Riff Tone

Fuel (Live)

Metallica

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX-250 Electric Guitar (Hetfield, live, 1990s spec, likely with EMG 81/60 pickups)

AmpMesa/Boogie Triaxis Preamp → Mesa/Boogie Strategy 400 Power Amp → Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 4x12 OS Straight Cab (Celestion Vintage 30 speakers)

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain8.5

bass5.5

mid3.5

treble7

reverb0

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live rig for Metallica in late 1990s/early 2000s; confirmed ESP MX-250 and Mesa/Boogie rack system for 'Fuel' live riff section. No evidence of pedal-based distortion; all gain from amp/preamp. Year: late 1990s to 2010s.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationrazor-sharp attackchunky low endcutting trebleminimal ambiencemodern metal clarityfast transient response

Difficulty

The riff requires advanced right-hand technique for fast, tight palm muting, rapid alternate picking, and precise rhythm synchronization, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

James Hetfield's Guitar Gear, Amps & Pedalboard | Equipboard Metallica – Reload - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard Metallica pedals? - Reddit

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