Riff Tone

Battery (Live)

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX-220 (Hetfield, live 1986-1987 era, black finish)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (main live amp for Battery riff, 1986-1987 era)

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid3

treble8

reverb0.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveIbanez Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer

noise_gateUnknown Noise Gate (model unknown)

Notes

Live performance, mid-late 1980s (Master of Puppets tour era). Guitar is ESP MX-220 with EMG 81 bridge pickup. Amp is Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (noted as core of Hetfield's sound for this era and song). Settings are inferred from forum posts and typical Metallica live setups of the time. No evidence of additional amp models or alternate guitars for the riff section in live performances.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate attackcrisp top endfocused, cutting toneminimal ambiencefast alternate picking claritytight low end

Difficulty

The Battery riff is extremely fast, requiring advanced alternate picking, tight palm muting, and precise synchronization between both hands. The tempo and stamina required make it a challenge even for experienced players.

Sources

Metallica Amp Settings - forum topic | Ultimate Guitar How Metallica Got the Guitar Tone on Their New Singles From '72 Seasons' Album | Ultimate Guitar James Hetfield's guitar tone on Metallica's Sad But True: secrets behind the sound | Guitar World

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