Riff Tone

Wherever I May Roam

Metallica

Guitarmetal1990s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' (James Hetfield's main guitar for The Black Album sessions)

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Simulclass Head

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

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid3.5

treble7

reverb0

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1991. Rhythm riff section. Guitar and amp confirmed by James Hetfield in Guitar World interview. No evidence of pedals or effects used for the main riff tone; direct into amp for rhythm. No live/touring substitutions included.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate note separationcrushing low endrazor-sharp clarityminimal ambiencefocused and drypowerful attack

Difficulty

The riff requires tight palm muting, precise right-hand technique, and fast alternate picking with accurate timing, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

Metallica reveal The Black Album's deepest, darkest secrets | Guitar World

This tone has been researched 28 times by the community

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