Bass
5
Mid
4.5
Treble
7.5

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

Add a wah and RAT-style distortion pedal for a closer match.

Song parts

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

  1. Solo:

    FX Color Red, FX 4

    .

    Engage the built-in touch wah for the solo

Song parts

Positive Grid Spark 40

  1. Solo:

    App Drive Tube Drive, App Comp/Wah Auto Wah

    .

    Use the auto-wah effect for the solo.

Song parts

Fender Mustang LT25

  1. Solo:

    Stomp BLUES DRIVE, Mod TOUCH WAH

    .

    Sweep the wah through the solo phrases

Song parts

Any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

  1. Solo:

    Gain 8.5, Mid 5.5

    .

    Push the amp harder for the solo.

The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Why it sounds like that

Guitar strings over the frets, close up

Seek & Destroy was built on a single riff that James Hetfield wrote and tracked on a white Flying V, the only electric guitar he had then. He worked it off an A, not his usual E. The Flying V was a Japanese Electra copy with hot Seymour Duncan Invader pickups that drove the amp hard. The amp was a Marshall that a Los Angeles modder had hot-rodded, the same modder who worked on Eddie Van Halen's Marshalls. Kirk Hammett played the solo through that same Marshall, on his black Gibson Flying V with an Ibanez Tube Screamer and a wah pedal.

  • Build the riff around one note worked off an A, not the usual E.

What amp did James Hetfield use on Seek & Destroy?

A guitarist’s pedalboard, a dozen pedals cabled together

James Hetfield

Guitar
Electra Flying V[1]
Pickup
Seymour Duncan Invader[2]
Amp
Marshall[2]
Effects
ProCo RAT[2]

Kirk Hammett · Solo

Guitar
black Gibson Flying V[1]
Amp
Marshall[1]
Effects
Ibanez Tube Screamer[1]
  • Hetfield said he tracked the riff on a white Flying V, the only electric guitar he had then. (on this song)[1]
  • Hetfield said the song is built around a one-note riff that worked off an A, though most of his riffs are in E. (on this song)[1]
  • Hetfield said he wrote the riff in his truck outside a sticker factory job in L.A. (on this song)[1]
  • Solo: Hammett said he played the solo through Hetfield's Marshall, which a Los Angeles modder had hot-rodded. (on this song)[1]
  • Bonedo says Hetfield used a Japanese Electra Flying V copy with Seymour Duncan Invader pickups on the debut album. (on the album Kill 'Em All)[2]
  • Bonedo says the amp had a master-volume mod added by Jose Arredondo. (on the album Kill 'Em All)[2]
  • Bonedo says James and Kirk both recorded their Kill 'Em All parts with this Marshall, combined with a ProCo RAT and a Tube Screamer. (on the album Kill 'Em All)[2]
  • Solo: Hammett said he played the solo with his Ibanez Tube Screamer, a wah pedal and his black Gibson Flying V. (on this song)[1]

Questions

What amp did James Hetfield use on Seek & Destroy?

The sources on this page document James Hetfield's gear on Seek & Destroy by Metallica: guitar, Electra Flying V [1]; pickup, Seymour Duncan Invader [2]; amp, Marshall [2]; effects, ProCo RAT [2]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.

What are the Seek & Destroy settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?

For the Seek & Destroy guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Brown, Gain 5.5, Volume 5, Bass 4.5, Middle 5.5, Treble 6.5, Booster Color Orange, Booster 2, 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 Seek & Destroy settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?

For the Seek & Destroy guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 6.5, Bass 4.5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.5, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0, App Amp Model Plexiglas, App Drive Black Op; 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 Seek & Destroy settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?

For the Seek & Destroy guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 70S ROCK, Gain 5.5, Volume 6, Treble 7, Bass 5, Middle 6.5, Stomp ROCK DIRT, 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 Seek & Destroy 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 Seek & Destroy, 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