Riff Tone

Justice Medley: Eye of the Beholder / Blackened / The Frayed Ends of Sanity / ...And Justice for All (Live)

Metallica

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX220 (aka 'EET FUK') Explorer-style

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (modded), multiple heads in parallel

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

Amp Settings

gain8

bass5.5

mid3.5

treble6.5

reverb0

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live performance, 1993 era, as used by James Hetfield for rhythm in the Justice Medley. Guitar is the white ESP MX220 'EET FUK' with EMG 81 in bridge. Amp is the Mark IIC+ (not Studio Preamp) as confirmed by rig photos and interviews. No evidence of additional pedals for distortion; all gain from amp. No chorus, delay, or reverb effects audible or documented for rhythm/riff section. Quad-tracked guitars in studio, but live is dual-tracked. Settings are for live, not studio.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationrazor-sharp clarityarticulate low enddry, unprocessedminimal ambiencecrushing rhythm crunchfast, precise attack

Difficulty

The riff section requires fast, tight alternate and downpicking, precise palm muting, and stamina to maintain clarity at high speed. The technical challenge is high due to tempo and rhythmic precision.

Sources

Metallica – ...And Justice for All (Remastered) - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album Metallica ...And Justice For All Guitar Tone Tutorial Metallica Amp Settings (2026): James Hetfield Tone and EQ Guide - Guitar Chalk Justice Medley (Eye of the Beholder, Blackened, The Frayed ...

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account