Riff Tone

Am I Evil?

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX220 (custom, black, 1980s, James Hetfield) or Gibson Explorer (Kirk Hammett, 1980s)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1984-1987 era)

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker, James Hetfield); EMG 81/60 set (Kirk Hammett, bridge/neck, active humbuckers)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid3.5

treble7.5

reverb0

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1984-1987. Metallica's 'Am I Evil?' riff section was recorded for the 'Garage Days Re-Revisited' EP and 'Garage Inc.' compilation, using the band's classic 1980s setup: ESP MX220 or Gibson Explorer with EMG 81 pickups into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head. No confirmed pedal use for the riff section. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and amp model. No evidence of effects loop or additional pedals for rhythm/riff section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationcrisp attackarticulate low enddry, focused soundminimal ambienceclear note separationchunky rhythm crunch

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate-level technique due to its fast, tight palm-muted picking, precise rhythm, and stamina for downpicking, but does not involve advanced lead techniques or complex chord voicings.

Sources

Kirk Hammett's Guitars, Gear, Wah & Amps | Equipboard Old school Metallica tone with Orange cr120 + v30's and a Tube ...

This tone has been researched 15 times by the community

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