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Riff Tone
Fade to Black
Metallica
Guitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson 1969 Les Paul Custom (James Hetfield, studio recording)
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1984)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5.5
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Notes
Studio recording for 'Fade to Black' (1984, Ride the Lightning). Clean intro/riff section. Not the live rig or later EMG-equipped guitars. No evidence of pedal use for clean tone; amp reverb likely used.
Tone Character(10)
bright and sparklingwarm and roundedarticulate and clearslightly compressedstudio-polishedgentle reverb taildynamic and touch-sensitivefull-bodied lowsnot brittle or thinclassic 1980s clean
Difficulty
The clean riff requires precise arpeggiated picking, smooth chord changes, and dynamic control to maintain clarity and avoid string noise, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast tempo.
This tone has been researched 11 times by the community
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1980s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson 1969 Les Paul Custom (James Hetfield, studio recording)
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1984)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5.5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
This tone has been researched 11 times by the community
Notes
Studio recording for 'Fade to Black' (1984, Ride the Lightning). Clean intro/riff section. Not the live rig or later EMG-equipped guitars. No evidence of pedal use for clean tone; amp reverb likely used.
Tone Character(10)
bright and sparklingwarm and roundedarticulate and clearslightly compressedstudio-polishedgentle reverb taildynamic and touch-sensitivefull-bodied lowsnot brittle or thinclassic 1980s clean
Difficulty
The clean riff requires precise arpeggiated picking, smooth chord changes, and dynamic control to maintain clarity and avoid string noise, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast tempo.