Riff Tone

Blackened (Live at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA - Dec. 7th, 1988)

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' (Hetfield) or ESP M-II (Hammett)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (main rhythm amp, live 1988)

PickupsEMG 81 active humbucker (bridge, Hetfield); EMG 81/60 set (Hammett)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass4.5

mid5

treble6.5

reverb0

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveIbanez Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer

Notes

Live at Long Beach Arena, Dec. 7th, 1988. Rhythm section. Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ used for main riff tone, with EMG-equipped ESP guitars. No evidence of modulation or time-based effects in the riff section. Boost/overdrive pedal (likely Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer) used by Hammett for tightness. Settings estimated from era-correct sources and live rig details.

Tone Character(10)

razor-sharp palm mutestight and percussivemidrange-focusedhigh-gain saturationaggressive attackclear and defined even at high speeddense, heavy distortionarticulate note separationno audible reverb or delaypunchy, modern metal rhythm

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate alternate picking and palm muting at high speed, with complex rhythm changes and tight synchronization between both hands.

Sources

How to Get Metallica’s Guitar Tone on Your Modeler James Hetfield's Guitar Gear, Amps & Pedalboard Kirk Hammett's Effects Pedals METALLICA BLACK ALBUM GUITAR TONE

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account