Riff Tone
Fade to Black (Live at Rasputin Music, Berkeley, CA - Apr. 16th, 2016)
Metallica
Guitarmetal2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarESP LTD James Hetfield Snakebyte Electric Guitar
AmpRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (for clean tone, as per Hetfield interview and typical live setup)
PickupsEMG JH Het Set active humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain0
bass6
mid4.5
treble7
reverb2
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Live performance, April 16, 2016, Rasputin Music, Berkeley, CA. Clean section. Hetfield is known to use the JC-120 for cleans, especially in live settings. No evidence of acoustic or Variax used in this specific 2016 live performance.
Tone Character(10)
crystal-clear cleanslush and shimmeringslight chorus modulationwarm and full-bodiedarticulate and dynamicbright but not harshsubtle amp reverbsustained ringing chordsno audible distortionneck pickup warmth
Difficulty
The clean riff requires accurate arpeggiated picking and dynamic control to maintain clarity and avoid unwanted noise, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast tempo.
Sources
Metallica: Fade to Black (Berkeley, CA - April 16, 2016) - YouTubeFade to Black (Live at Rasputin Music, Berkeley, CA - April 16th, 2016)James Hetfield's Guitar Gear, Amps & Pedalboard | EquipboardInterview: Metallica's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett on their tonal evolution, the art of the riff and justice for Lars | MusicRadar
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
Create Free AccountGuitarmetal2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarESP LTD James Hetfield Snakebyte Electric Guitar
AmpRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (for clean tone, as per Hetfield interview and typical live setup)
PickupsEMG JH Het Set active humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain0
bass6
mid4.5
treble7
reverb2
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Sources
Metallica: Fade to Black (Berkeley, CA - April 16, 2016) - YouTubeFade to Black (Live at Rasputin Music, Berkeley, CA - April 16th, 2016)James Hetfield's Guitar Gear, Amps & Pedalboard | EquipboardInterview: Metallica's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett on their tonal evolution, the art of the riff and justice for Lars | MusicRadar
Notes
Live performance, April 16, 2016, Rasputin Music, Berkeley, CA. Clean section. Hetfield is known to use the JC-120 for cleans, especially in live settings. No evidence of acoustic or Variax used in this specific 2016 live performance.
Tone Character(10)
crystal-clear cleanslush and shimmeringslight chorus modulationwarm and full-bodiedarticulate and dynamicbright but not harshsubtle amp reverbsustained ringing chordsno audible distortionneck pickup warmth
Difficulty
The clean riff requires accurate arpeggiated picking and dynamic control to maintain clarity and avoid unwanted noise, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast tempo.
More Metallica tones
- Master of Puppets · riff
- Enter Sandman · riff
- Seek & Destroy · riff
- Creeping Death · riff
- One · riff
- Fade to Black · solo
- Ride the Lightning · riff
- Fade to black · riff
- For Whom the Bell Tolls · riff
- One · riff