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Solo Tone

Blackened

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

GuitarESP KH-2 (Kirk Hammett signature, 1987-88 era, likely with EMG 81/60 pickups)
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1988)

Amp Settings

gain8.5
bass5.5

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Effects & Signal Chain

Notes

Studio recording for '...And Justice for All' (1988). Kirk Hammett's solo tone was achieved with his ESP KH-2 loaded with EMG 81 pickups into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head. Wah pedal is clearly audible in the solo. No evidence of additional pedals or rack effects for this solo beyond wah. No chorus, delay, or reverb effects are audible or documented for the solo section.

Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutingsinging sustainsharp, biting treblearticulate note separationhigh-gain saturationwah sweep in solofast attackfocused low end

Difficulty

The solo requires advanced picking speed, precise wah pedal use, and complex phrasing with rapid position shifts, making it highly challenging for most players.

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