Riff Tone

My Friend of Misery

Metallica

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX220 (James Hetfield's main guitar for The Black Album sessions)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (primary clean amp for The Black Album), Marshall 4x12 cabinet

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

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6.5

mid3.5

treble8

reverb2

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

chorusBoss Chorus pedal (model unknown, likely Boss CE-3 or CE-2 era-appropriate)

Notes

Studio recording, 1991. Clean sections tracked with the neck pickup and Mark IIC+ amp. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for the clean riff section.

Tone Character(10)

warm and roundedshimmering chorus effectclear and articulateslightly scooped midssparkling top endtight low endsmooth sustainstudio-polishednot harsh or brittlelush and ambient

Difficulty

The clean riff is moderately challenging due to the need for precise picking, note separation, and dynamic control, but does not require advanced techniques or fast playing.

Sources

Metallica Amp Settings | Easy Guide Metallica Amp Settings - forum topic | Ultimate Guitar Metallica tones on the Lekato ME- Zero One : r/guitarpedals

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