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Riff Tone
So What (Early Take, October 12th, 1990)
Metallica
Guitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarESP MX220 (aka 'Eet Fuk')
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio head, likely with Mesa 4x12 V30 cab)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
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Notes
Studio recording, October 1990, Black Album sessions. No evidence of pedals for rhythm/riff section; distortion from amp. All evidence points to direct amp tone with minimal/no effects for riff. No live rig or alternate guitars for this take.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate low endchunky rhythmminimal effectsstudio-pure directnesscrisp attackdry, focused sound
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, relentless down-picking and tight palm muting at a high tempo, demanding stamina and precision typical of Hetfield's rhythm style.
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarESP MX220 (aka 'Eet Fuk')
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio head, likely with Mesa 4x12 V30 cab)
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Studio recording, October 1990, Black Album sessions. No evidence of pedals for rhythm/riff section; distortion from amp. All evidence points to direct amp tone with minimal/no effects for riff. No live rig or alternate guitars for this take.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate low endchunky rhythmminimal effectsstudio-pure directnesscrisp attackdry, focused sound
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, relentless down-picking and tight palm muting at a high tempo, demanding stamina and precision typical of Hetfield's rhythm style.