GuitarDistortedRiff
Harvester of Sorrow Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica
Metallica · 1980s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' (1987) Explorer-style
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge), EMG 60 (neck) active humbuckers
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1988)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for '...And Justice for All' (1988). James Hetfield's main rhythm guitar for the album was the ESP MX220 'Eet Fuk' with EMG 81 in the bridge, into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head. No evidence of pedals or effects used for the riff section; tone is direct, dry, and tight. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and amp model due to lack of explicit numeric data.
Amp Settings
Mids4
Bass6
Gain8
Reverb0
Treble7.5
Presence6.5
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- scooped mids
- aggressive palm muting
- high-gain saturation
- dry and compressed
- razor-sharp attack
- articulate low end
- minimal ambience
- crushing, metallic tone
- focused, controlled distortion