Riff Tone

Hero of the Day (Remastered)

Metallica

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX-220 (Hetfield's custom Explorer-style, likely with EMG 81/60 pickups)

AmpRoland JC-120 Jazz Chorus

PickupsEMG 60 (neck), EMG 81 (bridge) active humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid5

treble7

reverb2.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1995-1996 for 'Load' album. Clean sections on 'Hero of the Day' are widely reported to use the Roland JC-120 for its signature clean/chorus sound. Mesa/Boogie Mark IV was also used for overdubs/distorted parts, but not for the clean riff. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this studio clean part.

Tone Character(10)

crystal-clear cleanslush chorus shimmerwarm and smootharticulate and openslightly compressedrounded attackstudio-quality clarityno breakup or crunchsubtle reverb ambiencedistinct stereo chorus effect

Difficulty

The clean riff requires precise picking and even dynamics to maintain clarity and let the chorus effect shine, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast tempo.

Sources

Metallica – Load (Remastered) - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album Metallica – Master of Puppets (Remastered) - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album Metallica Amp Settings (2026): James Hetfield Tone and EQ Guide - Guitar Chalk

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