GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
All Within My Hands Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica
Metallica · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP MX-250 (Hetfield's custom Explorer-style, likely with EMG 81/60 pickups)
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge), EMG 60 (neck) active humbuckers
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier Solo Head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup (EMG 81)
Studio recording, 2002-2003 (St. Anger album). No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for the original studio riff section. No pedalboard or effects chain confirmed for this song's studio rhythm tone.
Amp Settings
Mids4
Bass6
Gain8.5
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence6.5
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- scooped mids
- aggressive palm muting
- high-gain saturation
- chunky low end
- articulate pick attack
- dry, unprocessed sound
- minimal ambience
- modern metal clarity
Notes & Caveats
- No source provides exact knob settings for 'All Within My Hands' studio riff section; amp settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier usage for Metallica in the St. Anger era.
- No evidence of pedals or effects used on the studio rhythm tone for this song; Metallica's St. Anger-era rhythm tones are known for being dry and unprocessed.
- No direct confirmation of pickup selector position, but Metallica rhythm tones are almost always bridge pickup (EMG 81) for Hetfield.
- No evidence of amp reverb or time-based effects on the original studio recording; settings reflect this.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. This is a late 'St. Anger' era Metallica tone: extremely high gain, tight low end, heavily scooped mids, and biting treble/presence for aggression and clarity. The production is very dry with no audible reverb, matching the album's raw, unpolished aesthetic.