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Riff Tone
...And Justice for All
Metallica
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarESP MX220 'EET FUK' Explorer
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head (studio recording, 1988)
Amp Settings
gain9
bass6
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Notes
Studio recording for ...And Justice for All (1988). Main rhythm guitar by James Hetfield. No evidence of additional pedals or rack effects for riff tone; distortion from amp and active pickups.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsrazor-sharp attackhigh-gain saturationarticulate pick attackdry, minimal ambiencecrushing low endaggressive right-hand pickingcompressed, focused toneclear note separation
Difficulty
The riff section requires fast, precise alternate picking and palm muting at high speed, with complex rhythm changes and tight timing, making it challenging for most guitarists.
This tone has been researched 30 times by the community
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarESP MX220 'EET FUK' Explorer
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head (studio recording, 1988)
Amp Settings
gain9
bass6
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
This tone has been researched 30 times by the community
Notes
Studio recording for ...And Justice for All (1988). Main rhythm guitar by James Hetfield. No evidence of additional pedals or rack effects for riff tone; distortion from amp and active pickups.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsrazor-sharp attackhigh-gain saturationarticulate pick attackdry, minimal ambiencecrushing low endaggressive right-hand pickingcompressed, focused toneclear note separation
Difficulty
The riff section requires fast, precise alternate picking and palm muting at high speed, with complex rhythm changes and tight timing, making it challenging for most guitarists.