Solo Tone

One

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX-220 (custom Explorer-style, black finish)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (main), Marshall JCM800 (modded, blended in studio)

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass5.5

mid3.5

treble7.5

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

delayUnknown Delay pedal (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1988. Used for the heavy/solo sections of 'One' on ...And Justice For All. Guitar is the ESP MX-220 with EMG 81 bridge pickup. Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ is the primary amp for the solo, with possible Marshall JCM800 blend. Settings estimated from era and genre due to lack of explicit solo-section settings.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midssinging sustainarticulate pick attackhigh-gain saturationcrisp note separationaggressive palm mutingmetallic edgeclear delay repeatsprecise, fast lead tone

Difficulty

The solo requires advanced metal techniques including fast alternate picking, precise tapping, and tight synchronization with delay repeats, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

Sources

Metallica Week: Tone tips for 5 classic tracks - MusicRadar James Hetfield's Guitar Gear, Amps & Pedalboard - Equipboard

This tone has been researched 17 times by the community

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