Riff Tone

One

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX-220 (black finish, custom, 1987-1988 era)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (main rhythm amp for '...And Justice for All' era)

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain8.5

bass5.5

mid3.5

treble7

reverb1

presence4.5

Effects & Signal Chain

noise_gateUnknown Noise gate (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1988. Used for the heavy/distorted riff sections of 'One' on the original album. Guitar is the ESP MX-220 with EMG 81 bridge pickup. Amp is the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ through Marshall 4x12 cabinets. No evidence of additional pedals for distortion; all gain from amp and pickups.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate rhythm claritycrisp high endchunky low endfast alternate pickingmuted string 'chuks' overdubsdry, focused attack

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, precise alternate picking and palm muting at a medium-fast tempo, with tight rhythmic accuracy and stamina, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

what amp settings i need to get the iconic One by metallica tone?James Hetfield's guitar tone on Metallica's Sad But True: secrets behind the sound | Guitar World

This tone has been researched 100 times by the community

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account