GuitarDistortedRiff
...And Justice for All Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica
Metallica · 1980s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP MX220 'EET FUK' Explorer
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge), EMG 60 (neck) active humbuckers
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup (EMG 81)
Studio recording, 1988. Main rhythm guitar for riff sections tracked by James Hetfield. No evidence of pedals in the signal chain for the riff tone; distortion from amp. Settings estimated based on genre, amp, and era due to lack of direct numeric data.
Amp Settings
Mids3.5
Bass6
Gain8.5
Reverb0
Treble7.5
Presence6.5
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- scooped mids
- razor-sharp palm-muted chugs
- dry and compressed
- high-gain saturation
- aggressive pick attack
- minimal ambience
- crisp and biting top end
- focused low end
- articulate and clear
Tone Story / Why This Tone Works
studio