Riff Tone

Hardwired (Live at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN - Aug. 20th, 2016)

Metallica

Guitarmetal2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarESP James Hetfield Vulture

AmpDiezel VH4

PickupsEMG JH Set (James Hetfield Signature Active Humbuckers)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid4.5

treble7

reverb0

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

noise_gateUnknown Noise gate (model unknown)

Notes

Live performance at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN, August 20, 2016. Settings and gear are for the live heavy riff section, not studio. Guitar confirmed by ESP official article. Amp confirmed by multiple sources as James Hetfield's primary live amp for this era.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate attackchunky low endrazor-sharp claritymodern metal clarityminimal ambiencefast, aggressive riffing

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, aggressive alternate picking and precise palm muting at high speed, demanding tight synchronization and stamina typical of advanced metal rhythm guitar.

Sources

Metallica: "Hardwired" Live (August 20, 2016) - The ESP Guitar Company Hardwired guitar tone? : r/Metallica - Reddit Metallica Amp Settings - Guitar Chalk

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