Riff Tone

The Struggle Within

Metallica

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX220 (aka 'Eet Fuk')

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1991)

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

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid4

treble7

reverb0

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for 'The Struggle Within' (Metallica, 1991, Black Album). James Hetfield used his ESP MX220 with EMG 81 in the bridge into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head, no distortion pedals for rhythm, all gain from amp. No reverb or delay on rhythm tracks. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and confirmed amp/guitar pairing.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationrazor-sharp articulationchunky low endcrisp, biting trebleharmonically tightdry, no ambiencepunchy attack

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, aggressive alternate picking with tight palm muting and precise right-hand technique to maintain clarity at high speed, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

“If you have too much distortion it feels like a sponge”: Kirk Hammett reveals the secret behind his Metallica rhythm tone and advises against high-gain overkill | MusicRadar Metallica pedals? - Reddit Metallica Tones (1983-1991) - Reddit

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