Riff Tone

Too Far Gone?

Metallica

Guitarmetal2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarESP LTD Iron Cross (James Hetfield signature) or ESP Snakebyte

AmpWizard Modern Classic 100-watt head (James Hetfield), Friedman HBE Deluxe (Kirk Hammett rhythm)

PickupsEMG JH Het Set active humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid4

treble7.5

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for 'Too Far Gone?' from Metallica's 72 Seasons (2023). Gear confirmed by co-producer Greg Fidelman for rhythm tracks. No evidence of additional pedals for riff section; distortion from amp. Rhythm section, not solo.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midshigh-gain saturationaggressive palm mutingarticulate pick attackmodern metal claritydense, focused low endcrisp, cutting trebleminimal ambienceno modulation or time-based effects

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, tight palm-muted alternate picking and aggressive downpicking at a high tempo, demanding stamina and precision for clean articulation.

Sources

James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett’s 72 Seasons guitar gear | Guitar World What do I need to do to get the Metallica tone? : r/Metallica

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