Solo Tone

The Shortest Straw

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP KH-2 (Kirk Hammett signature, 1987-1988 era, likely black finish, stock for '...And Justice for All' sessions)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1988, used for all '...And Justice for All' solos)

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

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid3

treble8

reverb1

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

wahDunlop Dunlop Cry Baby Wah (model likely GCB-95 or similar)

Notes

Studio recording, 1988. Kirk Hammett used his ESP KH-2 with EMG active pickups into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head. No confirmed pedal use for the solo, but a wah pedal is clearly audible. No evidence of delay, chorus, or other modulation/time-based effects in the solo. Settings are estimated based on era, genre, and forum consensus for 'Justice' lead tones.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsbiting and cuttinghigh-gain saturationarticulate single-note runswah sweep for expressivenessfocused, compressed sustainrazor-sharp trebleminimal ambienceaggressive palm muting

Difficulty

The solo requires advanced alternate picking at high speed, expressive wah pedal control, and precise note targeting, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

Sources

Metallica Amp Settings And Justice for All (Remastered) - Gear & Equipment Used on the ...Metallica's Guitar Tone - The Marshall & Wizard Years: w/ Real Amps, Fractal Audio, and Free VSTs!

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