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Riff Tone
Wherever I May Roam
Metallica
Guitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' (James Hetfield's main guitar for The Black Album sessions)
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Simulclass Head
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
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Notes
Studio recording, 1991. Rhythm riff section. Guitar and amp confirmed by James Hetfield in Guitar World interview. No evidence of pedals or effects used for the main riff tone; direct into amp for rhythm. No live/touring substitutions included.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate note separationcrushing low endrazor-sharp clarityminimal ambiencefocused and drypowerful attack
Difficulty
The riff requires tight palm muting, precise right-hand technique, and fast alternate picking with accurate timing, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.
This tone has been researched 26 times by the community
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' (James Hetfield's main guitar for The Black Album sessions)
AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Simulclass Head
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
This tone has been researched 26 times by the community
Notes
Studio recording, 1991. Rhythm riff section. Guitar and amp confirmed by James Hetfield in Guitar World interview. No evidence of pedals or effects used for the main riff tone; direct into amp for rhythm. No live/touring substitutions included.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate note separationcrushing low endrazor-sharp clarityminimal ambiencefocused and drypowerful attack
Difficulty
The riff requires tight palm muting, precise right-hand technique, and fast alternate picking with accurate timing, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.