Riff Tone
Harvester of Sorrow (Live at Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA, 01/11/92)
Metallica
Guitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' (James Hetfield, 1989-1992 live era)
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (live, 1992, likely with Mesa 4x12 cabinets)
PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain8.5
bass6
mid3.5
treble7.5
reverb0
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Live performance, 1992, Arco Arena. James Hetfield's main live rig for this era was the ESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' with EMG 81 pickups into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head. No evidence of additional pedals for the riff section; tone is dry and tight. No studio layering or post-processing as in album version.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate low endcrisp, biting trebledry and unprocessedfocused and compressedminimal ambienceclear note separation
Difficulty
The riff requires high-speed, consistent downpicking and tight palm muting, demanding stamina and precision typical of Metallica's rhythm guitar work. The tempo and percussive attack add to the challenge.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' (James Hetfield, 1989-1992 live era)
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (live, 1992, likely with Mesa 4x12 cabinets)
PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain8.5
bass6
mid3.5
treble7.5
reverb0
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Live performance, 1992, Arco Arena. James Hetfield's main live rig for this era was the ESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' with EMG 81 pickups into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head. No evidence of additional pedals for the riff section; tone is dry and tight. No studio layering or post-processing as in album version.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate low endcrisp, biting trebledry and unprocessedfocused and compressedminimal ambienceclear note separation
Difficulty
The riff requires high-speed, consistent downpicking and tight palm muting, demanding stamina and precision typical of Metallica's rhythm guitar work. The tempo and percussive attack add to the challenge.
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