Distorted Tone
(Anesthesia)—Pulling Teeth
Metallica
BassThrash metal / heavy metal1980s (early 1980s)
Original Gear
BassRickenbacker 4001 (modified with Gibson EB 'mudbucker' neck pickup, Seymour Duncan Stacked Jazz Bass bridge pickup, and a third Seymour Duncan Strat pickup)
AmpMesa/Boogie D‑180 heads (split clean and effects), paired with Mesa cabinets (4×12 and 1×15)
PickupsGibson EB humbucker (neck), Seymour Duncan Stacked Jazz Bass (bridge), Seymour Duncan Strat (third, under foam mute)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass4
mid8
treble7
presence7.5
compression5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Cliff recorded alone in an empty room, using heavy distortion and wah‑wah (Morley Power Wah Boost), Big Muff; signal likely split between clean and dirty chains
Tone Character(4)
heavy distortionwah‑wah filteringbright, mid‑snarly lead bass toneclassical‑inspired arpeggios transitioning into aggressive finale
Difficulty
The solo demands advanced fingerstyle technique, expressive use of effects, and musicality in a lead‑bass context, making it a hard (level 4) piece.
Sources
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Create Free AccountBassThrash metal / heavy metal1980s (early 1980s)
Original Gear
BassRickenbacker 4001 (modified with Gibson EB 'mudbucker' neck pickup, Seymour Duncan Stacked Jazz Bass bridge pickup, and a third Seymour Duncan Strat pickup)
AmpMesa/Boogie D‑180 heads (split clean and effects), paired with Mesa cabinets (4×12 and 1×15)
PickupsGibson EB humbucker (neck), Seymour Duncan Stacked Jazz Bass (bridge), Seymour Duncan Strat (third, under foam mute)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass4
mid8
treble7
presence7.5
compression5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Cliff recorded alone in an empty room, using heavy distortion and wah‑wah (Morley Power Wah Boost), Big Muff; signal likely split between clean and dirty chains
Tone Character(4)
heavy distortionwah‑wah filteringbright, mid‑snarly lead bass toneclassical‑inspired arpeggios transitioning into aggressive finale
Difficulty
The solo demands advanced fingerstyle technique, expressive use of effects, and musicality in a lead‑bass context, making it a hard (level 4) piece.
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