Top 5SponsoredUses
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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by James Hetfield. Every item links to its public source.
37 items · Last checked What guitar does James Hetfield play?
James Hetfield uses his signature ESP Snakebyte with EMG Het Set pickups. Over the years he played an Electra Flying V, a 1984 Gibson Explorer marked 'So What', the ESP MX-220 'EET FUK' on ...And Justice for All, and ESP Truckster and Iron Cross signatures, through Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++ heads and a modded Marshall Super Lead.
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Top 5
Where to start with James Hetfield's gear.
01
02
Top 5SponsoredHas said they use
ESP
Vulture“I'm really loving my ESP Vulture - which has a Flying V type of design that I came up with last year”
03
Top 5Seen using
Gibson
Explorer 80sSeen in Guitar World: Is Gibson finally working on James Hetfield signature guitars?, December 2024
04
Top 5Seen using
Mesa/Boogie
Mark IIC++ Head“There's always a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++ that he's had forever”
05
Top 5Seen using
Marshall
1959 Super Lead heads (modified)“James has always had one of the legendary José Arredondo-modded Marshalls, a late-'60s/early-'70s Superlead head.”
Seen in Guitar World: The guitar gear secrets behind James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett's tones on 72 Seasons, May 2023
No store page for this one.
What gear James Hetfield uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars
SponsoredUses
SponsoredHas said they use
ESP
Vulture“I'm really loving my ESP Vulture - which has a Flying V type of design that I came up with last year”
Seen using
Gibson
Explorer 80sSeen in Guitar World: Is Gibson finally working on James Hetfield signature guitars?, December 2024
EMG
JH 'Het Set' signature humbuckers
SponsoredUses
“I can put EMGs in every guitar, and it's gonna sound exactly like I need it to.”
Said in Guitar World: Metallica EMG 50th anniversary pickup sets, March 2026
No store page for this one.
Seen in Guitar World: Metallica Las Vegas Sphere opening night, October 2026
No store page for this one.
Gibson
1959 Les Paul Standard 'Roman'
Seen using
Seen in Guitar World: James Hetfield owns 5 '59 Gibson Les Paul 'Bursts, December 2023
No store page for this one.
Seen in Guitar World: The guitar gear secrets behind 72 Seasons, May 2023
No store page for this one.
Gibson
1984 Explorer 'So What'
Seen using
Gibson
1984 Explorer 'So What'Seen in Guitar World: Is Gibson finally working on James Hetfield signature guitars?, December 2024
No store page for this one.
ESP
MX-220 'EET FUK'
Seen using
Seen in Louder: How to sound like Metallica's James Hetfield, August 2020
No store page for this one.
ESP
MX-250
Seen using
ESP
MX-250Seen in Guitar.com: The Gear Used on Metallica's Black Album, June 2023
No store page for this one.
ESP
'Of Wolf & Man' guitar
Seen using
Seen in ESP Guitars: Messengers, The Guitars of James Hetfield, October 2023
No store page for this one.
ESP
Truckster
SponsoredSeen using
ESP
TrucksterSeen in MusicRadar: ESP Guitars Jose Ferro interview, August 2010
No store page for this one.
ESP
Iron Cross
SponsoredSeen using
ESP
Iron CrossSeen in Guitar World: NAMM 2014, ESP Announces Signature Series Guitars for James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Alex Skolnick and More, January 2014
No store page for this one.
ESP
The Grynch
Seen using
ESP
The GrynchSeen in ESP Guitars: Messengers, The Guitars of James Hetfield, October 2023
No store page for this one.
ESP
Double Neck Montreal
Seen using
Seen in ESP Guitars: Messengers, The Guitars of James Hetfield, October 2023
No store page for this one.
Ken Lawrence
Hunter Explorer
Seen using
Ken Lawrence
Hunter ExplorerSeen in ESP Guitars: Messengers, The Guitars of James Hetfield, October 2023
No store page for this one.
Gibson
1958 Explorer
Seen using
Gibson
1958 ExplorerSeen in ESP Guitars: Messengers, The Guitars of James Hetfield, October 2023
No store page for this one.
Gibson
1958 Flying V
Seen using
Gibson
1958 Flying VSeen in ESP Guitars: Messengers, The Guitars of James Hetfield, October 2023
No store page for this one.
Jerry Jones
Baritone guitar (Sad But True)Seen in Guitar.com: The Gear Used on Metallica's Black Album, June 2023
No store page for this one.
Amps and effects
Seen using
Mesa/Boogie
Mark IIC++ Head“There's always a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++ that he's had forever”
Seen using
Marshall
1959 Super Lead heads (modified)“James has always had one of the legendary José Arredondo-modded Marshalls, a late-'60s/early-'70s Superlead head.”
Seen in Guitar World: The guitar gear secrets behind James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett's tones on 72 Seasons, May 2023
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Roland
JC-120 Jazz Chorus“The clean sounds are from the Roland JC-120.”
Said in Guitar Player: James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, "The Most Surprising Thing About Our Guitar Rigs", August 2020
Seen using
“There's also usually a Wizard 100-watt head that's usually got a Klon Centaur pedal on it.”
Seen in Guitar World: The guitar gear secrets behind James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett's tones on 72 Seasons, May 2023
Find it on
Seen using
Ibanez
Tube ScreamerSeen in Guitar.com: The Gear Used on Metallica's Black Album, June 2023
Aphex
EQF-2 equalizer
Seen using
Aphex
EQF-2 equalizerSeen in Guitar.com: The Gear Used on Metallica's Black Album, June 2023
No store page for this one.
Aphex
CX-1 compressor
Seen using
Aphex
CX-1 compressorSeen in Guitar.com: The Gear Used on Metallica's Black Album, June 2023
No store page for this one.
Strings and picks
SponsoredHas said they use
Ernie Ball
Papa Het's Hardwired Master Core strings“It's only taken 40 years for me to have my own strings”
SponsoredHas said they use
“The White Fang Pick has amazing grip when sweating from heavy riffing, and a smaller profile to go faster”
Said in Full in Bloom: James Hetfield talks White Fang Custom Flow pick by Dunlop (Dunlop announcement), September 2019
Dunlop
Black Fang pick
SponsoredHas said they use
Dunlop
Black Fang pick“It's fast, bright, and strong because of its hard point and material”
Said in Premier Guitar: Dunlop Introduces James Hetfield Black Fang Picks, September 2010
No store page for this one.
Records that shaped him
Has said they love
Black Sabbath
Master of Reality“Tony Iommi is the riff lord, in my mind”
Said in Guitar Player: James Hetfield on Tony Iommi and the Black Sabbath riff that shaped his playing, September 2026
Has said they love
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden“This guy looks very menacing and evil. So I bought this”
Said in Wikimetal: James Hetfield explains why he bought Iron Maiden's first album (Record Store Day video), April 2016
Listen
Has said they love
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Sweet Home Alabama“I bought my first vinyl... it was a single by a band called Lynyrd Skynyrd, it was Sweet Home Alabama”
Amps
Wizard
Wizard 100-watt head
Seen using
Wizard
Wizard 100-watt headSeen in Guitar World: The guitar gear secrets behind 72 Seasons, May 2023
No store page for this one.
Diezel
Amp head (low end on slower songs)
Seen using
Seen in Guitar World: The guitar gear secrets behind 72 Seasons, May 2023
No store page for this one.
Stage
Fractal Audio
Axe-Fx processor (live rig)
Has said they use
Fractal Audio
Axe-Fx processor (live rig)“We're really pleased with Fractal. It's amazing.”
Said in Guitar Player: James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, The Most Surprising Thing About Our Guitar Rigs, August 2020
No store page for this one.
Mesa/Boogie
2:Ninety power amps (stage cabinets)
Has said they use
Mesa/Boogie
2:Ninety power amps (stage cabinets)Said in Guitar Player: James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, The Most Surprising Thing About Our Guitar Rigs, August 2020
No store page for this one.
Meyer Sound
Stage wedges
Has said they use
Meyer Sound
Stage wedgesSaid in Guitar Player: James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, The Most Surprising Thing About Our Guitar Rigs, August 2020
No store page for this one.
Questions
About James Hetfield's gear.
What guitar does James Hetfield play?
His signature ESP Snakebyte is his main guitar today, with the ESP Vulture in rotation. Earlier he played an Electra Flying V, a 1984 Gibson Explorer marked 'So What', ESP MX-220 and MX-250 Explorer-style guitars like 'EET FUK', and ESP Truckster and Iron Cross signatures.
What amps did James Hetfield use on Master of Puppets and the Black Album?
Louder reports Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ heads on Master of Puppets. For the Black Album, Guitar.com says his tone was built on a mid-80s Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++ plus a Jose-modded Marshall, with Aphex EQF-2 EQs and an Aphex CX-1 compressor in the loop.
What amps did James Hetfield use on 72 Seasons?
Greg Fidelman told Guitar World there is always a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++ that James has had forever, plus a Jose Arredondo-modded Marshall Super Lead that ended up on every song, a Wizard head with a Klon Centaur in front, and a Diezel for low end.
What amp does James Hetfield use live?
He told Guitar Player that Metallica's live sound runs through Fractal processors loaded with his Mesa/Boogie and Diezel sounds, with clean sounds from a Roland JC-120 and Mesa 2:Ninety power amps driving two monitor cabinets.
What strings and picks does James Hetfield use?
Ernie Ball's Papa Het's Hardwired Master Core set (11 to 50), his first signature strings, and the Dunlop White Fang Custom Flow pick he helped design.
What pickups does James Hetfield use?
His signature EMG JH 'Het Set' humbuckers. He has said he can put EMGs in every guitar and it will sound exactly like he needs it to.
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Named in this guide
JH
James Hetfield
About this guide · Last checked
James Hetfield co-founded Metallica in 1981 and is its singer, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter. This guide covers his guitars from every era, from the Electra Flying V and 1984 Gibson Explorer 'So What' to the ESP MX-220 'EET FUK', his Truckster, Iron Cross, Vulture and Snakebyte signatures and vintage 1958 Gibsons, plus the Mesa/Boogie and modded Marshall amps behind the records, his Ernie Ball strings, Dunlop picks and the records he has named.
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