Riff Tone

The End of the Line

Metallica

Guitarmetal2000s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX-220 (James Hetfield's main guitar for Death Magnetic era)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (primary rhythm amp for Death Magnetic studio recording)

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

Amp Settings

gain9

bass6.5

mid3

treble7.5

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

noise_gateUnknown Noise gate (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 2008. James Hetfield's rhythm tone for 'The End of the Line' riff section. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars/amps for this specific recording.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate attackchunky low endcrisp top endmodern metal claritycompressed and focusedfast, precise rhythm

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, precise alternate picking and tight palm muting at high speed, demanding advanced right-hand stamina and accuracy typical of Metallica's modern rhythm work.

Sources

What are the Amp settings for a Metallica sound : r/Guitar - Reddit How Metallica Got the Guitar Tone on Their New Singles From '72 ...

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