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Riff Tone

Blackened

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP MX220 'EET FUK' Explorer
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head (studio recording, 1988)

Amp Settings

gain8
bass5

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Effects & Signal Chain

Notes

Studio recording for '...And Justice for All' (1988); James Hetfield rhythm guitar; confirmed use of ESP MX220 'EET FUK' with EMG 81 bridge pickup and Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amp. ADA MP-1 and Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp also present in rack, but Mark IIC+ is primary for rhythm. No evidence of live/tour gear or alternate guitars for this section.

Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationrazor-sharp clarityarticulate note separationdry, minimal ambiencefocused low endfast attackcompressed, controlled dynamics

Difficulty

The riff requires advanced right-hand stamina for relentless downpicking at high speed, precise palm muting for clarity, and tight synchronization with complex rhythmic patterns, making it very challenging for most players.

This tone has been researched 44 times by the community

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