Ride the Lightning by Metallica — Amp Settings & Guitar Tone

Reference tone dialed on a Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster into a Fender Mustang LT25. Settings below are cited from real sources; open the page in a browser for the interactive version, or get this tone dialed for your exact gear.

To capture the aggressive, high-gain tone of 'Ride the Lightning,' we'll use the Fender Mustang LT25's modeling capabilities to emulate the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ sound. The Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster will stand in for the Explorer, with its single-coil pickups requiring some EQ adjustments to achieve the scooped-mid character.

Signal chain settings

Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster — main rhythm guitar

Control	Setting	Why
Pickup Selector	Bridge Pickup	Select the Bridge Pickup for a brighter, more aggressive tone that cuts through the mix.
Master Volume	10	Guitar volume full up — roll back to clean up the gain or drop level.
Tone 1	Leave at default	Tone 1 controls are not used for the bridge pickup.
Tone 2	10	Tone wide open — roll it down to soften the high end.

Fender Mustang LT25 — main amplifier

Control	Setting	Why
Preset	[14] THRASH OVERKILL	This preset provides the high-gain character needed for Metallica's tone.
Gain	7	Increase gain to achieve the saturated tube crunch characteristic of the recording.
Volume	5	Set volume to maintain a balanced output without overpowering the mix.
Treble	8	Boost treble to add brightness and top-end sizzle, compensating for the single-coil pickups.
Bass	7	Enhance bass to achieve the scooped-mid character of the original tone.
Master	7	Set master volume to control overall loudness and maintain punchy articulation.
Cabinet build	Not used	Not needed for this tone — leave it off.
Amp Models	Not used	Not needed for this tone — leave it off.

Section guide — how the tone changes through the song

Intro Clean

This section features a clean, bright tone with reverb and delay effects, emulating the Mesa/Boogie Mark I head used on the recording.

the pedal: Preset → [15] CLEAN DELAY
the pedal: Gain → 3
the pedal: Treble → 6
the pedal: Bass → 5

What Metallica actually used

Metallica recorded 'Ride the Lightning' at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark, in early 1984. Due to prior equipment theft, they borrowed Marshall amplifiers from local bands. Producer Flemming Rasmussen utilized the studio's warehouse space to achieve natural reverb on the drum tracks.

Gibson Flying V — main rhythm. equipped with stock pickups
ESP 400 Series Stratocaster — lead. equipped with Seymour Duncan pickups
Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9 — overdrive. used to boost signal into the amp
Marshall JCM800 2203 — main amplifier. paired with Marshall 4x12 cabinets loaded with Celestion G12-65 speakers
Natural Reverb from Warehouse Space — ambient reverb. drums recorded in an empty warehouse for natural reverb

Tuning: Standard

Sources