James Hetfield
Latest about James Hetfield
“How can you possibly be satisfied being a singer when you play like that?”: Dave Mustaine recalls the first time he heard James Hetfield play guitar
By Matt Parker published
The Megadeth man has said Hetfield kept his talent hidden, and that witnessing him play for the first time was “kind of shocking”
“Hetfield would say, ‘Dude, get that bass s**t happening!’ It was a breathin'-down-your-neck type of thing...” Jason Newsted on the making of Metallica’s Load album
By Nick Wells published
The ex-Metallica bassist recalls the making of Load and why James Hetfield had a lot to do with the bass
10 Metallica guitar techniques you need to know
By Charlie Griffiths published
How the rhythm and lead styles of James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett will power up your metal playing fast
The guitar gear secrets behind James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett’s tones on 72 Seasons
By Jenna Scaramanga published
Metallica co-producer Greg Fidelman reveals how the new album was made with the help of a Marshall modded by Eddie Van Halen’s amp wizard and a rack full of battle-hardened guitars, including one that makes Hetfield “immediately want to play fast riffs”
James Hetfield recalls Dimebag Darrell introducing him to solid-state amps: “He had this freaking amazing crunch going on”
By Matt Parker published
The Metallica frontman was asked about his time with the Pantera legend and credited Darrell for making him question his tube tone
James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett debut new ESP and Gibson guitars at first show of M72 world tour
By Michael Astley-Brown published
Papa Het has a fresh Vulture, while Hammett’s uber-rare ’59 Les Paul got its first-ever runout for the set’s surprise opener
NAMM 2023: ESP meets fan demand with James Hetfield Olympic White Vulture and debuts 12 LTD signature guitars, including Gary Holt’s “very pointy” GH-SV
By Matt Parker published
Bill Kelliher, Stephen Carpenter, Nergal, Lars Frederiksen and Javier Reyes all have at least one new guitar on the way from the LTD stable
James Hetfield was offered the chance to buy the Greeny Les Paul before Kirk Hammett, but he turned it down: “I’m a real idiot”
By Michael Astley-Brown published
Watch Hammett demo Peter Green’s iconic Gibson for Howard Stern as his Metallica bandmate makes the surprise revelation
James Hetfield used a “legendary” head modded by Eddie Van Halen’s amp wizard for every track on Metallica’s new album
By Matt Parker published
According to 72 Seasons producer Greg Fidelman, the Metallica frontman leant heavily on this revived guitar amp, which was modded by renowned tech José Arredondo
James Hetfield says “if there was a guitar that changed the course of my history” it was this one – and it’s a cheap copy
By Matt Parker published
The story of this particular guitar features in the Metallica man’s new book about his six-strings, Messengers: The Guitars Of James Hetfield
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