Riff Tone
Orion (Live)
Metallica
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
Guitar1984 Gibson Explorer (white, stock pickups for live 1986-87; EMG 81s retrofitted in 1987, but not present for original Orion era live shows)
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (used as preamp) into Marshall JCM800 100W power amp with 4x12 cabinets
PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers (live 1986-87), not EMG 81s for this era
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
mid2
treble7.5
reverb0
presence5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Live rig for 1986-87, as used on Master of Puppets tour and Orion live performances. No distortion pedals; all gain from amp. No evidence of additional effects in riff section. Studio used similar setup. Settings estimated from era and forum discussions.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutingrazor-sharp claritychunky low endcrisp high enddry, unprocessed soundfast attackarticulate rhythmno audible reverb or delay
Difficulty
The riff section of 'Orion' (Live) is challenging due to its fast tempo, intricate palm-muted rhythms, and the need for tight synchronization with the band. The picking hand endurance and precision required make it difficult for most players.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
Guitar1984 Gibson Explorer (white, stock pickups for live 1986-87; EMG 81s retrofitted in 1987, but not present for original Orion era live shows)
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (used as preamp) into Marshall JCM800 100W power amp with 4x12 cabinets
PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers (live 1986-87), not EMG 81s for this era
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
mid2
treble7.5
reverb0
presence5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Live rig for 1986-87, as used on Master of Puppets tour and Orion live performances. No distortion pedals; all gain from amp. No evidence of additional effects in riff section. Studio used similar setup. Settings estimated from era and forum discussions.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutingrazor-sharp claritychunky low endcrisp high enddry, unprocessed soundfast attackarticulate rhythmno audible reverb or delay
Difficulty
The riff section of 'Orion' (Live) is challenging due to its fast tempo, intricate palm-muted rhythms, and the need for tight synchronization with the band. The picking hand endurance and precision required make it difficult for most players.
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