GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Motorbreath Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica
Metallica · 1980s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Flying V (1979, likely stock pickups)
Pickups
Stock Gibson humbuckers (late 70s, likely T-Top or Dirty Fingers)
Amp
Marshall JMP 1959 Mk II Super Lead 100w (1976-77)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1983. Gear confirmed for Kill 'Em All sessions. No evidence of live or post-album gear for this solo. Wah pedal used for solos on Kill 'Em All era. No evidence of other pedals or effects for this solo.
Amp Settings
Mids4
Bass5.5
Gain8
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence6
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- aggressive and biting
- scooped mids
- high-gain saturation
- articulate note separation
- minimal ambience
- raw and uncompressed
- fast attack
- bright and cutting
- classic early thrash metal
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source for exact amp knob settings; values estimated based on typical Marshall JMP settings for early 80s thrash metal and genre/era conventions.
- No evidence of delay, chorus, flanger, or reverb on the solo; solo is dry and direct.
- Wah pedal is confirmed for Kill 'Em All solos, but not every solo; for 'Motorbreath' solo, wah is not audibly present.
- Guitar model and amp are confirmed for Kill 'Em All sessions, but pickup model is inferred from era and typical Flying V specs.
- No evidence of effects loop or amp-based effects used.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Motorbreath was recorded in 1983 with James Hetfield using a modded Marshall and a very dry, scooped, aggressive thrash tone: high gain, tight bass, heavily scooped mids, biting treble, and no reverb, matching early Metallica's signature sound.