Riff Tone

Nothing Else Matters (Live)

Metallica & San Francisco Symphony

Guitarmetal2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarESP LTD Iron Cross (James Hetfield signature, live S&M2 era)

AmpFractal Audio Axe-Fx III (amp modeling, Metallica live rig, S&M2 era)

PickupsEMG JH Het Set active humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid5

treble6.5

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live performance with San Francisco Symphony, S&M2 (2019). Metallica uses Fractal Axe-Fx III for all live tones since mid-2010s. No traditional tube amps on stage. Settings are for live, not studio.

Tone Character(10)

clean and bell-likewarm and smoothslight compressionclear note separationsubtle reverb ambiencearticulate fingerstyle clarityrounded top endnot harsh or brittleno audible overdrivefull-bodied

Difficulty

The riff requires clean fingerstyle playing with precise timing and dynamic control, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.

Sources

Metallica live tone question - Reddit Nothing else matters clean tone/guitars used : r/Metallica James Hetfield's tech shows you his 72 Seasons live rig - Guitar World Metallica – S&M2 - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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