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Riff Tone
Broken, Beat & Scarred
Metallica
Guitarmetal2000s
Original Gear
GuitarESP Iron Cross (James Hetfield signature, used on Death Magnetic sessions)
AmpDiezel VH4 (primary rhythm amp for Death Magnetic era, studio recording)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
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Notes
Studio recording, 2008, Death Magnetic sessions. Rhythm guitar for riff section. Mesa/Boogie amps also used in blend, but Diezel VH4 is primary for riff tone per tech interviews. No evidence of pedals in studio chain for riff section.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate low endcrunchy attackclear note separationmodern metal clarityminimal ambiencefocused and dry
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, consistent alternate picking with tight palm muting and precise rhythm, making it challenging for most players.
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal2000s
Original Gear
GuitarESP Iron Cross (James Hetfield signature, used on Death Magnetic sessions)
AmpDiezel VH4 (primary rhythm amp for Death Magnetic era, studio recording)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Studio recording, 2008, Death Magnetic sessions. Rhythm guitar for riff section. Mesa/Boogie amps also used in blend, but Diezel VH4 is primary for riff tone per tech interviews. No evidence of pedals in studio chain for riff section.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate low endcrunchy attackclear note separationmodern metal clarityminimal ambiencefocused and dry
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, consistent alternate picking with tight palm muting and precise rhythm, making it challenging for most players.