Riff Tone

Halo on Fire (Live)

Metallica & San Francisco Symphony

Guitarmetal2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarKen Lawrence Explorer

AmpFractal Audio Axe-Fx II (Marshall and Roland JC-120 models blended, Matrix GT1000FX power amp)

PickupsEMG JH Het Set (active humbuckers)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid4.5

treble7

reverb3

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live performance with Metallica & San Francisco Symphony, 2019 (S&M2). James Hetfield uses the Ken Lawrence Explorer for clean sections, running through Axe-Fx II with blended Marshall and Roland JC-120 amp models for clean tones. Matrix GT1000FX used as power amp. No evidence of additional pedals for clean tone; all effects processed in Axe-Fx. Settings estimated based on typical Metallica clean live rig and genre/era.

Tone Character(10)

crystal-clear and modernwarm and full-bodiedarticulate and dynamicslightly ambient with reverbtight low endhigh headroom, no breakupactive pickup claritylush, studio-quality ambienceno audible overdrivepresent but not harsh highs

Difficulty

The clean riff requires accurate picking, dynamic control for clarity, and careful muting to maintain a pristine clean sound in a live orchestral setting.

Sources

Interview: Metallica's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett on their tonal evolution, the art of the riff and justice for Lars | MusicRadar Metallica: A Look at James & Kirk's Guitar Rigs

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