Song Rig
One
James Hetfield · ...And Justice for All · 1988
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
The perfect metal dynamic arc — One starts with a clean acoustic intro, builds through increasing gain stages, and ends with the fastest machine-gun riff on any Metallica album. The Justice for All tone is noticeably thinner than Master of Puppets (the bass is famously buried in the mix), but the guitar remains precise and crushing. The final two-minute assault is one of the most intense sustained guitar passages in metal.
Signal Chain
- 1ESP Explorer (active pickups)
- 2Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+
- 3clean amp or direct for acoustic intro
Amp Settings
Justice-era tone is slightly thinner and drier than Master — the production intentionally cut the bass. High treble and presence. The final machine-gun riff (at 200+ BPM sixteenth notes) needs absolute tightness from the gate and high presence for each note to speak individually.
Technique
How to Play It
The final section's constant sixteenth note triplet riff — technically the most demanding Hetfield rhythm passage. The alternating down-up picking at that tempo must be perfectly even. Start at 60% speed and build; the pattern requires internalising before adding speed.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Guitar with EMG actives → Mesa or Peavey 6505 → noise gate. The clean intro can use a separate acoustic or clean channel with light reverb.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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