Riff Tone

Wasting My Hate (Remastered)

Metallica

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX-220 (custom, 'Eet Fuk' graphic, 1995-96 era)

AmpMesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (studio recording, Load era, 1995-96)

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

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid3.5

treble7

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for 'Wasting My Hate' (Remastered), 1995-96. James Hetfield used his ESP MX-220 with EMG 81/60 pickups into a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, no evidence of additional pedals for the riff section. Settings estimated based on Load-era studio practices and genre. No chorus, delay, or modulation audible in riff section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate low endchunky rhythmminimal ambiencedry, focused attackbridge pickup claritypunchy, modern metal sound

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, consistent down-picking, precise palm muting, and tight rhythm synchronization, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

Metallica Amp Settings (2026): James Hetfield Tone and EQ Guide - Guitar Chalk How James Hetfield Gets That Iconic Metallica Guitar Tone! [Part 1]Metallica Amp Settings | Easy Guide

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