Metallica – Kill 'Em All (Remastered)

Kirk shows of his 1963 Korina Explorer at 1:02:26

During the early days of Metallica, Kirk Hammett used a Fernandes RST-50 "R8 Stratocaster" after initially recording "Kill 'Em All" with a Flying V. This is highlighted in a photo on the Kirk Hammett's Guitars Facebook page.

In the Gibson TV episode titled "The Collection: Kirk Hammett of Metallica," Kirk Hammett mentions that he owns a 1978 Fender Stratocaster equipped with a DiMarzio Super Distortion pickup in the bridge position.

In the Gibson TV episode titled "The Collection: Kirk Hammett of Metallica," Kirk Hammett discusses his 1956 Gibson Les Paul Custom at the 16:42 mark, providing insight into his extensive guitar collection.

At 28:10 Kirk discusses his 1958 Les Paul Custom and the middle pickup being out of phase.

At 58:43 Kirk shows his 1957 Korina Flying V, black on black, prototype.

At the 1:44:15 mark of the Gibson TV episode titled "The Collection: Kirk Hammett of Metallica," Kirk Hammett showcases his black 1964 Gibson J-180 Everly Brothers Signature guitar.

In this photo Kirk is seen playing his signature Flying V!

Kirk Hammett used this pedal in the Kill em All era with the Crybaby Wah. after Kill em All Kirk Hammett switched to the ibanez ts9 proof video at 9:00

According to Silverwulf's "Album Analysis: Kill ‘Em All" on Metallica Gear History, Kirk Hammett used the Jen Cry Baby Super Wah Pedal.

Kirk Hammett used the Marshall JMP 1959 Mk II Super Lead 100w (1976-77) on the album Kill 'Em All, as confirmed by Silverwulf in the "Album Analysis: Kill ‘Em All"

In this video Burton can be seen playing a Rickenbacker 4001 in a Burgundyglo finish.

This Bass has been heavily modified with a Gibson EB-0 "Sidewinder" pickup in the neck position, a Seymour Duncan Stacked Jazz pickup in the Bridge position, and a Seymour Duncan Stacked Strat pickup in the chamber for the foam mute under the bridge, activated by a push/pull pot.

This Rickenbacker was Burton's main rig from about Pre-1980 to 1984 and was used in the recording of "Kill 'Em All" and parts of "Ride The Lightning" until it was retired due to malfunction(s). Burton can be seen with this Bass in many pictures from the "K.E.A." tour.

In a handwritten list Burton made for the orginal Metallica Fanclub in the summer of 1983, he lists his gear and modifications as follows:

"Right now, I'm using a Randall 300 watt head into: 1 Randall 1x18 cab and 1 road 2x18 cab."

"At this time I only use 2 effects. A Morley Power Wha Boost and an MXR Limiter."

"I play a Rickenbacker 4001 bass. The 2 stock pickups have been replaced as follows: In the bass position there's a "Gibson EB" pickup. In the treble position, there's a "Seymore Duncan Stacked Jazz" pickup. I have also had a 3rd pickup installed in the bridge. It's a "Seymore Duncan Stacked Strat." Both Duncan pickups are "Humbucking" in design so they help reduce unwanted noise."

TalkBass user funkytoe, who knew Burton personally, recalled a Big Muff with a pi symbol in multiple TalkBass threads.

"Cliff Burton's gear" Comment #31, January 17, 2008

If you want to know what gear Cliff used, you need to be specific about time.

In the later days with Metallica, he had moved on to Aria basses and mesa or ampeg amps.

Around the "Kill em All" time, Cliff was still using his burgundy (oxblood) Rickenbacker 4001. It had a Gibson EB pickup at the neck and a hot Dimarzio pickup at the bridge. He called the Dimarzio his "secret weapon." Cliff's guitar tech at that time was Chuck Martin at ABC Music in Castro Valley, California. He might be able to give you more specifics about exactly what Cliff used pickup-wise.

Cliff's amp was a Sunn Colliseum Lead head with various cabs. The one I remember most was this big 2 x 18 cab. I don't think Cliff used 10 inch speakers prior to the time he switched to Mesa.

I remember 3 effect pedals. (1) EH Big Muff Pi. I distinctly remember the Pi symbol on that pedal; (2) EH Bass Balls and (3) Morley Power Wah Fuzz. He may also have had a power wah boost, but I am certain he was playing with a Power Wah Fuzz in his Trauma/early Metallica period.

Hope that helps your quest for tone.

"Cliff Burton's gear", Comment #79, December 23, 2008

FC Bass said:

BTW: I bought a Morley PWF a while ago, with the big muff after the Morley you have instant Cliff sounds :bassist: awesome! (Much better than the PWB)

Absolutely correct. Chrome Morley Power Wah Fuzz followed by EH Big Muff PI is what Cliff used in his Trauma/Early Metallica days and is the key to his sound (apart from his hands, attack, etc.)

"Cliff Burtons Rickenbacker", Comment #3, April 23, 2009

For the Maxwell tapes, Cliff played his Ric though Jim Martin's Morely Power Wah Fuzz, an Electro Harmonix Bass Balls and a EH Big Muff PI. I know this because I have been to Maxwell with both Jim and Dave on many occasions and have my own memories of Cliff's gear in this regard.

"Burton's tone with this head", Comment #6, September 1, 2010

Before Cliff hooked up with Metallica and finally got the label money to buy tube amps, he played solid state Sunn heads and cabs. His tone was nearly identical to his later tone with Metallica.

Cliff's tone was not in his amp. It was in his hands (and to some extent his pedals) and the aggressive way he played.

If you want Cliff's tone, you are better off getting an old Tel Ray Morely pedal (either a Power Wah Volume or Power Wah Fuzz), a vintage Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi and Bass Balls. Those pedals and some practice will get you closer to Cliff's tone than any new bass head - guaranteed!

Bonus information: Equipboard user marijan_barac had a conversation with funkytoe, which made up the original content of this submission. What he wrote is preserved in its entirety below:

Guy who knew him personally as a friend and had seen his gear many times claims he remembers a distinctive PI symbol on the pedal. Also here is part of the conversation with him in which he cites Big Muff as Cliff's pedal: 'Yes I knew Cliff and saw his equipment many times over the years. Two of the first pedals I remember him getting were a Morley Power Wah Fuzz and an Electro-Harmonix bass balls. He used the Bass Balls briefly, but it did not get dirty enough for him. He tried a lot of Boss distortion pedals, but ended up choosing a Big Muff Pi. Cliff used that set up for quite a while with both his Randall and Sunn heads, at least up until the time he joined Trauma. After he switched to Mesa Boogie heads, he decided he liked the natural grind from the head better than the Fuzz sound from the Morley Power Wah Fuzz. So, he traded that for a Morley Power Wah Boost to help overdrive the front end of the Mesa head. In all the time Iknew him, he always had a Morley pedal on his Board. He also started experimenting with other pedals to replace the Big Muff Pi during the Metallica years. I remember a Tube Screamer for a while. Then he had a combination of a Tube Screamer and a Boss CS-1 Compression Sustainer going into the Morely Power Wah Boost. That is the last set up i remember him using. A Tube Screamer with a CS-1 and a Morley Power Wah Boost into a Mesa tube head.'

The DS-1 Distortion was Boss' only distortion pedal in the late 1970s, having been released in 1978. Based on this fact and the information above, Burton's Big Muff was either a V3, a V4 or a V5.

"Cliff Burton's Pedals Timeline.", Comment #1, April 23, 2009

Its probable that Cliff used a Morley Wah Boost and Big Muff With a CS-1 on his first gigs as seen here:

Within the linked photos, the 'flat chicken-head' knobs, pedal decals & silver, rectangular casing of the Big Muff can be made out, the much shorter length of the box in the second photo very much looking to be a generative upscaling error.

"In the 1984 radio interview with Ken Kitt of WCSB, when asked what pedals he uses. Cliff responded with

MXR 143 limiter (No longer produced) Boss Delay* (Possibly a BOSS-DM2/DM3*) Chorus pedal (Unnamed in the interview likely a BOSS CE-3*) Washburn A-AD9 Delay (Seen in Kill’em All tour photos)"

Cliff Burton used the Road Electronics 440-218 Cabinet from his time with EZ Street through the Kill 'Em All era with Metallica, as shown in the provided image.

Cliff Burton is known for using Rotosound RS77LD Monel Flatwound Bass Strings (45-105), particularly evident in the tone he achieved on Metallica’s "Kill 'Em All." His classical training likely influenced his preference for flatwound strings, which he mentioned in interviews as part of his exclusive use of Rotosound products. These strings helped balance the treble-heavy sound of Kirk Hammett's guitar and the natural brightness of his Rickenbacker bass. A user-uploaded photo also shows these strings on his Rickenbacker in standard gauge.

Used on “Kill ’em All” in combination with a modified Marshall.

Hetfield bought this guitar in 1980 for $200, and it was his second electric guitar. 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. At that point the guitar had two Seymour Duncan Invader humbuckers, a Tune-o-Matic Bridge.

Just prior to recording “Death Magnetic” in 2008 Hetfield decided to restore this guitar. 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.

James uses a white gibson flying v (not his electra) during live shows, most notably during Metallica's song Battery.

In this video at 0:59 Hetfield can be seen with a Flying V in a Natural Finish.

This guitar appears to have had the Neck Pickup removed and its spot in the Pickguard taped over with Duct Tape, the controls appear to be modified and/or removed to accommodate this as well.

In this YouTube video at 2:01, James Hetfield can also be seen using a Gibson Flying V.

In a YouTube video titled "Metallica Phantom Lord Live at The Metro 1983," uploaded by 1MASTER1100, at the 0:02 mark, the camera provides a close-up of James Hetfield's guitar during a live performance on August 12th, 1983, at the Metro, Chicago, Illinois. The guitar's headstock appears red, suggesting it may be a variant of Hetfield's Gibson Flying V. Although it resembles the "Candy Apple Red" version, the Gibson Flying V Faded Cherry is a good match. According to wornfrets.com, Hetfield used an "Electra 2236 Flying Wedge," a Japanese clone of the Gibson Flying V, for the recording of "Kill 'em All" during this period; thus, the Gibson guitar was likely used exclusively for live performances.

In the YouTube video "The Guitars of Metallica: Kill Em All era" by CIRCLE OF TONE, it is discussed that James Hetfield used a Marshall JMP50 Plexi Amp Head during his early days with Metallica.