Riff Tone

Thorn Within (Remastered)

Metallica

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX-220 (Hetfield's 'Eet Fuk')

AmpDiezel VH4 (studio, Load era)

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

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6.5

mid4

treble7

reverb1

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1995-1996 (Load sessions). Rhythm guitars tracked by James Hetfield. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section. No evidence of additional pedals in studio chain for riff section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationchunky low endarticulate pick attackdense and compressedminimal ambiencemodern metal rhythmbridge pickup clarity

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, consistent palm muting and precise alternate picking at a moderate tempo, with attention to muting and rhythmic accuracy typical of Hetfield's rhythm style.

Sources

Metallica Amp Settings (2026): James Hetfield Tone and EQ Guide - Guitar Chalk Metallica Amp Settings | Easy Guide

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