Sound Like Metallica Without Busting the Bank!

History of the Metallica “Sound”

1981-1991

Growing a loyal fan base with their raw-sounding, thrashy early releases Kill ‘Em All (1981) and Ride the Lightning (1984), Metallica entered more progressive territory in the second half of the ’80s with Master of Puppets (1986) and particularly …And Justice for All (1988), the latter of which boasted super-complex arrangements and highly-technical instrumentation.

With every album maturing as the band became more experimental with their songwriting, their critically-acclaimed self-titled record, otherwise known as the Black Album (1991), is where the band peaked commercially. Featuring a number of their signature songs, including “Enter Sandman”, “Nothing Else Matters” and “Sad But True”, producer Bob Rock’s influence proved vital to the album’s overall success, with simpler song structures and catchy anthemic choruses.

1996-2003

After 3 years of rigorous touring in support of their self-titled album, Metallica took what proved to be their most diverse turn in musical direction with Load (1996) and ReLoad (1997). Going for a more alternative hard rock sound, this divisive double release received backlash from some older fans, feeling that the band had “sold out” to remain relevant to a generic audience.

After the cover album Garage Inc. (1998) and the orchestra-backed live record S&M (1999), the aggressive-sounding St. Anger (2003) was the long-awaited follow-up to ReLoad. Also released to poor reviews, Metallica’s fans struggled to accept the band’s new and edgier drop-tuned style – as well as the notable lack of guitar solos.

2008-Present

Choosing to tour extensively after the lows of St. Anger in order to resolve the turmoil within the group, Death Magnetic (2008) and Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2016) were both considered a return to form for Metallica. Resurrecting their older, thrashier sound; Metallica still draws huge audiences and listeners after all of these years.

With such a huge back catalogue, trying to nail the Metallica sound is not an easy task. However, Rabea and Matt tried their utmost to emulate some of the band’s most notorious tones using a rig that costs less than £1500!

Metallica’s Guitars

Both James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett have used a variety of instruments in their careers, as you’d expect from their long history. From Gibson guitars in the early days to custom-built Ken Lawrences, the band’s guitarists are perhaps most synonymous with ESP. With both Hetfield and Hammett having a number of signature models made for them since the early ’90s, let’s take a closer look at their preferences when it comes to guitars and pickups.

ESP James Hetfield Signature Guitars

Papa Het is often associated with the Explorer shape, debuting a white Gibson during the Ride the Lightning tour. ESP later produced copies of this distinctive design (the EXP/MX series’), which Hetfield popularised with frequent use in music videos and live performances from the …And Justice for All era onwards.

James is also known to use LP-shaped guitars too, with his signature ESP Truckster taking on the aesthetic of the Japanese company’s Eclipse singlecut model – with a distinctive sanded paint finish. The Iron Cross version boasts a similar hot-rodded style, with a racing stripe on the body and a metal cross plate embellishment next to the tailpiece:

Today, however, Hetfield’s flagship signature guitar is the Snakebyte (picture below). Taking on the vibe of his older EXP/MX models, the Snakebyte has a more modern twist with its sculpted lower bout and sharpened corners on the lower horn of the body and the headstock:

EMG James Hetfield Signature Pickups

The EMG 81/60 pickup combination was a mainstay for Hetfield until a few years ago. Using an active design, Metallica’s James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett were among the first artists to be endorsed by EMG, relying upon their pickup creations since Master of Puppets. Recently, EMG collaborated with Hetfield to design the ‘Het Set’. Deriving closely from his classic 81/60 humbucker pairing, these pickups have more potent mids and a wider dynamic range – allowing for greater articulation and clarity.

Epiphone Explorer Guitars

With Matt responsible for picking out a Hetfield-esque guitar, the Epiphone 1984 Explorer EX that he chose was spot-on considering its price-point. Closely resembling James’ ESP Explorers from the self-titled album era with its stealthy all-black aesthetic, the key ingredient of this guitar is its EMG 81/85 pickup set.

Coming as standard, these pickups excel with high-gain distortion, with the saturated sound of the 81 bridge humbucker giving you that unmistakable chunky rhythm tone. The 85 in the neck isn’t totally dissimilar to the 60 that Hetfield used to use. Offering a smooth low-end and a cutting presence that sings when used with chorus-laden clean settings, this pickup is also ideal for the lead parts that Hetfield plays in “Nothing Else Matters”, “Orion” and “Master of Puppets”.

Featuring an all-Mahogany construction with a set neck, these dark-sounding tonewoods are what give Hetfield’s signature sound such an engulfing low-end and definitive punch. The neck is also adorned with a smooth-feeling Rosewood fingerboard, allowing you to move up and down the neck with ease for fast, intricate riffs. The 1984 Explorer EX is now discontinued, but alternative Epiphone Designer guitars feature a similar spec.

ESP Kirk Hammett Signature Guitars

Much like James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett has relied on his ESP workhorses for decades while in Metallica. Opting for the Superstrat-style M-II instruments around the time of the Black Album, this model later inspired Kirk’s KH-2 signature guitar. Featuring a Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo system, EMG 81/85 pickups, and the idiosyncratic skull and crossbone inlays – the KH-2 has remained Hammett’s flagship signature instrument since the early ’90s.

The ‘Caution Hot’ version is his most identifiable iteration, however Kirk is also known for featuring ’30s and ’40s horror movie poster graphics on his KH-2 guitars. The most notable of these is the ‘Boris Karloff Mummy’ KH-2, an ESP Custom Shop one-off, however the ‘White Zombie’ is a mass-produced and affordable LTD variant:

Hammett also previously had a KH-3 signature instrument, a model that he used extensively in the Load and Reload tours. Following a singlecut design much like Hetfield’s Truckster guitars, the KH-3 featured a flat top and included a gothic-style spider web graphic on the body. The JH-1 was another early signature model, however these weren’t produced in large numbers and are considered rare and collectible today. Following a traditional Flying V design, this instrument featured a single EMG 81 bridge pickup and a Floyd Rose tremolo system.

EMG Kirk Hammett Signature Pickups

Jackson Dinky Guitars

Rabea was tasked with finding a suitable guitar that resembled Kirk Hammett’s signature ESPs, in terms of construction and features. He ultimately settled on an EMG-loaded Jackson DK2RMG-M (now discontinued) model, which sported an active set of EMG 81/85 pickups, a licensed Floyd Rose tremolo and a reversed headstock, much like the KH-2:

Despite getting close, the DK2’s Maple fretboard doesn’t give you that whole KH-2 vibe, and Hammett has preferred to use instruments with a neck-through construction opposed to a bolt-on. If you want something practically identical, it may be worth checking out the LTD KH-602, which is Kirk’s far eastern-made signature model.

With all of the essential features of its Japanese-made ESP counterpart, the KH-602 is a fantastic option for the Kirk Hammett fan looking to emulate their hero without spending a huge amount. The LTD KH-202 is an even cheaper alternative, although it features ESP-designed pickups rather than the higher-quality EMGs.

Metallica’s Amps

Despite adjusting their sound a number of times over the years, Mesa/Boogie amplifiers have been a Metallica mainstay. Using the legendary Mark IIC+ heads for the recording sessions of Master of Puppets and …And Justice for All, these amps could achieve a tight and saturated distortion – ultimately pioneering the signature Metallica sound. Hetfield and Hammett later used Rectifiers in the ’90s for an even bigger and more modern timbre, and the duo has since experimented with alternative setups since.

James Hetfield

Hetfield currently relies on Mesa TriAxis preamps, paired with Simul-Class 2:90 power amps. Apart from their Boogies, Hetfield has also been known to use Diezel VH4 amplifiers, which became his main source of tone for the recording of St. Anger:

The Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus is another noteworthy element of the Metallica sound, which is James’ exclusive clean tone amp. With a solid-state design, this amplifier has a pristine, high-headroom jangle with a super-sweet chorus circuit built in, based on Boss’ legendary CE-1 pedal. If you love the angelic clean tone at the beginning of “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”, the Jazz Chorus is the answer to that glorious sound.

To meet these tonal requirements, Matt therefore tried to ensure that he picked an amp that could provide the best of both worlds.

Egnater Tweaker 40W 1×12 Combo

Renowned for its versatility, the Egnater Tweaker 40W 1×12 combo is a popular choice in the ‘Sound Like’ series. With a valve-powered design, this amplifier is revered for its authentic tones and immense tweaking options, hence its name!

Boasting 2 channels and a raft of voicing switches, you can tailor your tone to the very finest of detail with this flexible amplifier. Also featuring an essential 3-band EQ that gives you that familiar control layout, the Tweaker 40 has a vibrant clean sound that can stretch to aggressive high-gain via its dedicated distortion channel. Matt used both channels to great effect in the video, demonstrating what great value-for-money the Tweaker 40 is.

Andertons Music Co. no longer stocks Egnater amplifiers, but you can browse our entire selection or guitar amps here.

Kirk Hammett

Despite using Mesa/Boogie amplifiers previously for many years, Hammett currently has a signature line of amplifiers with Randall. Their flagship model is the K103, a sophisticated 120W 3-channel head that has voicing mode switches and EQ sections for each channel, as well as two tube-driven effects loops and MIDI enability.

Fender Bassbreaker 15 1×12 Combo

Attempting to find an amplifier with such an impressive amount of features at a low price is nearly impossible. That’s why Rabea made the decision to find an amplifier that could serve as a fantastic platform for effects pedals; ultimately settling on the Fender Bassbreaker 15. Tube-powered much like the Egnater, Fender amps are well-known for their big, luscious clean tones, which was evident in the “One” excerpt in particular:

Despite this amplifier only having 15W of headroom, it is still incredibly loud and punchy, remaining relatively clean even at high volumes. If you’re keen to play live, Fender Bassbreaker amps won’t struggle against a hard-hitting drummer. However, if you really want to retain a purer sound, the more powerful 45W version will pump out greater volume – especially with its two 12” speakers.

Metallica's Pedals

Metallica aren’t distinguished for using pedals to achieve their core tones. James Hetfield has famously stated that he prefers the direct distorted tone from an amplifier, as opposed to relying on pedals. Having said that, back in Metallica’s heyday, distortion pedals were nowhere near as advanced as they are today – with only a handful of options available.

MXR 5150 EVH Signature Overdrive

With many companies producing advanced, flexible stompboxes that can closely imitate the tones of distorted valve amp, Rabea chose a great contender to stay within budget. Using the MXR 5150 Overdrive, this high-gain pedal has the essential features that you’d typically find on a genuine amp channel:

The MXR is based on the EVH 5150 amplifier, an iconic head that has been used by a countless amount of metal bands over the years. Adored for its scooped and dynamic high-gain tone, the 5150 Overdrive encompasses that distinctive sound, and with a powerful 3-band EQ section you can ensure that it sounds good into almost any amplifier.

With a built-in boost circuit too, you can really tighten up the overall sound of the pedal, akin to when you place a Tubescreamer-style stompbox in front of a distorted amp. The 5150 Overdrive’s noise gate is another thoughtful addition, eliminating the frustrating hiss that can occur when running an ultra-hot amplifier.

MXR Analog Chorus & Tone City Angel Wing

As previously mentioned, the Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus solid-state amp is the main source for Metallica’s clean tones, both live and in the studio. To emulate its beautiful, washy chorus effect, Matt and Rabea chose a chorus pedal each, with the desire to closely imitate the JC-120’s wonderful sound.

Matt went for the popular MXR Analog Chorus pedal, which uses an old-school bucket-brigade circuit much like the original Boss CE-1 units. This gives you a bold yet warm chorus sound, and features all of the key controls you’d expect to find, as well as two EQ controls that allow you to boost/cut the lows and highs.

Rabea went for a more affordable candidate to keep below the £1500 threshold for his rig, but the Tone City Angel Wing is by no means a cheap-sounding pedal. Although it doesn’t have the same level of flexibility as its MXR counterpart, the Angel Wing delivers that unmistakable analogue tone for around £40!

Jim Dunlop CBM95 Cry Baby Mini Wah

Kirk Hammett is a borderline wah addict. Once quipping that he’d need to have his foot cut off to stop him from using his wah pedal, Kirk employs this effect in many of his pentatonic-based guitar solos. With his Jimi Hendrix influence evident, Hammett uses wah in a heavier context to not only achieve a screaming lead tone, but to also allow his playing to cut through in frantic mixes.

Hammett has his own Jim Dunlop KH95 Signature Wah pedal, however it is more expensive than most standard wahs. That’s why Rabea opted for the CBM95 Cry Baby Mini, a highly-compact version of Dunlop’s flagship GCB95 wah model. Giving you a wide sweep despite its tiny footprint, this pedal has an internal voicing switch that adjusts its spectrum, letting you attain crazy highs much like Hammett’s very own custom wah.

Do you think Rabea & Matt got close to the Metallica sound? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!

If you’re interested in finding out how to achieve the tones of your favourite artists, check out more of our Sound Like articles by clicking here.