Riff Tone

Damage, Inc. (October 1985, Work In Progress Rough Mix)

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX220 (custom, pre-signature, likely white finish)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain8.5

bass6

mid3.5

treble7.5

reverb0

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, October 1985, for 'Master of Puppets' sessions. This is the 'Work In Progress Rough Mix' of 'Damage, Inc.' Rhythm section. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section. No signature Snakebyte or Het Set pickups yet; EMG 81 confirmed for this era. No pedal boosts or time-based effects in the rhythm section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationrazor-sharp claritychunky low endarticulate down-pickingminimal ambiencefast attackdry, focused rhythm

Difficulty

The riff requires relentless, fast down-picking with tight palm muting and precise rhythm changes, demanding both technical skill and physical endurance.

Sources

Metallica Master of Puppets Amp Settings (Full Album Tone Guide) - Guitar Chalk The making of Metallica's Master Of Puppets | MusicRadar How James Hetfield Gets That Iconic Metallica Guitar Tone! [Part 1]

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