Kirk Hammett

According to Metallica's 2010 tour gear list, Kirk Hammett uses an Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer pedal

In a 1993 live performance in Basel, Switzerland, Kirk Hammett is seen playing an Ibanez RG 170 Black, as captured in a video by Metallica Bootlegs on YouTube. This model, part of Ibanez's solid body electric guitars, features a humbucker-single coil-humbucker pickup configuration and a double locking tremolo, making it a versatile choice for Hammett's dynamic playing style.

As seen on "I Disappear" music video. It was also one of the primary instruments used by Hammett for his lead work on Load. (https://short.do/-gdNUZ)

This guitar has an alder body, heavy-relic Sea Foam Green finish, white pickguard, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, 21 frets, and 25.5" scale. The guitar has 3 "black bottom" single-coil pickups. It has a Vintage-style synchronized tremolo, Kluson tuners, volume, 2 tones, and 3-Way blade pickup selector controls.

According to Kirk Hammett's guitar tech, the Metallica guitarist got his ESP Karloff Mummy guitar "back in '96, and ever since then, it's been the main recording guitar," (7:00). "For some reason, the pickups are just right, the wood's just right, it just sounds that little tiny bit better," Hammett's tech said.

According to this diagram of Hammet's live setup, he uses two WH1s.

According to Metallica's 2010 tour gear list, one of Kirk Hammett's guitars is a Jackson Flying V Randy Rhoads.

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

As shown in the Kirk Hammett and his guitars video, he used this guitar on only 1 song on the show (Am I Evil) since it has no tremolo and a single coil pickup.

As it can be seen on the "One" music video, Kirk used a ESP strat style. There is just a few information about this range of guitars, we know that the 400 Series guitars were manufactured in Japan during the 1980’s, the 400 Series were named for their suggested list price: $400.00.

The earlier batch of 6-string (400 Series) guitars had: Black & gold ESP decal on the headstock. 21 frets. ESP stamped on the saddles. The headstock had a ‘rounder’ profile than the later models.

The later models had: Solid black ESP decal. 22 frets. Blank (non-stamped) saddles. The headstock had a ‘sharper’ look/shape.

Kirk Hammet exchanged a remake of Greeny with Jack White on Jan. 6, 2025. source: Guitar World.

Also, at 37:29 in this interview with Dean Delray, when asked if he used Greeny on a record, Kirk responded by saying:

It's all over Hardwired to Self Destruct. And it's really funny because when we started doing tracks for that I thought, you know, I know Greeny sounds great, but is it just me or what? So what we did is we got this one track and I played four different guitars, basically my best four sounding guitars and Greeny, and we did the Pepsi challenge. We did a blind test, and we trucked in four different people, and I picked out Greeny every single time, and so did everyone else, as the best sound.

Kirk Hammett talks about his signature ESP White Zombie electric guitar:

"I first started using ESP Guitars way back in 1987. I kinda discovered them through my friend who had an endorsement with ESP at the time, and he told me that ESP was interested in working with me and would make me anything I wanted them to make, so I was really happy about that. So I got to go to the ESP factory in New York, and I said, ‘okay, this neck, put it on this body, with this pickup configuration, make it black, put skull inlays on it, and there.’ Eight months later, I had that guitar, and that's my Skully guitar that I have been playing forever and ever. This guitar, White Zombie, it’s another movie from the thirties that came out around the same time as The Mummy came out in 1932… I have this movie poster, I love movie posters of course had put it on a guitar. It fulfills all the things I need for a guitar - it sounds good, it looks good, and it plays good."

Kirk Hammett received the ESP Custom V Red Sparkle as the third and final guitar in a series of ESP USA V-II models, as showcased by ESP Guitars on Instagram.

At 1:45 in the video by Orkun Yüksel, Kirk Hammett is seen playing a Fender Telecaster. To my knowledge, this guitar has not been used by him live or in the studio before.

In a 1991 Guitar World interview, Kirk Hammett mentioned using a 1989 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe with two EMGs on "The Black Album," explaining its use instead of his '74 Gibson Flying V.

At 6:33 from his own String Theory by Ernie Ball, he talked about what kind of guitar strings still stay in tune and not broken when he use the whammy bar. Until he takes the 3rd pack, he's like: "What is that pack? An Ernie Ball Super Slinky! YES! The Ernie Ball Super Slinky!! That's what we need!!"

Matt Heafy gifted him his signature guitar and Kirk played with it in concerts.

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

This Gibson was used quite extensively till about 2008 when it was replaced with a red Gibson Les Paul. You can see the guitar from 0.23 seconds and at 0.53 seconds you can see the Gibson ''open book'' head stock too

In this video, at 31:32, we can see Hammet with a Ritchie Blackmore Signature Stratocaster, it can be told that this is a Ritchie Blackmore model by the Finish Colour and the Signature on the top of the Headstock as well as the Scalloped Rosewood Fretboard however the Scalloping wasn't visible in the footage.

In this remote performance of Blackened, a Boss Katana Air can be seen placed on a stool in the background in Kirk's house.

In the official music video for "The Unforgiven II" by Metallica, Kirk Hammett is seen playing a guitar that closely resembles a Danelectro 59 DC. Although I initially identified it as such, the unique pickguard and pickup configuration led me to believe it may actually be a Danelectro 4021. This guitar matches the distinct features observed in the video, including the pickguard, pickups, and knobs.

According to Metallica's 2010 tour gear list, Kirk Hammett uses Line 6 MM4 Modulation pedals.

In this picture from early days of Metallica, we can see Kirk and James playing through their Marshall JCM 800 heads.

he is holding the guitar in this image

Following Cliff Burton's passing, Kirk Hammett occasionally played bass with the band Spastic Children. A rare image on Tumblr shows him using a Fender Duff McKagan Precision Bass during these performances.

According to Metallica's 2010 tour gear list, Kirk Hammett plays through Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier amp heads.

In the 1993 live concert in Basel, Kirk Hammett is seen playing the ESP Custom Shop Kirk Hammett Signature KH1 KH-1 Flying V Black. This early '90s signature model is known for its rarity, with variations in features like pickups and inlays, making it a unique choice for performances.

The subject shows several pictures of him using the guitar.

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 this photo Kirk is seen playing his signature Flying V!