Riff Tone

Astronomy

Metallica

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX-250 (James Hetfield's main guitar for Garage Inc. era)

AmpWizard Modern Classic (used by Hetfield for Garage Inc. sessions)

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge), EMG 60 (neck) active humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid4.5

treble7

reverb1.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1998 Garage Inc. album. Clean sections likely used neck pickup and low gain settings. No direct evidence of alternate guitars or amps for clean sections; inferred from era and known studio gear.

Tone Character(10)

warm and roundedclear and articulateslightly compressedbell-like attackfull-bodied lowssmooth top endno audible breakupsubtle room reverbno modulation or chorusstudio-polished clean

Difficulty

The clean riff requires accurate chord voicings and dynamic control to maintain clarity and warmth, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.

Sources

How did James get his tone in Garage Inc disc 1? : r/Metallica Listen-Through Day 89: Astronomy : r/Metallica

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