Riff Tone

Eye of the Beholder

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX-220 (custom Explorer-style, black finish)

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

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain8.5

bass7

mid2

treble6.5

reverb0

presence4.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for '...And Justice for All' (1988). Rhythm guitar by James Hetfield. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for riff section; tone is direct, tight, and dry as per album production. No live/touring gear included.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsrazor-sharp attackdry and unprocessedhigh-gain saturationcrushing low endarticulate note separationaggressive palm mutingminimal ambiencefocused, metallic edge

Difficulty

The riff requires advanced right-hand technique for fast, tight palm-muted chugging and precise rhythm changes, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

Amp settings : r/Metallica - Reddit James Hetfield's guitar tone on Metallica's Sad But True

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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