Riff Tone

Blackened intro

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' (James Hetfield's main guitar for ...And Justice for All era)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1988)

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain9

bass6

mid3

treble7.5

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1988. James Hetfield used his ESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' with EMG 81 active pickups into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ for the main rhythm tracks on 'Blackened'. No evidence of live/touring gear or alternate guitars for the intro riff. No confirmed pedal use for the intro riff; all distortion from amp and pickups.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate note separationcrisp, metallic edgefocused low endrazor-sharp rhythm toneminimal ambiencefast attack

Difficulty

The intro riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking with tight palm muting and precise rhythm, making it challenging for most players except advanced rhythm guitarists.

Sources

What are the Amp settings for a Metallica sound : r/Guitar Metallica Amp Settings - forum topic - Ultimate Guitar

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