Early Metallica Sound

andyp

Cheers!

Paul7926

Loving this thread. Seek and destroy is what made old me have a last crack at learning the guitar almost a year ago now. Obviously I failed hard but suddenly thinking I should have another crack at it over Christmas. 

andyp

Do it man!

I’m 39, and I should’ve started learning when my mates did back in school and despite my Dad having played his whole life I just couldn’t find the patience. I finally got off the ground about 4 years ago and I never thought I’d get this far. I’m still a novice with a hell of a long road in front of me, but I feel like I’m making a half-decent go of this song so far after a week. If that’s the case, there’s hope for anyone.

Paul7926

andyp said:

Do it man!

I’m 39, and I should’ve started learning when my mates did back in school and despite my Dad having played his whole life I just couldn’t find the patience. I finally got off the ground about 4 years ago and I never thought I’d get this far. I’m still a novice with a hell of a long road in front of me, but I feel like I’m making a half-decent go of this song so far after a week. If that’s the case, there’s hope for anyone.

I sorta stopped with it when I started taking lessons so will be interesting to have another crack now I know fractionally more than nothing.

Alterlifeson

Seek and Destroy is so much fun to play! I am very late to the party but I am liking the latest album too. Spit out the Bone is a huge metal tune. James sounds great too.

Maynehead

I basically got into guitar because of Metallica an have been playing their stuff since I was a teenager. I used to think if you can play Metallica you can play anything! 

I have a friend (also an avid Metallica fan) who has dedicated a lot of time and effort into getting that early Metallica sound, and I must say his results are pretty impressive.

The first 2 albums are recorded with Marshall amps. MoP was recorded using the Boogie Mark II c+ preamp into a JCM 800’s power section. My friend is using a Mesa Twin rack preamp into the front of a Blockhead JMP 50 clone, into a Marshall 1936 2x12 cab loaded with G12T-75s.

There are 2 main characteristics of the early Metallica sound: the smooth gain structure and the high mid peak, both of which are difficult to achieve with EQ tweaks alone. You really need a Marshall amp as a base. If you can get hold of a Mesa Twin pedal then that would be a big help. Otherwise any kind of distortion pedal that allows you to scoop the mids will probably be ok. With a bit of experimentation you should be able to get pretty close.

skunkwerx

Another one actually is fade to black.. 

The clean part James plays is awesome, though I still have yet to perfect it, especially without looking when it comes to the few notes that are hybrid? picked.. 

I managed to get the intro solo nailed a year ago, and man it felt awesome being able to play a longish lead part! 

If I tried it now... well, I really need to sort my bloody playing out haha.. 

Only problemo with it was the original was recorded in a slightly different tuning, either E flat or close to E flat or or at a different to 440 (whats the standard tuning thingy) something or another.. 

Theres a video on youtube where a guy has done some wizardry and made the song in standard E 440, so you can play along with it and sound in tune! 

Tis great fun that one. 


Master of Puppets, haha I learnt it all so long ago (though never got up to album speed), and learnt a few sections wrong it turns out.
I then found a much more accurate lesson online and re learnt it, again a year or so ago.

Recently I've forgotten which is correct, so certain little bits in the Chorus are now an amalgamation of sorts, which sounds fine to me, but no doubt die hards will call me a butcher! 

I really do need to re learn the tracks I can/used to be able to play and get em sorted,..

andyp

Fade to Black is a phenomenal song. One of their very best. It’s on my list to learn for the future, but I’m gonna work away on what I have just now and hopefully bring up my “skill” level enough to try it some time next year.

DLM

@skunkwerx That's not hybrid picking (i.e. pick and fingers) on Fade To Black where two notes are struck simultaneously by one guitar, it's traditional classical guitar technique, thumb and fingers. Same in parts of Master Of Puppets, To Live Is To Die, Nothing Else Matters, The Unforgiven, etc. If there is hybrid picking on Metallica tunes, it only came in their later work when Hetfield had heard Danny Gatton and co. and got into country.

For @AndyP: It occurs to me that the slow harmony guitars in Fade To Black would be excellent for one's first steps into playing melodies ("soloing"), adding bends and vibrato. Record yourself playing one voice and play over the top of that with the other.

andyp

Sounds like a plan. I've been getting on ok with that type of stuff, so I'll give this a go shortly as I enjoy bends and vibrato etc.

I really need to sort the muting out though, that's what I'll focus on for the next few weeks... I hadn't appreciated how fine that needs to be and how easily an unplayed string can come to life and ruin what would otherwise have been a decent attempt.

andyp

Just watched the "why your muting sucks" video... very, very helpful. I'm going to work on that tonight. I already had an idea of what I should be doing, but wasn't sure how to make it happen. That video broke it down very clearly.

breakthemachinefx

Kirk Hammett has his own line of pedals these days, made in Kentucky, US. KHDK Electronics.

DanR

If you’re using the dirty channel turn the mids right down and up the treble less gain than you think you’re gonna need.

If you really don’t want to change you’re dirty amp then I’d look at a MIAB and chick the rat in front.

andyp

Thanks @DanR , that’s about where I ended up last night and it’s working pretty well. You’re spot on about the gain, I took that down a bit and it got rid of the darkness and let me EQ out the mids but still had plenty beef. That started to work, so I’ll play about with it a bit more and I’ll get close enough for what I need.

I’m just using the amp now and not the Rat. Really glad I put this thread on, it’s been a huge help!

skunkwerx

DLM said:

@skunkwerx That's not hybrid picking (i.e. pick and fingers) on Fade To Black where two notes are struck simultaneously by one guitar, it's traditional classical guitar technique, thumb and fingers. Same in parts of Master Of Puppets, To Live Is To Die, Nothing Else Matters, The Unforgiven, etc. If there is hybrid picking on Metallica tunes, it only came in their later work when Hetfield had heard Danny Gatton and co. and got into country.

For @AndyP: It occurs to me that the slow harmony guitars in Fade To Black would be excellent for one's first steps into playing melodies ("soloing"), adding bends and vibrato. Record yourself playing one voice and play over the top of that with the other.

Ahh, see I've learnt it with a pick, and use my ring finger for the simultaneous notes.. Maybe once I've nailed that I'll try it full finger style! 

Maynehead

As far as I know James hits that double slide in the verse with an upstroke of the pick, no fingertips involved. Kirk used to do the same until recently when he started finger picking the harmony parts.