GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
The Unforgiven II Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Metallica
Metallica · 1990s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP MX-250 (Hetfield's main guitar for heavy parts on Reload era)
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge), EMG 60 (neck) active humbuckers
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier 150W Solo Head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1997. For the heavy/distorted riff sections, Hetfield used his ESP MX-250 with EMG pickups into a Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier. Clean/intro parts used a Telecaster and Roland JC-120, but NOT for the heavy riff. No evidence of pedals in the heavy rhythm chain; distortion from amp. No evidence of additional effects in the riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids4
Bass6
Gain7.5
Reverb1.5
Treble6.5
Presence6
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- scooped mids
- aggressive palm muting
- high-gain saturation
- chunky, articulate chugs
- modern metal clarity
- fast attack
- low noise floor
- crisp, defined power chords
- slight room ambience
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source lists exact amp knob settings for 'The Unforgiven II' riff; settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier use for Metallica in the 1990s and genre conventions.
- No evidence of pedals or additional effects in the heavy riff section; all distortion from amp.
- Intro/clean sections use different guitar/amp (Telecaster + Roland JC-120), not relevant for this riff.
- If alternate sources emerge with different amp or pedal info for THIS song's riff, settings may need revision.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. For 'The Unforgiven II' riff, Metallica used a high-gain, scooped-mid tone typical of their late 90s era, likely with Mesa/Boogie amps. The tone is saturated but not as extreme as 'Master of Puppets,' with tight low end, slightly boosted treble/presence for clarity, and minimal reverb for a dry, punchy sound.