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Seek & Destroy — Metallica1 / 2
Original RigYour Adaptation
GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence

Seek & Destroy Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica

Metallica · 1980s · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Gibson Flying V (1979, white, stock pickups, Kirk Hammett borrowing James Hetfield's guitar for solo)
Pickups
Stock Gibson humbuckers (late 70s Flying V, likely T-Top humbuckers)
Amp
Marshall Super Lead (modded, James Hetfield's amp, hot-rodded by L.A. tech, used by Kirk Hammett for solo)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, 1983, Kirk Hammett played the solo on James Hetfield's white Flying V through Hetfield's modded Marshall Super Lead. No evidence of pedals used for the solo in the studio. No evidence of effects loop or additional rack effects. All sources point to direct guitar-to-amp setup for the solo.

Amp Settings

Mids
3
Bass
5.5
Gain
7.5
Reverb
0
Treble
7.5
Presence
6

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Tone Character

  • tight and percussive
  • scooped mids
  • aggressive high-gain saturation
  • bright and cutting
  • singing sustain
  • articulate single-note clarity
  • minimal ambience
  • raw and punchy
  • fast attack
  • classic early thrash metal lead sound

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct studio documentation of amp knob settings; values estimated based on typical Marshall Super Lead settings for early 80s thrash metal and forum user approximations.
  • ⚠️No evidence of pedals or effects used in the solo section on the original recording; all effects omitted except amp distortion.
  • ⚠️Pickup model inferred from era and guitar model; no explicit documentation of pickup swap.
  • ⚠️Settings are averaged from user forum suggestions and typical genre/amp use; not from official studio notes.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Kirk Hammett's 'Seek & Destroy' solo tone is classic early 80s Metallica: high gain, scooped mids, tight bass, and bright treble/presence for cut, using a modded Marshall and Tube Screamer. The tone is dry, aggressive, and cutting, matching genre and era conventions.

Sources