So the A string would become your low E, the D string your A, the G string your D, the B string your G, and the .013 E string your B. This guitar was originally equipped with Gibson Dirty Fingers pickups (496R/500T ), but sometime in the late 80s – presumably around 1987 when Kirk Hammett switched to EMGs as well – James took the pickups out and replaced them with the EMG 81/60 set. James used this guitar to record the intro on “The Unforgiven II” from the 1997 album “Reload”, and it was seen in the music video for the song. He’s also been using the guitar with man-to-wolf inlays live after not having used it for a long time, guessing he had it restored or something. The Don of Downpicking, James Hetfield, was something of a string snapper in Metallica’s garage days. The James Hetfield Snakebyte is coiled and ready to strike. Used mostly live for songs that required dropped tunings like “Frantic” and “Invisible Kid” from the 2003 album St. Anger. The unit is controlled by his tech but it allows James to get effects from older albums without going through a box full of effects. Also an Explorer made by Ken Lawrence out of the wood of a garage they used back in the Master of Puppet days with very fancy inlays. Just like his Electra Flying V, James restored his white Explorer and played it on “Death Magnetic” in 2008. UberProAudio is reader supported. 3 grand prize winners will get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fly to Metallica headquarters and hang with James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, an ESP LTD James Hetfield or Kirk Hammett signature guitar, a year's supply of Ernie Ball PARADIGM strings, and much more. Visit our Who Plays What section to see hundreds of famous musician's guitar, bass, and drum rigs or search the site: Seen the new Maxon Overdrive pedal? Welcome to ÜberProAudio - your definitive source for all things music gear. Used on “Kill ’em All” in combination with a modified Marshall. The guitar was pretty much a port over from James’ previous guitars, but few differences were present. So I don’t remember the signature amount were made and any idea of some left and what worth approx. It’s equipped with a pair of EMG HZ-707 passive  pickups, and a Tune-o-matic bridge. This guitar is heavily inspired by James’ 1973 Gibson Les Paul which he used extensively during St.Anger era. Greetings, tone hounds! James Hetfield does more than just provide the band Metallica with growling vocals - he is also the bands rythym guitarist. Oh boy..tell the virtuosos that use 9 (and lower) gauge strings that they are useless for tone and don't stay in tune live. In 2011 a white version with black hardware was also released, featuring identical specs. James used this guitar predominantly during the “Reload” tour, having another two nearly identical guitars as a backup. Though hopefully this puts to rest any 'you need this gauge to be good' bs. Appearently James using Jackson Randy Rhoad model.. could you please add that James is back using Jackson guitar. Heavy gauge strings (.013 to .053) add the finishing touch. La Bella Light stainless steel Double Ball end Guiatr strings 0.009-.046 S946. One is that sort of chronically in electric guitar string sets, there’s a much lighter gauge B-string than there ought to be. Purchase a chromatic guitar tuner. James’s first ESP, and one of this most recognizable guitars. After the amp was stolen prior to the recording of “Ride The Lightning”, James had to buy replacement Marshall JCM800 head and Marshall cabinets loaded with Celestion G12-65 speakers. Dunlop DEN1046 Nickel-plated Steel Electric Guitar Strings … The album also marks the introduction of Roland JC120 combos into James’ setup, used for the clean sound ever since. Click the gear images for more info & specs at Guitar Center and Amazon. 1982 - GIBSON COPY Flying V. 1984 - … and a custom shaped headstock. The string gauge is indicated by its thickness diameter. James Hetfield Metallica Gear Run by Chad Zaemisch, http://www.guitarscollector.com/1989—esp-mx-220–fuck-em-up-.html. Another James Hetfield signature model from ESP. He is proficient on the bass guitar, lead guitars, keyboards and drums. Handcrafted in the USA, this piece of wearable memorabilia features a recycled string donated by the musician of your choice. In case you want to talk to me privatly, please use the contact form and I will get back to you as soon as possible. ... locking tuners like on the higher end ESP models I.e. If you’re interested in his current live gig, be sure to watch Metallica Gear Run on YouTube. Dino used a technique called pyrography – a process of burning a design on the surface with a heated metallic point. James Hetfield's gear and equipment including the Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar and Shure SM7B Vocal Dynamic Microphone. The guitar is a mid 90s reissue of the 1952 Fender Telecaster, featuring ash body and maple neck. The guitar was officially released in 2008, and James used it often for live gigs ever since. For some reason the pilot decided to hover over the stage, which annoyed James. This guitar is essentially a twin sister to the previously mentioned Gibson Explorer. – Dunlop James Hetfield Black Fang 1.14mm – Used more often in the recent days. Around 2007, prior to the recording of Death Magnetic James started experimenting with Krank Krankenstein and Revolution 1 amps, which he ended up using on the album. and it’s plain to see why. AU $16.50. – TC Electronic G-Major 2 And no, not a house painter, but a real artist in his own right. This is the second James Hetfield signature model from ESP, released in 1998. As for the gauge, Malmsteen himself chimes in, “People have an illusion that heavy strings will give them more sustain—bulls**t,” he says. A thicker core will require more tension to get the string up to pitch. For changing string gauges or tunings: 1)Make a TRIANGLE shaped wood. It's odd to ever Imagine Hetfield using 9s, IIRC he uses 11-54s nowadays. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in a Los Angeles newspaper, searching for band mates. I’d like to discuss two terrific YouTube videos Rick Beato and Rhett Shull recently made regarding string gauges. (Dan), Lisbon on May, 01, 2019 There is a reason the old .010–.046 set is so widely used: This string set can work with the widest variety of guitars and tunings—especially with current production guitars that sport bigger frets than vintage axes. The only difference is the shape of the headstock, which was rather copied over from the standard ESP Eclipse model. Rest of the specs were transferred over from his earlier guitars, including EMG pickups and Tune-o-Matic bridge. Also seen briefly during the music video of  “Nothing Else Matters”. 49. By using UPA you agree to our use of cookies to deliver a better site experience. For changing string gauges or ... locking tuners like on the higher end ESP models I.e. Used for the unplugged show on MTV in 1998. The added mass is very minor compared to the change in tension. James bought this guitar in 1980 for $200, and it was his second electric guitar. Get it as soon as Thu, Dec 24. Heavier gauge strings are “heavier” because they are thicker and thicker because the core of the string is thicker. ESP kh-20 the blk n white 2009 limited run of ouijas some James hetfield trucksters n vulture ESP ... ESP only and the james hetfield esps jh-1 hot rod jh-3 eclipse 2 trucksters ESP only blk camo emg 81/60 and the hetfield … Playability, bending, vibrato. His first JH-2 has a 4M ninja star on the first fret, while the second guitar had diamond inlays across the whole fretboard. AU $17.95. James’ Les Paul Custom was made in 1973, and prior to James started using it, it was custom fitted with a pair of EMG 81/60 pickups with custom-made gold plated covers,  and Sperzel locking tuners. Click the gear images for more info & specs at Guitar Center and Amazon Guitars Stevie Ray Vaughan was known for using real thick gauges. The number you see is 1/1000 of an inch. . He bought it just prior to recording “And Justice For All”, and used it as his main axe during that period. Ernie Ball, the iconic maker of Slinky guitar strings and instrument accessories, has announced the launch of the Hetfield + Hammett Experience, a partnership with longtime Ernie Ball artists and legendary guitarists James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett that will grant three lucky winners the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hang with the guitarists at Metallica Headquarters in San Francisco, CA. Regarding the “Kill Bon Jovi” sticker, it originates from the 1987 Donington Monsters of Rock festival. We use a 13.5 and on a set of 9s it’s an 11 when I think it really should be a 12. All gauges are listed in thousandths of an inch, and range from .008 all the way to .56. James is a firm believer in wah pedals and selective signal filtering in general. James’ most recent guitar. Tune-o-Matic bridge, Gotoh tuners, and EMG 81/60 active pickups. The following are some of them that have been seen: - ESP LTD James Hetfield Snakebyte Electric Guitar, ESP LTD Iron Cross James Hetfield Signature Electric Guitar, ESP LTD Vulture Signature Series James Hetfield Electric Guitar, - ESP James Hetfield Truckster Electric Guitar Distressed Satin Black, - Gibson 1973 Les Paul Custom "Iron Cross" (ESP made a James Hetfield Iron Cross Signature), - ESP James Hetfield LTD Truckster Electric Guitar Aged Primer Gray. What started as a single sticker on the body reading “So Fucking What”, over the years became sort of a collage of various different stickers – among others, a mudflap woman, LA Raiders logo, and Wyoming’s Bucking Horse and Rider Logo. . One of the designs is inspired by the pick that James Hetfield uses on tour. Getting a Grin Again with The Ten-Gauge. So, what happened? His early sound was a result of using a Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ as preamp slaved into moded 100W Marshall JCM800 for the dirty tones, while using a Roland JC120 for cleans. The barbed wire extended on the fretboard as well, serving as inlay. Ernie Ball presents the “Hetfield + Hammett Experience” sweepstakes. They were all MX-250 models, which is largely similar to the older 220 model – except for the ebony fretboard instead of rosewood, and some minor differences in body and headstock shape. Click HERE to see Hetfield and Hammett talking about “The Experience.” Winners will also take home their choice of a Hetfield or Hammett Signature ESP Guitar as well as an Ernie Ball Prize Pack complete with their favorite gauge of SLINKY guitar strings and other prizes. GroundGuitar is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. – Dunlop Tortex .88mm – James’ main pick since the early days. String up your guitar with these Dunlop nickel-plated strings and you'll see why. The guitar was built by ESP and painted by Dino Muradian to feature an elk skull surrounded by barbed wire. All the hardware is gold-plated, including the pickup covers which were custom made by EMG to feature a metal top piece. Note: James has hundreds of guitars, in this section you can find the most used. Appreciate that Grim. – Load, Reload The guitar can be seen on Metallica’s instagram and some Metallica “The Night Before” material on their YouTube channel. James Hetfield:.009-.042 As you can see, a lot of the great players of our time have used some pretty everyday-player gauges. They are available in 3 gauges: .73 mm, .94 mm, and 1.14 mm. What about “Carl”, the wooden explorer out of the garage they used for multiple albums, Honestly his best guitar has to be the “kill bon jovi” model because of the sound and girth of the guitar. . James Hetfield does more than just provide the band Metallica with growling vocals - he is also the bands rythym guitarist. For Master of Puppets both James and Kirk started using Mesa Boogie amps. The MX220 with the Oakland Raiders sticker (the “FUK EM UP” one) , is actually not black at all. Both of the guitars have mahogany bodies, and maple necks with rosewood fingerboards. It was most likely brand new. Arrives before Christmas. It’s grey with a purple-ish hue to it. James bought this guitar from a friend from high school who played with him in the school’s jazz band. This amp was also later modified by Ken Fischer to allow bypassing the preamp. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. His sound is more result of his amp setup, and the use of an EQ. We interview and research famous musician's and show you the gear and equipment in their guitar rigs. I’ll try to dig up the interview online and add the quote to the page. – ProCo Rat Distortion pedal – Master of Puppets This guitar was custom-made by Ken Lawrence in 1996. For a more in-depth look into James’ setup and technique be sure to pick up The Art of James Hetfield book co-written by James Himself. The 250 model wasn’t released until 1990 as far as we know, so this was probably some kind of a prototype/crossover between the two models. And the reason for that is, you know, as a lead guitar player, I need to be able to like bend out the light strings. The guitar features mahogany body and neck with rosewood fingerboard, and matte black finish with artificial wear added to it. shipping: + AU $29.00 shipping. Partial list of guitar players who use "wimpy" 9 gauge strings: Jimi Hendrix Ed Van Halen James Hetfield BB King Carlos Santana And how about even wimpier 8 gauge: Tony Iommi Jimmy Page Eric Clapton Billy Gibbons Peter Frampton Now that's certainly a laundry list of thin, crappy tone. Malmsteen actually uses an 8 for his high E. Petrucci goes back and forth between heavy bottom 9s and 10s depending on the year. His mother helped him out with the payment, which was around $200. “ To have artists like Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield trust our strings for over 35 years is something the Ernie Ball family is incredibly thankful and proud of. Early on in rock history, flatwounds were all there were. Guitar packs are numbered from the thinnest string (.08 /.08 / .010 0.11) to the thickest. The metal logo headstock and fretboard snake inlay warn all who approach to tread lightly or be infected from an extremely heavy bite. As far as his gear goes, James started out with a relatively cheap Gibson Flying V copy which he used on Metallica’s debut album “Kill ’em All”, but soon replaced it with a couple of white 1984 Gibson Explorers that served him well for the next two albums. Contest runs September 7 through October 31, 2017. The guitar features see-thru black cherry finish on a mahogany body with figured maple top,  and the neck is a 7-string featuring rosewood fingerboard. He also enclosed his Marshall cabinets with foam and blankets to cancel out the unwanted frequencies. Martin Authentic Acoustic MA175 Custom-Light-Gauge Acoustic Guitar Strings, 80/20 Bronze. On the other hand, for a Marshall-style, midrange-heavy, tight-crunch tone, lighter strings with humbuckers and a gain-y amp—without too much bass in the preamp—will get you there. Relief stays close to .5mm depending on the gauges/tuning/guitar, although the action and relief always end up right near these numbers even though I adjust by feel. James Hetfield is the vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter in Metallica, the biggest heavy metal band of all time. They were both playing through Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ slaved into moded 100W Marshall JCM800s used on the previous album. James used it as a backup guitar from around 1984 to 1988. Since the late 80s he’s been almost exclusively using ESP guitars, equipped with a pair of EMG 81/60 pickups – which eventually led to James’ own signature pickups dubbed the “Het” Set released in 2009. Few months after that, the neck on it snapped and James just didn’t bother repairing it. In the April 1989 issue of Guitar Player James explained that the Kill Bon Jovi sticker on his Jackson King V came about after their appearance at the 1987 Donington Monsters of Rock festival. His amp rack has a Mesa/Boogie Triaxis and a Strategy 400. Many electric guitar players used to use a 10s, or 11s for the high E, Stevie used 13s! James used it in the “Turn the Page” music video from the 1998 cover/compilation album “Garage Inc.”. Rest of the specs are identical. String Gauges of 50 Legendary Guitar Players. Let's checkout his gear. First one is the Maltese cross behind the bridge, which added sometime in 2002. Hammett mixes two Ernie Ball string sets to achieve his ideal string gauges. it plays great and looks great too. On this album James was using pretty much the same setup, although the tone is noticeably different. The Don of Downpicking, James Hetfield, was something of a string snapper in Metallica’s garage days. More recently James Hetfield ditched most of his pedals and instead uses a TC Electronics G-Major 2. – Death Magnetic All of the guitars were equipped with EMG 60/81 pickups, and featured Gotoh tuners and Tune-o-Matic bridge. – …And Justice For All Hetfield is known for using very few effects in his signal chain, and for those he does use they are usually controlled by his guitar tech behind the scenes. Let's see what guitar gear and equipment Metallica's James Hetfield's has been seen using in his guitar rig. This website uses cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze web traffic. The guitar also featured LA Raiders sticker between the two pickups, and the words “Fuk Em Up” written on the back horn. ... Dunlop James Hetfield Pick Tin Papahet + 6 Guitar Picks Metallica JIM DUNLOP. JAMES HETFIELD - PERSONAL GUITARS. Contributors: Michael, punchlinecharlie, babillou, Mike, tyronmcjr, Sami.o.joki. Blabbermouth Archive Search - posts including james hetfield from an archive of over two hundred thousand heavy metal and hard rock articles spanning over a decade. Do big guitar strings sound different? James used this guitar to record “Some Kind of Monster” from the 2003 album St.Anger. A few years ago, Metallica’s James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett sat down with Jude Gold for Guitar Player’s April 2017 issue.The wide-ranging conversation was heavy on gear, including a discussion about the guitarists’ touring rigs. What guitar picks does James Hetfield use? The guitar has the usual EMG 81/60 set of pickups, mahogany body and maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, Tune-o-Matic Bridge and Sperzel Locking Tuners. All gauges are listed in thousandths of an inch, and range from .008 all the way to .56. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For instance, a .010 gauge means 0.01 diameter inches. Now back around 10-15 years ago my son followed a guy with custom Metallica guitars and he had James pre Gibson lawsuit explorer EET Fuk And now it’s worth the investment. On a set of 10s, it’s a 13 that you typically see. Popular . One of James’ main guitar during the St. Anger album, seen both during the studio sessions and on the tour that followed the release of the album. During the live gig, James does resort to using a couple of effects to replicate the sound from the studio, and those effects, of course, varied over the years. The pickups are the same as on all of James’ guitars – EMG 81/60, and Sperzel Locking Tuners were used as well. The Dirty Donny pick tin comes with 6 designs inspired by Hetfield. He’s used more recently a purple Snakebyte that I believe is baritone scale, and a black ESP Viper that I think is also baritone, I’ve seen live videos of him using it for Dream No More. You throw away the low E string and move them all down one. JAMES HETFIELD - PERSONAL GUITARS. One might assume that from gigantic strings come gigantic tone, but check this little tidbit from the absolute must-have book Jimi Hendrix: Musician by Keith Shadwick: “Hendrix described the setup on his Strat around 1967 as ‘Fender light-gauge strings, using a regular E-string for the B and sometimes a tenor A-string for a [high] E to get my kind of sound on the Stratocaster. Except for that, the specs were transferred over from the earlier models – including the usual set of EMG 60/81 active pickups, Tune-o-Matic bridge, and Sperzel Locking Tuners. Sometime in 1986 James put a tape over the original writing, and wrote the words “More Beer” on it instead. – Ibanez Tube Screamer In it’s essence, the guitar is identical to the two previously mentioned MX220s, except that James had an idea for this guitar to make it completely black so he changed all the hardware to black, and installed EMG 60/81 pickups in it. Look, some of the best players in the world and they use a massively different array of strings. Note: James has hundreds of guitars, in this section you can find the most used. There is a reason the old .010–.046 set is so widely used: This string set can work with the widest variety of guitars and tunings—especially with current production guitars that sport bigger frets than vintage axes. “And the reason for that is, as a lead guitar player, I need to be able to bend the light strings, and if … GroundGuitar counts on your criticism and feedback. But, in the mid-1980s, as the band was circling the globe and recruiting legions of would-be diehards, James’s blight of broken strings suddenly ceased. Ernie Ball presents the “Hetfield + Hammett Experience” sweepstakes. A 100w Wizard Modern Classic was used as the main amp on the album. Ah yes, the industry standard . 3 grand prize winners will get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fly to Metallica headquarters and hang with James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, an ESP LTD James Hetfield or Kirk Hammett signature guitar, a year's supply of Ernie Ball PARADIGM strings, and much more. HH = 1 x EMG JH (James Hetfield) Set (bridge pickup) + 1 x EMG JH (James Hetfield) Set (neck pickup) chrome satin hardware; ESP Ltd locking tuners; Tonepros locking TOM bridge ; strings: D'Addario EXL110 nickel wound (roundwound - regular light gauge plain steel .010 .013 .017 nickel wound .026 .036 .046) James Hetfield signature on headstock Profits to charity. In 2009, Hetfield was ranked number 8 in Joel McIver’s book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists. At first, even James … Arrives before Christmas. - 1973 Gibson Les Paul called "Uncle Milty". - Roland JC-120 (James uses the head version more recently of this amp), - Wizard Modern Classic Amp heads and Wizard 4x12 cabs, - Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ (Master of Puppets), - Line 6 POD X3 Pro (to emulate the JC120 sound). The first number at the top is the gauge, or size, of the high E string and the bottom is the gauge of the low E string. Metallica Mastermind and chief riff smith James Hetfield has been using guitars from ESP Hetfield since 1988 and looks back on a number of successful Signature instruments since then. He also plays two Diezel VH4 heads loaded with EL34s. Developed after meticulous analysis of over 100 vintage and current production Tubescreamer/808 variants, some are calling this the king of Tubescreamers?! James used this guitar as the backup guitar for the “Eet Fuk” white ESP, but he mostly kept it in the studio to use during the studio session on the Black Album and Load. 5. The only strings I've ever found to do that were Ernie Ball's, I mean end of story. There is supposedly only 25. On a later guitar, his black Strat, the surviving strings indicate he preferred ‘light’ gauges, .009" to .038".” Now go back to the roots. As for the gauge, Malmsteen himself chimes in, “People have an illusion that heavy strings will give them more sustain—bulls**t,” he says. But, in the mid-1980s, as the band was circling the globe and recruiting legions of would-be diehards, James’s blight of broken strings suddenly ceased. The headstock on it does resemble that headstock on the later MX-250 model, which is somewhat shorter in length. The guitar has mahogany body with a set neck with rosewood fretboard featuring custom middle finger inlays. He used a MF-207 in the St Anger dvd and I believe live too. Terms. Used in the studio for the intro on “Wherever I May Roam” from the Black Album. Let's see what guitar gear and equipment Metallica's James Hetfield's has been seen using in his guitar rig. One can be seen in this video: This guitar was seen briefly in the music video for “Nothing Else Matter” (around 3:00 mark). Check out James Hetfield’s monstrous attack and how tight his riffs still sound, and you’ll understand why he needs a thicker set of strings. Check out our stellar "Who Plays What" section to get the news scoop on what your favorite players use for gear in their rigs. Ah yes, the industry standard . Partial list of guitar players who use "wimpy" 9 gauge strings: Jimi Hendrix Ed Van Halen James Hetfield BB King Carlos Santana And how about even wimpier 8 gauge: Tony Iommi Jimmy Page Eric Clapton Billy Gibbons Peter Frampton Now that's certainly a laundry list of thin, crappy tone. It was equipped with a Tune-o-Matic bridge, Gotoh tuners, and EMG 81/60 active pickups. Although almost identical to the “So What” Explorer, this one featured different stickers on it – making it easier to separate the two. It also means our strings have been along for the epic ride of ‘Seek & Destroy,’ ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls,’ ‘Sad But True’ and many of the band’s biggest hits. Rick Beato gets the string-gauge experiment started with a Les Paul Standard running through a Marshall JCM2000. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. The guitar actually predates Dave Mustaine’s first Jackson – who is one of the people responsible for promoting Jackson guitars in the early years and making them relatively popular. Metallica and iconic maker of Slinky guitar strings Ernie Ball are partnering in a new venture, the 'Hetfield + Hammett Experience' at Metallica HQ And I know 2 of those guitarists arent 'stars', but they are to me, damnit! Metallica uses various lowered pitches, ranging from a half step to two full steps, in their song repertoire. The body is painted black, with green flames on it. Get the gear to sound like James Hetfield and get their tone. He changed a couple of things, including the pickups which he replaced with the EMG 81/60 set, and reparation of the headstock which was broken more than one time in the past. This guitar was used as one of James’ main guitars for the album St.Anger released in 2003, both in studio and for the tour. https://youtu.be/nKHAQSyMTMo It has a mahogany neck and body. He still uses it live occasionally. This guitar was used by James for the recording of the album Master of Puppets in 1985 (. Sometimes it’s subtle and sometimes it’s a lot. We may have thrown you for a bit of the loop for those who are not aware Paul Stanley was a painter. James started using two ESP-made Flying Vs in 1996 called the model JH-1, designed and built by Matt Masciandaro. James has uses a large amount of guitars. There's no right way, there's only your way. a Wizard, a Marshall DSL, a Roland JC-120, and a Sears Magnatone amongst other amps. Hammett mixes two Ernie Ball string sets to achieve his ideal string gauges. If you aspire to that level of riff mastery, then start with the heaviest gauge that feels comfortable to play—we recommend 10-52, 11-52, or 11-56. The most accurate and quickest way to match their tunings is with a chromatic tuner. - Line 6 Variax Acoustic (Used for live performances of "The Unforgiven"), - Jackson King V guitar (white, used in the 80's during Master of Puppets tour). Let's see what guitar gear and equipment Metallica's James Hetfield's has been seen using in his guitar rig. One last thing to consider: String gauge can have a … There's hundreds more guitar rigs in our famous Who Plays What section! Instead of mahogany, the neck was built using maple with rosewood being used for the fretboard, and the body featured somewhat more aggressive design – similar to ESP EXP model. Welterweight; ... and james hetfield uses 10-46, except for some bizarre rumour that he changed to 10.5-48 for an album called 'St Anger', which confuses me as no such album exists. James used this guitar to write some of his first songs, and while in playing couple of high school bands. Click the gear images for more info & specs at Guitar Center and Amazon Guitars Guitarists such as Billy Gibbons, Dave Navarro, Eddie Van Halen, James Hetfield, and many gigging guitarists at Sweetwater all turn to Dunlop for their tonal tools. It is equipped with James Hatfield signature set of pickups, EMG JHs, and it has mahogany body and neck with ebony fingerboard. Choosing which guitar strings to use is one of the biggest decisions a guitarist can make regarding how their instrument plays, both in terms of tone and feel. The contest launches today, September 7, and runs through October 31. $4.49 $ 4. We appreciate your support! His custom Black Fang pick is based on a vintage tortoise-shell pick (which he used for the first 20 years of the band), while his White Fang is based on a Dunlop Flow pick. Elixir Strings Electric Guitar Strings w … 49. [James Hetfield Metallica Gear Run by Chad Zaemisch], – Ernie Ball Power Slinky strings (.11-.48). - He also has an ESP LTD 7-string guitar (coined "The Goblin") and an ESP LTD F-300M. More specific info about whether the guitar was used on any of the songs recorded in the studio is something we unfortunately couldn’t find out. For these two albums, James added a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier and began to use the TriAxis preamp next his old ADA MP-1. James has at least two of these guitars. It was nothing to do with his endorsement. Let me know what the response is Vai, Satch, Petrucci, & Malmsteen all use 9's or lower. The only strings I've ever found to do that were Ernie Ball's, I mean end of story. Martin Authentic Acoustic MA175 Custom-Light-Gauge Acoustic Guitar Strings, 80/20 Bronze. At that point the guitar had two Seymour Duncan Invader humbuckers, a Tune-o-Matic Bridge. Elixir Strings Electric Guitar Strings w … Malmsteen actually uses an 8 for his high E. Petrucci goes back and forth between heavy bottom 9s and 10s depending on the year. James’ King V was finished sometime in mid 1985, and featured white body finish, Tune-o-matic bridge, Grover Tuners, and two Seymour Duncan Invader pickups (presumably requested by James himself). Do big guitar strings sound different? The first number at the top is the gauge, or size, of the high E string and the bottom is the gauge of the low E string. This was the last time he’d use a distortion pedal in his signal chain, as he moved toward using a Mesa Boogie/Marshall combo to get most of his sound. Let's checkout his gear. James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963 in Downey, California, United States) is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. James designed the graphics for his original ESP Viper baritone guitar. 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,278. Used nowadays for his effects during live performances. The point is that the gauge of your strings is not the gauge … Oh boy..tell the virtuosos that use 9 (and lower) gauge strings that they are useless for tone and don't stay in tune live. It can be seen during the “Cunning Stunts” DVD on the song “Sad But True”. On St. Anger James started using a Diezel VH4 alongside his old Wizard Modern Classics and some Marshall amps. 1977 - James Hetfileld very first guitar 1979 - GIBSON COPY SG 1969 with tremolo 1980 - ELECTRA 2236 Flying Wedge. It is equipped with Gotoh Locking tuners, Tonepros Locking Tune-O-Matic bridge and tailpiece, and a set of EMG JH pickups. He played it on Metallica’s first album “Kill ’em All”, and kept playing it up until 1984 when the neck snapped after an accident on stage. Ernie ball 2221 Regular Slinky Electric guitar strings Gauge 10 - 46. $4.49 $ 4. If still in his possession, this guitar certainly holds a great sentimental value since James mother died just year later after buying him this guitar. Another string spec is the scale length. (5:32) “The three top strings are from a .010 set, and then the bottom three strings are from a .048 set,” he explains. Kirk Taylor also paints James' hotrods and motorcycles. On the first album James was using what looks like a Marshall JMP2203 Master Volume modified by Jose Arredondo. The second one was made in 2003 and features quilted bubinga top and flame sun inlays. Note: as an Amazon Associate UberProAudio earns from qualifying purchases. From around 1989 to the mid 90s James went through a large number of nearly identical black ESP Explorers. Knowing that, and the fact that this was James’ favorite guitar at the time, the album Ride the Lightning (1984) was largely recorded using this particular guitar equipped with the stock Gibson pickups. Most noticeable feature on the guitar is without a doubt the black diamond plate which is fitted on top of the body, giving this guitar it’s recognizable look. Other famous guitarists that used heavy gauges are Joe Bonamassa , James Hetfield , Dick Dale , and Jeff Beck . After signing the deal with ESP in 1988, James added a Jagermeister sticker over the original Gibson logo on the headstock, and added another larger Jagermeister sticker just behind the bridge. What soon came to be his main one was a white 1984 Gibson Explorer decorated with a sticker on it reading “So What”. I remember watching a video awhile back where James said he sold his SG, his first guitar, so he could buy a PA system since he wanted to be a singer. 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