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One — Metallica1 / 2
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One Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica

Metallica · 1980s · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
ESP MX220 (custom, black finish, likely with EMG 81 bridge pickup)
Pickups
EMG 81 active humbucker (bridge position, likely for clean intro/verse)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 1988)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording for '...And Justice for All' (1988). Clean sections likely used the EMG 81 bridge pickup on the ESP MX220 through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amp. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for the clean section. Settings and effects are based on forum-reported attempts to match the studio tone and audible effects in the recording.

Amp Settings

Mids
3.5
Bass
6
Gain
0
Reverb
2.5
Treble
8.5
Presence
5.5

Effects Chain

  • Line 6 Compressor (model unknown) · compression
  • Chorus pedal (model unknown, Sine Chorus in forum example) · chorus
  • Analog Delay pedal (model unknown) · delay

ESP MX220 (EMG 81 bridge) → Compressor → Chorus → Analog Delay → Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (hall reverb)

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Tone Character

  • crystal-clear and pristine
  • bright and articulate
  • slightly scooped mids
  • chorus shimmer
  • large hall reverb tail
  • tight, noise-free attack
  • bell-like note separation
  • active pickup clarity
  • studio-polished clean
  • no breakup or overdrive

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
  • ⚠️No official studio session documentation for exact clean section gear/settings; guitar and amp inferred from era and multiple sources.
  • ⚠️Amp settings are converted from forum percentages to 0-10 scale and averaged for realism.
  • ⚠️Chorus, delay, and reverb effects are included due to clear audibility in the recording and forum user settings, but specific pedal/amp models are not confirmed.
  • ⚠️Pickup position is inferred from typical Hetfield usage and tone clarity; some sources suggest neck pickup, but bridge EMG 81 is most likely for this era and sound.
  • ⚠️Presence setting is estimated based on typical Mark IIC+ clean settings for this genre/era.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'One' solo tone is classic late-80s Metallica: high gain but not maxed, tight low end, heavily scooped mids, bright and cutting treble, and plenty of presence for clarity. The tone is very dry, with reverb added only in the mix if at all, matching Hetfield/Hammett's typical Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ settings from the Justice era.

Sources