James Hetfield

Thumbnail of the video and throughout. He's been using the Limited Edition for a long time, including Kirk and Robert ones for the backing vocals.

James has been seen using Shure Super 55 with a black color and a red grill.

The rack mounted Shure UR4D Wireless Receiver is pictured in the source of James Hetfields rack system.

This picture shows James Hetfield preparing to lay down a track in the studio with a Shure SM7B in his hand.

This microphone was used mostly live. He used this microphone on the St. anger through Death Magnetic tour's. Now he uses the Shure Super 55. Another way to see him using this microphone is to watch the St. Anger rehearsal video.

Here James is using a Shure SM57 during the Presidio sessions in 2001

James can be seen recording with a U47 FET during the making of the Black Album at 12:45 in the video.

In this Guitar Center video, Metallica's James Hetfield discusses how he became a musician, and his rise to fame. Throughout the video, he can be seen playing riffs on his one of his signature ESP guitars, the Iron Cross James Hetfield Signature Electric Guitar (Snow White color).

Hetfield goes into some details on some of the principles behind building this guitar: "…I wanted to play drums on guitar pretty much so I wanted a really percussive sound. One that really reacts quickly and is punchy, but also if you hang on a chord, it’s gonna fill the room.

I wanted a Les Paul shape that was a little lighter, a little more road-worthy. This has a little cut-out for me. I like to wear my guitars pretty low, this has a little more sharpness to it, I can get up a little higher even though, you know, you don’t want to hear me solo.

I've tested - probably - I think we went through about 30 different kinds of poles, different kinds of windings, different kinds of metals. I wanted a traditional look, but also have an active pickup. So combining passive and active together - smooth distortion, but with some aggressive mids that some of the passive pickups have. They’re a little more focused in the mids and there they're pushy, which I like. But the warmness, and the wideness of the active pickup. So combining those two together was the challenge.

And that's what I want in a guitar sound - but not abrasive - something that's gonna give you complete ear fatigue after a concert."

James’s first ESP, and one of this most recognizable guitars. He bought it just prior to recording “And Justice For All”, and used it as his main axe during that period. The guitar featured neck through body construction (as with all of James’ ESPs), with mahogany body and neck featuring rosewood fingerboard and custom middle finger inlays. The guitar was also equipped with a Tune-o-Matic bridge, Gotoh tuners, and EMG 81/60 active pickups.

This guitar was used during the damage justice tour, its a cross between a MX 220 and a MX 250 with no banana head stock and ebony fretboard.

Hetfield can be seen using this guitar during the "Whisky In The Jar" music video.

In this photo, James Hetfield is playing his signature ESP James Hetfield Truckster Electric Guitar. It can be distinguished from the Truckster LTD by the pattern of the "distressed" marks on the finish.

This is one of Hetfield's lesser known guitars, It was used on the 2006 performance of "Frantic" at Seoul.

Flying V version of his rusty explorer

James 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 James 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.

In this photo taken from an Ultimate-Guitar article, James Hetfield can be seen playing the little seen Gibson Moderne.

James Hetfield is the vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter in Metallica, the biggest heavy metal band of all time. Spanning three decades, nine studio albums, and countless world tours, Metallica has spread their unique form of thrash metal to all corners of the globe. Known for his mighty right hand and precise rhythmic execution, James’s signature guitars were built to his exact specifications in playability and durability.

This video shows the prototype of the new James Hetfield Signature ESP VULTURE BLKS. It was released in Namm Show 2016

James Hetfield join forces once again to bring you his latest vision, a unique V design called the Vulture. His newest signature model features the EMG Het Set, set-neck construction, and an ebony fingerboard with custom inlay

http://www.espguitars.com/products?categories=james-hetfield http://www.espguitars.com/products/17036-esp-vulture-blks?category_id=1963396-james-hetfield

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. It was most likely brand new.

The guitar features matte black finish and tarnish metal pickguard. Rest of the specs were transferred over from his earlier guitars, including EMG pickups and Tune-o-Matic bridge.

James started using this guitar around the release of the “Load” album in 1996, but it was likely used during the studio sessions as well.

The guitar was built by ESP and painted by Dino Muradian to feature an elk skull surrounded by barbed wire. Dino used a technique called pyrography – a process of burning a design on the surface with a heated metallic point. The barbed wire extended on the fretboard as well, serving as inlay.

The guitar was James' first ESP guitar. He bought the guitar around c.1987 and used it to record parts of And Justice For All. James added the EET FUK logo in 1988 while finishing up the master recording for the album it also sports middle finger inlays. This was his main axe through out the damaged justice tour. He retired this guitar right before the black album was recorded and he now uses as a recording guitar. He used the guitar to "warm up" for practice sessions during the recordings of Death Magnetic.

James Hetfield' second custom guitar from ESP. It can be seen in tours after the release of "Load" and during the “Cunning Stunts” DVD on the song “Sad But True”.

The supro the one jimmy page was using and shit

In this Instagram photo posted by ESP Guitars, Metallica's James Hetfield can be seen wielding his signature ESP James Hetfield Snakebyte Electric Guitar (Snow White color). This particular one has a San Francisco Giants decal/logo on the body.

"@papa_het_ with his custom ESP snakebyte with @sfgiants logo. #espguitars #metallica #jameshetfield #sfgiants"

In this source picture, James Hetfield is using the Trussart Metal Explorer electric guitar for live work.

In this picture, James Hetfield is pictured singing and playing the white ESP Flying V on stage.

James 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 James 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.