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Nothing Else Matters — Metallica1 / 2
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Nothing Else Matters Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica

Metallica · 1990s · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
ESP MX220 (custom, black finish, likely with EMG 81 in bridge and EMG 60 in neck)
Pickups
EMG 60 (neck, active humbucker)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1990-1991 Black Album sessions)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup (EMG 60)

Studio recording, 1990-1991. Clean intro/riff section. No acoustic guitar used on the studio recording despite common belief. Guitar is likely the ESP MX220 with EMG 60 in neck position. Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amp used for cleans. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section.

Amp Settings

Mids
4.5
Bass
6
Gain
0
Reverb
3
Treble
7
Presence
5.5

Effects Chain

  • Chorus pedal (model unknown) · chorus

ESP MX220 (EMG 60 neck) → Chorus pedal (model unknown) → Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (spring reverb on)

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Tone Character

  • warm and round
  • full-bodied clean
  • slightly compressed
  • not brittle or harsh
  • smooth neck pickup tone
  • subtle chorus shimmer
  • touch of spring reverb
  • articulate and dynamic
  • studio-polished
  • clear note separation

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
  • ⚠️No official studio amp knob settings found; values estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ clean settings for this era and genre.
  • ⚠️No explicit mention of chorus pedal or effect model; subtle chorus is audible in the recording but may be from rack or studio processing.
  • ⚠️No evidence of acoustic guitar on the studio recording; confirmed by multiple fan and forum discussions.
  • ⚠️Pedal/effect models not specified in sources; chorus and reverb are inferred from audio and forum consensus.
  • ⚠️Pickup choice inferred from Hetfield's typical clean setup and tone characteristics.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The riff section of 'Nothing Else Matters' uses a moderately crunchy, slightly scooped tone typical of Metallica's early 90s clean/crunch sound, likely from a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ with moderate gain, tight bass, scooped mids, and clear highs, with minimal reverb as per Bob Rock's dry production style.

Sources