Riff Tone

Trapped Under Ice

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Flying V (1984)

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203

PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers (likely Dirty Fingers or Tim Shaw era humbuckers)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid4

treble7.5

reverb0

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1984, Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen. No evidence of clean amp channel or clean-specific gear for this song section. All available sources and isolated tracks indicate the riff section is played with a high-gain, distorted tone. No evidence of a clean tone section in 'Trapped Under Ice' riff.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivedry and upper-mid focusedaggressive attackarticulate palm mutingfast, precise pickingno ambient effectsno reverb or delayhigh clarity for fast riffingbridge pickup bitestudio rhythm guitar

Difficulty

The riff section is challenging due to its fast tempo, continuous downpicking, and need for tight, articulate palm muting, making it difficult for most players to maintain accuracy and stamina.

Sources

Trapped Under Ice Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica | ToneMirror

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