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Atlas, Rise! — Metallica1 / 2
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Atlas, Rise! Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica

Metallica · 2010s+ · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
ESP Iron Cross (James Hetfield signature, used on Hardwired... To Self-Destruct sessions)
Pickups
EMG JH Het Set active humbuckers
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (primary rhythm amp for Hardwired... To Self-Destruct studio recording)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, 2016. Rhythm section. Hetfield's main rhythm guitar and amp for the album. No evidence of pedal use for riff section; high-gain amp tone. No live Fractal/Axe-FX or touring gear included.

Amp Settings

Mids
4.5
Bass
6
Gain
8
Reverb
0
Treble
7
Presence
6.5

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Tone Character

  • tight and percussive
  • aggressive palm muting
  • scooped but present mids
  • high-gain saturation
  • articulate attack
  • modern metal clarity
  • punchy low end
  • crisp high end
  • minimal ambience
  • focused and dry

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No explicit amp knob settings found in sources; settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ use for Metallica rhythm tones in the 2010s.
  • ⚠️No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; Metallica's rhythm tones are typically amp-only in the studio.
  • ⚠️No explicit mention of effects in the riff section; reverb set to 0 as per Metallica's dry rhythm tone tradition.
  • ⚠️Guitar and amp models confirmed for Hardwired... To Self-Destruct sessions, but not for every song section—this is the most probable setup for the riff.
  • ⚠️If new evidence of pedal or effect use for the riff emerges, settings should be updated.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Atlas, Rise! uses a modern Metallica rhythm tone: high gain, tight low end, scooped mids, and bright, cutting treble/presence. The tone is dry and punchy with little to no reverb, consistent with their post-2000s production and typical Mesa/Diezel amp settings.

Sources