Riff Tone

(Anesthesia)—Pulling Teeth (Rough Mix)

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarRickenbacker 4001 bass

AmpMarshall JMP head with Marshall 4x12 cabinet

PickupsRickenbacker single coil pickups (stock 4001 configuration)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid5

treble7.5

reverb0

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

wahMorley Morley Power Wah Fuzz

overdriveIbanez Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer

Notes

Studio recording, 1983 (Kill 'Em All sessions, rough mix). Cliff Burton used a Rickenbacker 4001 bass, often with upgraded pickups, into a Marshall JMP head and 4x12 cab. Effects chain included fuzz, wah, and overdrive pedals. No evidence of additional rack effects or amp-based reverb/delay on this recording.

Tone Character(10)

dense harmonic saturationaggressive and forwardfuzzy and compressedmidrange boosttight and percussivegrowling sustainarticulate attackslightly scooped highsno ambient effectsextremely dynamic with hard fingerstyle

Difficulty

The riff section requires advanced fingerstyle technique, precise wah pedal use, and control over high-gain fuzz dynamics, making it very challenging for most players.

Sources

Cliff Burton Amp Settings & Bass Gear - Mimic His Legendary Tone!Cliff Burton | Equipboard My first steps trying to learn/practice "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth" from the great Cliff Burton (Metallica) - Share Your Music - Basschat

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