The Metallica rhythm guitar sound is a reference quality electric guitar tone for generations of aspiring metal guitar players who have cranked up and down-picked in the hope of nailing James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett’s signature style.
There is a temptation to find a high-gain distortion pedal to help your amp along but Hammett himself would argue against it, and in conversation with Rick Beato, he has explained how the secret to his – and Hetfield’s – uncompromising rhythm tone is to use less gain, not more.
