GuitarDistortedRiff
King Nothing (Remastered) Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica
Metallica · 1990s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP MX-220 (Hetfield's custom Explorer-style, likely with EMG 81/60 pickups)
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (Rackmount, early 1990s version, used for rhythm on Load/Reload era)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1995-1996 (Load sessions); James Hetfield's rhythm tone for 'King Nothing' riff. No evidence of pedal use for main rhythm tone; amp distortion. No clear evidence of effects loop or additional rack effects for riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids4
Bass6
Gain7.5
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence6.5
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- scooped mids
- aggressive palm muting
- high-gain saturation
- chunky and metallic attack
- articulate low end
- clear note separation
- minimal ambience
- dry and focused
- modern metal rhythm