GuitarDistortedRiff
That Was Just Your Life Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica
Metallica · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP MX-250 (custom, black, with EMG 81 bridge pickup)
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio recording, 2008)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'Death Magnetic' (2008); rhythm section by James Hetfield. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this riff. Amp is the Mark IIC+ (not Mark IV or JCM800 for this song/section).
Amp Settings
Mids3.5
Bass6
Gain8.5
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence6.5
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- scooped mids
- aggressive palm muting
- high-gain saturation
- articulate low end
- razor-sharp pick attack
- compressed and focused
- modern thrash metal clarity
- dry, minimal ambience
- chunky rhythm attack