How to Get the Metallica Guitar Tone (Hetfield & Hammett)

Metallica's rhythm tone is one of the most copied in metal: tight, aggressive and scooped, from Master of Puppets to the Black Album. Here's how to get it.

The key ingredients

• Guitar: humbucker-loaded guitars (ESP), often with active pickups.
• Amp: a high-gain Mesa/Boogie for rhythm; a Marshall-flavour for leads.
• EQ: scooped mids for rhythm, but not too much or you disappear in a mix.
• Technique: tight palm muting and picking define the sound as much as the gear.

The fastest way

Load band-accurate metal guitar presets for Kemper, Helix, Quad Cortex, ToneX and more — Puppets rhythm and Black Album leads ready to play.

FAQ

What amp does James Hetfield use? Mesa/Boogie Mark and Rectifier amps are central to the Metallica rhythm sound.

Should I scoop the mids? A little for the classic tone — but keep enough mids to cut through a band mix.