@@dylanvogel4503 Na Kirk had developed a cocaine addiction during the Justice tour because he thought "drugs would be fun", I can't remember the source for this but I have seen it somewhere. However the only drugs confirmed that James admitted doing was weed and obviously alcohol
@@dylanvogel4503 He does talk about surfing helping him get off the drugs he was on at the time in the Some kind of Monster movie, I assume it's related to that
The secret is that james hang his guitar in a way that his right arm is almost straight out. Its his most comfortable positioning. Big difference from most guitar players covering Puppets just sitting on their bedside with almost 70 degree elbow angle which creates tension during extensive downpicking.
So this is why I can’t play it when I’m sitting down, if I’m not playing with my current band, i have my guitar really low, and I’m afraid to have it permanently higher, because I can’t play Master of Puppets
Kirk can't touch hetfield rhythm wise. he can play the songs well enough, but he is nowhere near as tight as hetfield.. not even live... and hetfield is singing on top of it. it's truly remarkable. I've been singing and playing for years now and it's fuckin HARD.
@@naegleriafowleri1715 metallicas best solos are hetfield solos.. at least he bends in key.. sure he's not wanting the wah pedal and noodling all over but his solos fit the song and are more impactful in my opinion.
@@AJWoS26 point is you can't be amazing at both soloing and rhythm, never seen it. Anyone can be great at down picking if you have been breathing and eating that shit for countless hours for decades and decades, longer than most kids watching this video have even been alive
Hetfield is a cyborg. If you have ever heard the ....and justice for all album you will probably come to the conclusion that he is a machine. A well oiled machine of precision. His right hand is otherworldly.
Never really thought too much about James Hetfield as a guitarist as I was concentrating on Kirk Hammett but then I watched him play Disposable Heroes live and I had a new found respect
He is certainly one of the most underrated guitar players ever. His guitar playing was taken to granted cause he does so many things for the band and his vocals + stage presence are so strong. I honestly think that even as a musician, he is overlooked. When they till quit, people will start to see how much of an impact this guy had on music and on so many generations of musicians.
I have seen James play myself from a very close distance, and his right hand really is very impressive, super tight and you really feel it. In my opinion guitarists who think like drummers tend to have that kind of sense of rhythm ( a few well known examples apart from James would be Nuno Bettencourt, Eddie Van Halen, and Malcom Young- different styles and skills but all think like drummers). Also when you see those kind of musicians play a rhythm part without the band, there is still an immediate sense of rightness about it and usually they approach their playing through the right hand, while most of the guitarists are concentrated on their left hand. If one is too much concentrated on the left hand, because of that alone you'll be a bit too far behind the beat. it is a matter of milliseconds but it makes a WORLD of difference (try it yourself , take a few riffs and really try to sense them through the right hand basically from the shoulder down and hopefully you'll notice the difference). To get the right sense of rhythm going is magic, just keeping up with the metronome does not cut it at all. Not a lot people have that really natural rhythm magic going on, James is one those who most definitely does have it.
Absolutely. Thanks now I dont have to explain it. One thing I can add though is I've heard of many people from bands that open for metallica and they watch from the side. They all say the same thing...
Dude i fucking LOVE that you evem matched the slight detune. As much as my perfect pitch hearing loathes that they did it, your attention to detail is impressive.
Unbelievable but absolutely believable. Wow. Your work is incredible and I can imagine how hard it was to figure all this out. Btw the wait on that original garage ep was awesome. One of my all time favorites
...people don't seem to understand that it's way easier to downpick if you have your guitar as low as Hetfield has it. Your right arm is completely relaxed that way, and you do everything with the wrist. That's why these riffs are hard to play if you're sitting down or if you have your guitar really high.
No you actually use your shoulder muscles, have you seen Hetfields shoulders back in the day? Comes from all this downpicking. It makes sense, because it’s typically the largest muscle on your arm, so it has a lot more power and stamina than a forearm for example.
ONE of his secrets was to put Whiskey In The Jar, My Friend of Misery. Some say that was his FUEL. I know It's Sad But True. For some it'll be The Day That Never Comes, but It's not Too Late, Too Late to start trying. I know It can cause Frustration, but like MaMa Said, that poison can be Unforgiven and leave you Helpless. James was right when he said "It's All Within My Hands," and Nothing Else Matters. It's not that he's Better Than You. He's just Some Kind Of Monster at playing tight. Sorry if you don't like my conclusion, but there's Free Speech For The Dumb too.
It's the chemistry between him and Lars. They're musically made for eachother. While you can say James could play with a more technically proficient drummer. Those two are the secret to their playing
Thanks for the call out. To be clear Mike B. is Michael Bendinelli the original designer of the Mesa Mark II and III. I had a long discussion with Mike when I sent the C+ to be modded to the ++. He warned me that the amp will no longer have a usable clean after the mod. They use the clean channel as another gain stage.
Wow..I trained tirelessly to pick it at album speed until I finally got it. Took about 8 months before I could do it and I come to find out that it was sped up on the album..
Scuff Alot Nowhere near as fast as 86 dude, and the riff is missing the F note before the power chords. There’s no need to argue but, the point of this comment thread is theirs no point bitching about the recording being sped up when they can clearly play it faster then the recording live.
It was actually my mod for the C++ that was on Master of Puppets. I was 4 at the time. Kind of a blur...the women and booze were out of this world. Good times.
I heard they didn't go to the modded c++ until the "less desirable" albums. Allegedly Puppets is a stock C+ slaved into an 800 with stock Gibson pickups.
Awesome video and insight. Can't believe I am still learning new stuff about that album after all these years. Would love to see you and Rick Beato run through each stem
CIRCLE OF TONE I have a request for you, just for fun. How about choosing a live show from Metallica, (2019?) and trying to find a reason for every James/Kirk guitar change from a song to the next? For example: fresh in tune guitar, change of tuning, tone characteristics, neck features, pickup, fashion... It would be fun! I know you are focused on studio features, but you have so many competences....trusted one!
^this Though, I'd rather go with Rock am Ring 2008. In my opinion, that's the single best show since Jason left the band, if not since Seattle 89. The performance was killer and super energetic. They couldn't have sounded bad if they tried. But all of that is second nature to the tone. The toooone man! Metallica Rock am Ring 2008 is the most jawdropping guitar sound I have ever heard in my life!
James usually uses his Black ESP V when opening shows, his old Gibson V copy for older songs from KEA, and his white explorer for misc. But I’d be interested in knowing the reasons
Hetfield was a massive influence on me when I was in high school learning to play guitar. Independent of all the other factors of tone, my understanding was that he uses the thumb, index and middle fingers of his right hand to hold the pick, and it looks like a claw with the thumb knuckle bend at 90 degrees. It goes a long way to tightening up the palm muted sound he is so well known for, especially when alternate picking, even though he is the down-picking champion of the world! Thanks for the informative and enjoyable video!!
Yep it's tough for me because I use my thumb and index finger. But it gives me a lot more control for dynamics in other aspects of playing, but at the cost of speed.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE Funny you should say that! I came to the same conclusion myself. If I play with 3 fingers like James, Metallica-esque rhythm parts (especially as far as down picking is concerned) are a breeze, I think using 3 fingers somehow stiffens up the wrist, so it leads to a tighter sound, but it doesn't work well when I want other kinds of dynamics in there, due to said "stiff-ness". I wouldn't be able to play Megadeth's "Train Of Consequences" for example, using 3 fingers on my pick.
Man, I think you are correct in this. Not many people talk about how James holds his pick. Back when I started to play guitar I use to hold the pick the same way, with my thumb, my index and middle fingers and felt very comfortable playing like that, and a couple years later I started to take proper lessons and the teacher told me that the way I held the pick was awful and incorrect and made me change it, you know, the ok sign. Like it was written in stone. Never got used to that, went back to hold the pick with three fingers and 20 years later I still play like this. I feel it gives you more control playing these fast and percusive riffs and the strokes hit the strings harder. So don’t listen to anyone who says to you that you are holding your pick the “wrong “ way, the right way is the way you feel the most comfortable... I mean, can any of these so called teachers stand in front of Hetfield or Marty Friedman and tell them they are doing it the wrong way? Ok, sorry for the long post :)
@@danielgonzalez2383 I totally agree with you, use the best technique for what you're playing at that point in time. The three finger grip is great for down picking. I started on classical guitar, which was great for discipline with technique, but found that I HAD to change up left hand, and more obviously right hand mechanics for rock and metal. What's really cool is that my teacher was good with it...if my thumb was visible from the front view while playing classical stuff he didn't care if I could still pull it off for that note sequence. Use whatever techniques work for you and don't worry about what people say.
I started playing guitar with a teacher and taught me that the "right" way to hold a pick, but also told me that there really isn't a right way, that every player plays his own way. Since he taught me the "right" way, I spent my first years of playing holding it like that, but then I tried Hetfield's way to see if I could down pick faster that way (I'm a huge Metallica fan, they're my favorite band and the reason why I started playing guitar, and it's funny cuz I first wanted to be lead and play like Kirk, but then I started paying more attention to James and thought that he looked so cool playing and singing so now I'm a rhtythm player and vocalist) , at the beginning it was uncomfortable but now I can only play like that, specially when palm muting.
He he he.... You nailed the bass tone. Talking about the not audible bass tone of metallica they had in that period. I know from several photos that Kirk and Jamed taped the strings they did not use in the part they recorded with painters tape. I am not talking about the part of the strings on the headstock or between bridge and tailpeace to avoid overtones, but the actual, ringing part of the strings. This way they were able to rip it without having to care about string muting. This is a big advantage when you want to play fast. Hand position is pretty hard to hold, if you have to play fast downstrokes and to mute the strings you don't play.
Kong and Basses i believe they stares to use the tape in Black Album. Bob Rock showed it to them. It is in the document but Im nor enirely sure but it is mentioned there.
@@FeFeronkaMetallica Hi, there is a photo of James where he taped strings just like described. He had Jackson King around MoP era so that checks out! www.guitarscollector.com/gallery/FB_IMG_1447285091005.jpg
Great work, Owen! Sounded tight as f*ck! I really dig the fact that you went to tape to achieve the pitch/meter change. It could have been done with a DAW, but there are indeed certain artifacts that present in analog that even digital-based tape simulation can't duplicate.
Master of puppets was my band's must play song in every concert ten years ago.I was downpicking everything.A few days ago tried to play it again and fortunately i succeed. Thank god I haven't lost my downpicking technique and stamina .
"Metallica was obsessed with being tight..." I have one word... It starts with an 'L' :p Naaaaah! Sorry! That one was too obvious. I love Lars and the old Metallica stuff! I love the Garage days EP. It's one of the best sounding Metallica recordings imo.
nicely done, all the way around. youtube is flooded with metallica content, to the point where i avoid alot of it. your video was waaay worth watching. also, the last thing you said, was hilarious. i'm going to forever be looking for away to adapt that into a conversation someday.
Wow, I actually wasn't aware of that. I guess it's easy to think that they recorded it normaly because they've been able to play it full speed for years. Hell, they've played it faster than on the record at one point. But this is... interesting to say the least. I guess it's kind of a similar feeling than when I learned they did alot of editing on Justice.
Well bloody done! I could play it to speed back in my 20s. It took a lot to get there with just downstrokes. I was always more concerned with nailing those solos. What a great time to learn guitar.
By the time Garage Days came around, both had fully switched to the EMG 81 (bridge) and 60 (neck) pairing. James still had his Gibson Explorer, as his ESP deal wasn't struck until sometime between Garage Days and Justice. If you can figure out exactly what was used on Justice it's gonna be pretty much the same for GD. Mesa Mark IIc++, one of his Marshall cabs (I'm thinking the T-75 one like on Puppets), probably an SM57 as it sounds more bitey and grating than the last two albums using an SM7. Could be a mix of 57 and a tom mic as well
@@chug5362 Vintage 30s are very midrangey and there's very little midrange on AJFA, T-75s also have that hard to describe sizzle, which seems more like presence than high mids like a V30. Then again, I'm not a speaker wizard so idk, all I know is 65s and 75s have gotten me the closest
James didn't start using EMG 60s until the Black Album Tour, if not after that. His EMG laden guitars before that had the 81 in the bridge & neck position, just like Kirk.
If you look at the pictures in the garage days booklet. Kirk is standing by a large grill Mesa Cab. If that was used in recording. The speakers would be the Mesa Black Shadows, C90, or EVM12L. Those were the speakers I have seen in the mid to late 80s Mesa Cabs. The V30s came out in the 90s. From what I understand. Marshall JCM Cabs from that era were 65s or 75s.
Puppets so hard, I really respect Hetfield. Dimebag once said " I ve never seen anyone downstroke like Hetfield." This is coming from Dimebag man, it means something you know. Another song I will want to give as a example. Misfits' song: Helena. There is a part (around 1 :43), so fast, and I watched some covers, everyone alternate picking. I know all Misfits songs are downstroke, all of them. But that part of the song is way too hard, so I asked Doyle, and he responed to me said, yes all downpicking. I said man how do you play that fast? He told me "Pro" :)
The tightness is not just an issue pf skill, its an issues of physics. The guitar, the crunch in the distortion the 'wubs' of the palm mutes all become shortened when they are sped up. This is a tightness that can't be achieved through skill, only through speeding it up.
That tone is ENORMOUS. That's my favourite band Owen. I supposed it was sped up. You can hear the same "bathroom" sound on For Whom The Bell Tolls, which was sped up to match the pitch of the bell (which was an anvil btw xD). Thank you man!
I remember reading about this in a guitar magazine. Really cool that you did a video on this. How many guitarists have tried to play this and went WTF!!!
@@CIRCLEOFTONE Yes it did. I remember the arguments we got into about the timing. Everyone was pissed off because they couldn't get that "EXACT" sound. It really got crazy during "And Justice for All". I seem to recall the band saying they couldn't play it live because the timing was crazy as !!!!!
No but after the album and on the tour I noticed neither are in the Explorer he was playing live. Unless he had a few Explorers for stage. The pole pieces/slugs were not the Dirty Fingers type or the Invader type in the tour pics. They looked like regular Gibson 500T/496R style or whatever was in the mid 80's. The Mr Bubbles Tshirt pic of the Jackson V pickup could have been the Invader. The pic looks like the light may be bouncing off the raised aspect of the pickup poles. Or the pole slugs could be regular and blurred. Either way dirty fingers sound similar to invaders. Invaders are a bit more wooly in the low end due to the output. The way he gravitated to EMG's after suggests that you can't go wrong with high output pickups.
When I was younger in the early 90s I was in my mid-twenties. Back then? Yes.I could play along with the entire first 4 albums while the tape was in my cassette deck.I could down pick triplets for hours without getting tired hands(I could play "damage inc"or "dyers Eve"). Back then it didn't seem like a big deal. But then again I was young and playing 10 hours a day.It's all I did."Guitar Hermit"my friends called me.I miss those days man. I would sit there rewinding,learning Kirk's solos.(nice black wristband. Adds to the Hetfield style...lol).
yeah with downpicking you've just got to practice not only until it becomes muscle memory, but to the point where you're so relaxed while doing it that you don't even think about it. You can't tense your arm or hold your breath while doing it, you've just got to be relaxed and use minimal effort.
I literally sat up after that Intro haha. This tone means so much to me and many others man. I actually came across that speeding up trick when I sped up a demo of mine and thought: Holy shit this has that MOP quality all of a sudden! Huge respect Owen, I think you nailed MOP while still sounding real (sick of the IR tone matches) I thought I knew it all, but the internets ultimate neckbeard has striken once again
I'm sure they recorded Creeping Death slower as well. The key is between Em and Fm, not in-tune with either, and James' voice sounds a bit chip monk like. They probably did that trick a lot if you consider James' vocal sound.
the trick is in the picking technique. down, put the pick in place, and down again, but, don't move out the pick and pick down in the next string, when hit the A string placing in him coming from the E, and pick it. srry for my bad English. it's call hybrid picking i believe. Ben Bruce from Asking Alexandria use that. is more stamina convenient.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE That's insane man! And this whole video was a job well done! I never knew this about master, and definitely enjoy the neck beard stuff, keep it up dude 👍
Master of Puppets is the downpicking Holy Grail. I'm a little sad to learn that they sped it up, but in the end they did what they had to,in order to get the sound the way they wanted. Though honestly, this really changes nothing about how much I love that song and the entire album. It's a masterpiece of metal. Phenomal job sorting out all of this, your a helluva tone detective, cheers!
It is considered that, and I used to think that, until I saw James play Blackened - all downstrokes. The pedal between the E and A strings on the monster intro riff he plays downstrokes. Mind. Blown.
I think you can finagle it with chorus + rhythm pup + and lots of drive with the gtr vol rolled off slightly. There’s also the touch of reverb. But my donkey ears are easily fooled so *shrug*
Owen Great job on this, I watched this when it first came out and didn't get to comment. Well done, I have to say this was worth the wait, I never thought about Metallica speeding up the tape to make it sound so tight. I have to say I have seen them live a few times, they are tight, all of them can play, and James really does it from my point of view.
If you ever get a Ricky 4003, get a hipshot replacement bridge. The bridge on the ricky is awful. Love the sound and playability but Rickenbacker needs to modernize their stuff.
I apologise, have deleted my previous comments. Watched some more of your content, very much loving the Slap bass one. i now get where you are coming from. :)
Blackie Lawless was a big fan of speeding up recordings. I think he is on record as saying this in one of those late 80s hard and heavy VHS compilations that used to be released. Brill vid Owen \m/+\m/ Stay safe and keep the vids coming \m/
My main guitar back in the day was a Charvel Jackson. A yellow bolt-on Star. It’s the same one I use now. I’ve broken it about five times-I just glue it back together and put a new neck on it. The amps were Marshall Super Leads, 1971 or ’72, 100-watt tops. I used a Nady [Wireless], and I went into a parametric equalizer, then a Lexicon [effects] processor and then into the Marshalls. equipboard.com/pros/chris-holmes/marshall-super-lead-100-watt-head
Hmmm is this mainly why everyone hates St. Anger? they left in a lot of the "human elements" in the recordings and less studio magic shite...i actually enjoyed hearing an almost raw album from them besides there stranded over produced shit
The only thing that REALLY sucked about St Anger production wise was how loud the snare was in the mix + the tone of the snare. I didn't mind the production so much, it was a nice contrast to the production of everything else at the time. Also, the album was simply much too long. They definitely should have knocked 2, maybe 3 songs off it to make a more concise statement. I would have deleted 'Invisible kid' and 'Purify' before releasing the album - both very average pointless filler. Listening in retrospect, 'Frantic', 'Sweet Amber', 'Unnamed Feeling' and 'All WIthin My Hands' are all really good songs which i prefer to anything off Load or Reload.
@@pascalecnto68 Dam bro..you nailed it! I almost think the exact same way. Yeah that piccolo snare was a ballsy move by them. I totally agree with the whole no point in putting out average songs. If i had that opportunity in life to make an album with the resources they had during that production i would dam make sure every single second was worthy of what my fans deserve.
With practice comes perfection. I’ve been playing Master for couple of years in order to record a downpicking cover last week. James is a guitar GOD \m/
@@CIRCLEOFTONE I will admit that my critique was a tad pointed, and that's on me. That said, it is indeed 2020, and there are plenty of sources out there - VIDEOS, even - that show people the correct notes/fingering. Maybe it's just me, but I would want to know if I was incorrect. I should've chosen a better way to express that than I did, but I didn't and that's a mistake on my part. Anyway, play it how you like. I won't bother you any further. Sorry that I upset you with my previous comment.
Growing up in Marin County, Metallica was inscribed on every Metal Heads Binder, was Awesome. You recreation is amazing. Was that the Langner Marshall you playing through to get that sound. I recently acquired to mod and made 3 Marshall style amplifiers and can only turn the preamp between 1 and 3 O clock.,cause 10 is definitely Punk or thrash Metal.
@@anthonysclafani3963 you talking about hetfield playing MOP? All his middle section parts are with the switch in middle position... at least in the live versions i've seen
James played it faster than the album in 1986 in canada right after cliff died. Every song they played for the entire set was about 15% or more faster than on the album. My favorite song from the preformance is blitzkrieg
It is funny to think that the first album Kirk played rhythm guitars was on the Black Album. I wouldn't be comfortable with that. Same thing with Exodus, Zetro said that Holt records all rhythm guitars. Slayer was the same way (I think that started in the 90's, when Hanneman wasn't as tight anymore on studio).
james is deffo a great riffer, no doubt, but he is given waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to much credit. he is not the only great downpicker in metal, but one thing that is never mentioned, and it really bugs me, is that kirk is following his downpicking in every song basically, except during solos. and if you watch 2019/2020 shows, james is slowing way down with his right hand, kirk hasnt faltered in his riffs.
What about Kirk Hammett downstroke...? Is there an actual difference with James? I mean...every time they play live there's a Kirk Hammett doubling the verses..!
He's an underrated player esp back in that period. It was after the black album that he got into playing more off the cuff and he's not as good as improv as he was writing solos imo.
I wonder if he also deteriorated as a player because his hand suffered some permanent damage. Imagine playing along with James fucking Hetfield for countless shows for 37 years while obviously not having his right hand technique. No wonder he was the first to go EMG - with them he could pick lighter.
JEKAZOL yes Dave is very on focus while playing. But the greatest regret about Mustaine divorce is that James lost a songwriter. I mean, behind the technical matter, Dave is a compositor. Can you Imagine James and Dave looking each others saying "Yes this riff is a killer, now hear this chorus..!" Kirk is not in that game
I thought of something that may be useful. I remember around the time of garage days. My friend had told me that when he went to day on the green. Metallica was using Mesa boogie heads. And Marshall cabinets. The rumor was. Mesa Boogie was trying to corner the American Market. They weee local in Cali and Metallica was a perfect fit for them to get they’re name out there. How much of this is true. I have no clue. The Wait one of my all time favorites. And good luck finding the original tape of the original garage days with them all in leotards I’m a bathroom. 🤣. I think I saw it in ebay for a ton of cash one time. Dammit man. I used to own that ! Grrrrrrrrr
I've wondered if Hetfield's three-finger pick hold gave some sort of speed/stamina advantage, but I doubt it. The one thing it does do is make the pick flat and parallel to the string, which I think helps with the clarity/tightness when downpicking at fast speeds.
Yep that helps speed but I can't get the level of control using that technique. I can play that way and it's easier to play fast, but the tight aspect goes out of the window. That's why guitarists marvel at Het's playing. He uses that grip and sounds like he's playing with more control than he should. It's kinda ham fisted vs the two finger attack I used but he makes it sound more clinical.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE Congrats on the new baby! Yeah, I tried the three finger hold but after about 30 seconds the strings start tearing up my middle finger. As for cool tape speed tricks, I seem to recall that the heavy guitar part on NIN's song 'Last' was recorded fast and then the tape was slowed down, but can't for the life of me find anything to back that up.
On the JCM 800, if it was an 84 like the cab, there is no input that bypasses the preamp. The closest thing would be to plug into the low input. If there was an effect loop, you could bypass the preamp by going into the return. Almost universally, you'd take the slave out from the iic and run it into the low input of the Marshall. Both need to be hooked up to cabinets though. I'm gonna try this with my 5150 and JCM800 to see if I can make it sound similar to the EL34 5150's, but with that 80's Marshall, drake output transformer flavor. I have two '84 JCM 800's, matching 84 cab, and 2x 5150 blocks and a bunch more cabs, so this could be fun to piss off my whole city. Hehe I got the two JCM800's to duplicate Billy Corgan rig actually... His old amp tech helped me and the shit sounds exactly like the Soamese Dream album.
Great sound, well played! Minor quibble, I think the riff when the drums come in has a pedal of 0 1 on the low E rather than 0 2. Pretty sure that's how he plays it if you watch live videos.
I remember the first time I nailed the into I was so high from the rush while playing along. I don't play with music but maybe 1 out of 20 time playing but when I do I usually get this crazy rush the first time thru the song. I couldn't imagine being in front of an audience or on stage
on original tape version you could hear the transition from sped up to normal and back when song goes on the slow section at middle. Its fixed on later re-releases on cd.
I started playing guitar cause of Metallica so Master of puppets was an obvious challenge. Honestly mastering stuff like MOP, Blackened, Creeping death etc etc means so much after all these years, so I owe all of my downpicking technique to James H.
"The Wait" utilized drop D tuning with a flange (as opposed to a chorus which some believe that was used) for the clean sound. For heavy sound, I believe there is the typical James heavy (which many already reproduce effectively). Both clean and heavy use a really big empty room for "reverb". The main difference in sound is the intro to Jason Newstead, and the experimentation on his sound. Great video, and wish you the best of luck on reproducing the sound of 5.98 EP! :) Edit: I got schooled... the song I was referring to above is "The Small Hours". Both are awesome songs though worth learning! Happy Easter! :)
Dude was playing it faster in Seattle 1989. The secret is coke
Mr. Metalhorse I heard the only one using coke was Lars
True and he was playing the riffs while he was singing at the same time.
@@dylanvogel4503 Na Kirk had developed a cocaine addiction during the Justice tour because he thought "drugs would be fun", I can't remember the source for this but I have seen it somewhere. However the only drugs confirmed that James admitted doing was weed and obviously alcohol
Taylor Winch I never would have thought Kirk did that the more you know
@@dylanvogel4503 He does talk about surfing helping him get off the drugs he was on at the time in the Some kind of Monster movie, I assume it's related to that
The secret is that james hang his guitar in a way that his right arm is almost straight out. Its his most comfortable positioning. Big difference from most guitar players covering Puppets just sitting on their bedside with almost 70 degree elbow angle which creates tension during extensive downpicking.
That's a great point! I wonder if he actually tracked the faster songs standing up in "stage stance," then...
Dimebag used his body too. Good point. It is comfy on an explorer.
Or its just that some people are "blessed" or a "natural" at doing these things coz if we all can do it, then it makes no sense.
So this is why I can’t play it when I’m sitting down, if I’m not playing with my current band, i have my guitar really low, and I’m afraid to have it permanently higher, because I can’t play Master of Puppets
@@CIRCLEOFTONE Allen collins had to stand and move around for the early skynyrd albums
I love that James gets the respect for this cuz homie is insane but we forget the Kirk can keep up with James for sure
But live Kirk can just stop playing and let James continue the riff by himself. Which Kirk does do and has done on many occasions
Kirk can't touch hetfield rhythm wise. he can play the songs well enough, but he is nowhere near as tight as hetfield.. not even live... and hetfield is singing on top of it. it's truly remarkable. I've been singing and playing for years now and it's fuckin HARD.
@@AJWoS26 cause thats all hetfield does lol thats all he practiced for decades lol he cant solo for shit
@@naegleriafowleri1715 metallicas best solos are hetfield solos.. at least he bends in key.. sure he's not wanting the wah pedal and noodling all over but his solos fit the song and are more impactful in my opinion.
@@AJWoS26 point is you can't be amazing at both soloing and rhythm, never seen it. Anyone can be great at down picking if you have been breathing and eating that shit for countless hours for decades and decades, longer than most kids watching this video have even been alive
Hetfield is a cyborg. If you have ever heard the ....and justice for all album you will probably come to the conclusion that he is a machine. A well oiled machine of precision. His right hand is otherworldly.
For real. It's crazy.
AND - HE'S SINGING!!!!!!! INSANITY!!!!!
Right!?
Sgt Bill the vocal likes usually follow the guitar though. Easy. Now go try and do what geddy lee does where the vocals often dont follow the bass.
@@trenken Easy? Try to play Battery and sing it at the same time for the whole song
@@HijoDeDios999 Battery riff is in time with a snare-kick beat, but he starts singing the verses on the first kick.
Even dime said no one can play rythm like James hetfied
I'm honored to dive off the same stage as Dime in his prime.
Never really thought too much about James Hetfield as a guitarist as I was concentrating on Kirk Hammett but then I watched him play Disposable Heroes live and I had a new found respect
And SINGING over it. Lol maniac.
Disposable Heroes is a wrist killer.
misfit js Kirk did write riffs from disposable heroes and master of puppets js
He is certainly one of the most underrated guitar players ever. His guitar playing was taken to granted cause he does so many things for the band and his vocals + stage presence are so strong. I honestly think that even as a musician, he is overlooked. When they till quit, people will start to see how much of an impact this guy had on music and on so many generations of musicians.
POLLOTROM I am not a guitarist but it really does look it and as John said above he sings too which I had just taken for granted.
I have seen James play myself from a very close distance, and his right hand really is very impressive, super tight and you really feel it. In my opinion guitarists who think like drummers tend to have that kind of sense of rhythm ( a few well known examples apart from James would be Nuno Bettencourt, Eddie Van Halen, and Malcom Young- different styles and skills but all think like drummers). Also when you see those kind of musicians play a rhythm part without the band, there is still an immediate sense of rightness about it and usually they approach their playing through the right hand, while most of the guitarists are concentrated on their left hand. If one is too much concentrated on the left hand, because of that alone you'll be a bit too far behind the beat. it is a matter of milliseconds but it makes a WORLD of difference (try it yourself , take a few riffs and really try to sense them through the right hand basically from the shoulder down and hopefully you'll notice the difference). To get the right sense of rhythm going is magic, just keeping up with the metronome does not cut it at all. Not a lot people have that really natural rhythm magic going on, James is one those who most definitely does have it.
He is amazing regardless. It's the songwriting attitude and skill.
Jame's sense of rhythm is what keeps Lars in check during live shows
@@Drum8888 That is right, i think there are not that many well known bands where drummers rely on guitars.
Metallica had studio musicians?
Absolutely. Thanks now I dont have to explain it. One thing I can add though is I've heard of many people from bands that open for metallica and they watch from the side. They all say the same thing...
Dude i fucking LOVE that you evem matched the slight detune.
As much as my perfect pitch hearing loathes that they did it, your attention to detail is impressive.
This guy is suffering whlile plying. Tell him he should relax
There is no chill in thrash
Oh yea? Where's your version?
Yea, thought so.
CIRCLE OF TONE. Thats why u cant play it man. Gotta relax that wrist.
@@quix99 bruv I try to relex my wrist when I play master of puppet my pick just fly out of my hand and never saw it again.
Scuff Alot change the angle of attack. Put the thumb over the side of the finger and angle it. Cuts right over string
Unbelievable but absolutely believable. Wow. Your work is incredible and I can imagine how hard it was to figure all this out. Btw the wait on that original garage ep was awesome. One of my all time favorites
So great. I'd love to know what gear was used on that first note.
That wrist looks like its gonna give. LOL.
Dace Chasing Hawk it looked like that from the start lmao
...people don't seem to understand that it's way easier to downpick if you have your guitar as low as Hetfield has it. Your right arm is completely relaxed that way, and you do everything with the wrist. That's why these riffs are hard to play if you're sitting down or if you have your guitar really high.
Doing everything with your wrist is a quick way to end up worse and in pain.
It's all in that hetfield power stance baby. Break your spine and you will nail puppets at live speed
No you actually use your shoulder muscles, have you seen Hetfields shoulders back in the day? Comes from all this downpicking. It makes sense, because it’s typically the largest muscle on your arm, so it has a lot more power and stamina than a forearm for example.
Then explain the past 25 years or so.
James no longer wears his guitar as low as he did his first 10-15 years.
ONE of his secrets was to put Whiskey In The Jar, My Friend of Misery. Some say that was his FUEL. I know It's Sad But True. For some it'll be The Day That Never Comes, but It's not Too Late, Too Late to start trying. I know It can cause Frustration, but like MaMa Said, that poison can be Unforgiven and leave you Helpless. James was right when he said "It's All Within My Hands," and Nothing Else Matters. It's not that he's Better Than You. He's just Some Kind Of Monster at playing tight. Sorry if you don't like my conclusion, but there's Free Speech For The Dumb too.
Bill's Guitar
😂👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
downstroke claps all day
jesus. you win this comment thread. the video needs to come down
It's the chemistry between him and Lars. They're musically made for eachother. While you can say James could play with a more technically proficient drummer. Those two are the secret to their playing
They could replace the drummer in a second and be exponentially better actually
Right but it's 'the chemistry between James and Lars' lol
@@LesGaming511 it's not though. Please educate yourself.
Lol quit liking your own comment 🤣
@@LesGaming511 "you're" 😆😆😆😆😆
Thanks for the call out. To be clear Mike B. is Michael Bendinelli the original designer of the Mesa Mark II and III. I had a long discussion with Mike when I sent the C+ to be modded to the ++. He warned me that the amp will no longer have a usable clean after the mod. They use the clean channel as another gain stage.
Thanks for the info man!
Wow..I trained tirelessly to pick it at album speed until I finally got it. Took about 8 months before I could do it and I come to find out that it was sped up on the album..
They still play it fast as shit live tho
But they play it even faster then the album live especially in 86.
@@JohnDoe-ij7et listen to them play live on Howard show lmao is even faster
Scuff Alot
Nowhere near as fast as 86 dude, and the riff is missing the F note before the power chords.
There’s no need to argue but, the point of this comment thread is theirs no point bitching about the recording being sped up when they can clearly play it faster then the recording live.
@@JohnDoe-ij7et never heard the '89 version before I definitely going to check it out.
My goodness, this guy knows how and what and why and when and where... Yeah, this guy knows, definitetly he knows...
He was there m8
It was actually my mod for the C++ that was on Master of Puppets. I was 4 at the time. Kind of a blur...the women and booze were out of this world. Good times.
I heard they didn't go to the modded c++ until the "less desirable" albums. Allegedly Puppets is a stock C+ slaved into an 800 with stock Gibson pickups.
@@GabePerson puppets was recorded on james's jackson v that he got in 1985 with seymour duncan invader pickups
the song master of puppets, not the full album, some songs (the thing, for example) were recorded with the gibson explorer
@@GabePerson There was no JCM on MOP
@@adam2178 It is only on some solos we use the JCM 800 as poweramp. Most guitars are with the Boogie powerstage!
Flemming Rasmussen
Awesome video and insight. Can't believe I am still learning new stuff about that album after all these years. Would love to see you and Rick Beato run through each stem
Rick is the man.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE you're both a pair of uber nerds. And that's a good thing obviously 😅
CIRCLE OF TONE I have a request for you, just for fun.
How about choosing a live show from Metallica, (2019?) and trying to find a reason for every James/Kirk guitar change from a song to the next?
For example: fresh in tune guitar, change of tuning, tone characteristics, neck features, pickup, fashion...
It would be fun!
I know you are focused on studio features, but you have so many competences....trusted one!
^this
Though, I'd rather go with Rock am Ring 2008. In my opinion, that's the single best show since Jason left the band, if not since Seattle 89. The performance was killer and super energetic. They couldn't have sounded bad if they tried. But all of that is second nature to the tone. The toooone man! Metallica Rock am Ring 2008 is the most jawdropping guitar sound I have ever heard in my life!
ikr? i mean when i saw them live they changed guitars between every song and i still dont know the exact reason
James usually uses his Black ESP V when opening shows, his old Gibson V copy for older songs from KEA, and his white explorer for misc. But I’d be interested in knowing the reasons
Hetfield was a massive influence on me when I was in high school learning to play guitar. Independent of all the other factors of tone, my understanding was that he uses the thumb, index and middle fingers of his right hand to hold the pick, and it looks like a claw with the thumb knuckle bend at 90 degrees. It goes a long way to tightening up the palm muted sound he is so well known for, especially when alternate picking, even though he is the down-picking champion of the world! Thanks for the informative and enjoyable video!!
Yep it's tough for me because I use my thumb and index finger. But it gives me a lot more control for dynamics in other aspects of playing, but at the cost of speed.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE Funny you should say that! I came to the same conclusion myself. If I play with 3 fingers like James, Metallica-esque rhythm parts (especially as far as down picking is concerned) are a breeze, I think using 3 fingers somehow stiffens up the wrist, so it leads to a tighter sound, but it doesn't work well when I want other kinds of dynamics in there, due to said "stiff-ness". I wouldn't be able to play Megadeth's "Train Of Consequences" for example, using 3 fingers on my pick.
Man, I think you are correct in this. Not many people talk about how James holds his pick. Back when I started to play guitar I use to hold the pick the same way, with my thumb, my index and middle fingers and felt very comfortable playing like that, and a couple years later I started to take proper lessons and the teacher told me that the way I held the pick was awful and incorrect and made me change it, you know, the ok sign. Like it was written in stone. Never got used to that, went back to hold the pick with three fingers and 20 years later I still play like this. I feel it gives you more control playing these fast and percusive riffs and the strokes hit the strings harder. So don’t listen to anyone who says to you that you are holding your pick the “wrong “ way, the right way is the way you feel the most comfortable... I mean, can any of these so called teachers stand in front of Hetfield or Marty Friedman and tell them they are doing it the wrong way? Ok, sorry for the long post :)
@@danielgonzalez2383 I totally agree with you, use the best technique for what you're playing at that point in time. The three finger grip is great for down picking.
I started on classical guitar, which was great for discipline with technique, but found that I HAD to change up left hand, and more obviously right hand mechanics for rock and metal. What's really cool is that my teacher was good with it...if my thumb was visible from the front view while playing classical stuff he didn't care if I could still pull it off for that note sequence. Use whatever techniques work for you and don't worry about what people say.
I started playing guitar with a teacher and taught me that the "right" way to hold a pick, but also told me that there really isn't a right way, that every player plays his own way. Since he taught me the "right" way, I spent my first years of playing holding it like that, but then I tried Hetfield's way to see if I could down pick faster that way (I'm a huge Metallica fan, they're my favorite band and the reason why I started playing guitar, and it's funny cuz I first wanted to be lead and play like Kirk, but then I started paying more attention to James and thought that he looked so cool playing and singing so now I'm a rhtythm player and vocalist) , at the beginning it was uncomfortable but now I can only play like that, specially when palm muting.
If you like this vid, I did one on Chris Poland era Megadeth here. Please share etc: th-cam.com/video/bOOhNPZvV80/w-d-xo.html
I did kill em all era here th-cam.com/video/erJ_EjVAQao/w-d-xo.html
I did RTL era here: th-cam.com/video/Swu8MT2Bpzg/w-d-xo.html
"The Wait" is a great tune!
voronOsphere it really is man on of my favorites
The original is WAY better IMO.
The tape plays faster...faster!
Man so glad to see you putting out videos still. You rock !
He he he....
You nailed the bass tone.
Talking about the not audible bass tone of metallica they had in that period.
I know from several photos that Kirk and Jamed taped the strings they did not use in the part they recorded with painters tape. I am not talking about the part of the strings on the headstock or between bridge and tailpeace to avoid overtones, but the actual, ringing part of the strings.
This way they were able to rip it without having to care about string muting.
This is a big advantage when you want to play fast. Hand position is pretty hard to hold, if you have to play fast downstrokes and to mute the strings you don't play.
Kong and Basses i believe they stares to use the tape in Black Album. Bob Rock showed it to them. It is in the document but Im nor enirely sure but it is mentioned there.
@@FeFeronkaMetallica Hi, there is a photo of James where he taped strings just like described. He had Jackson King around MoP era so that checks out!
www.guitarscollector.com/gallery/FB_IMG_1447285091005.jpg
Great work, Owen! Sounded tight as f*ck! I really dig the fact that you went to tape to achieve the pitch/meter change. It could have been done with a DAW, but there are indeed certain artifacts that present in analog that even digital-based tape simulation can't duplicate.
Thanks man. I had a digital sped up version too but the tape sounded more like the original.
Master of puppets was my band's must play song in every concert ten years ago.I was downpicking everything.A few days ago tried to play it again and fortunately i succeed.
Thank god I haven't lost my downpicking technique and stamina .
I was pretty upset when I found out this was sped up. Kind of like when I found out that stripper poles spin. Any reason you left the F notes out?
Yeah I'm an idiot. Haha
@@CIRCLEOFTONE 😂
If it helps at all, not all stripper poles spin. Some require work.
WHAT?! Stripper poles spin?!! Omfg that’s disappointing
kronosecw they play it faster live than on the recording
"Metallica was obsessed with being tight..." I have one word... It starts with an 'L' :p Naaaaah! Sorry! That one was too obvious. I love Lars and the old Metallica stuff!
I love the Garage days EP. It's one of the best sounding Metallica recordings imo.
nicely done, all the way around. youtube is flooded with metallica content, to the point where i avoid alot of it.
your video was waaay worth watching. also, the last thing you said, was hilarious. i'm going to forever be looking for away to adapt that into a conversation someday.
Hehe. Thanks man.
Wow, I actually wasn't aware of that. I guess it's easy to think that they recorded it normaly because they've been able to play it full speed for years. Hell, they've played it faster than on the record at one point. But this is... interesting to say the least. I guess it's kind of a similar feeling than when I learned they did alot of editing on Justice.
Well bloody done! I could play it to speed back in my 20s. It took a lot to get there with just downstrokes. I was always more concerned with nailing those solos. What a great time to learn guitar.
Sick outro man!!
By the time Garage Days came around, both had fully switched to the EMG 81 (bridge) and 60 (neck) pairing. James still had his Gibson Explorer, as his ESP deal wasn't struck until sometime between Garage Days and Justice. If you can figure out exactly what was used on Justice it's gonna be pretty much the same for GD. Mesa Mark IIc++, one of his Marshall cabs (I'm thinking the T-75 one like on Puppets), probably an SM57 as it sounds more bitey and grating than the last two albums using an SM7. Could be a mix of 57 and a tom mic as well
I've heard rumors that AJFA was a Mark III. Kirk used his Gibson Flying V, Jackson RR1T Custom and probably the lawsuit ESP M guitar.
Kirk said they started using V30s for Justice.
@@chug5362 Vintage 30s are very midrangey and there's very little midrange on AJFA, T-75s also have that hard to describe sizzle, which seems more like presence than high mids like a V30. Then again, I'm not a speaker wizard so idk, all I know is 65s and 75s have gotten me the closest
James didn't start using EMG 60s until the Black Album Tour, if not after that. His EMG laden guitars before that had the 81 in the bridge & neck position, just like Kirk.
If you look at the pictures in the garage days booklet. Kirk is standing by a large grill Mesa Cab. If that was used in recording. The speakers would be the Mesa Black Shadows, C90, or EVM12L. Those were the speakers I have seen in the mid to late 80s Mesa Cabs. The V30s came out in the 90s. From what I understand.
Marshall JCM Cabs from that era were 65s or 75s.
Puppets so hard, I really respect Hetfield. Dimebag once said " I ve never seen anyone downstroke like Hetfield." This is coming from Dimebag man, it means something you know.
Another song I will want to give as a example. Misfits' song: Helena. There is a part (around 1 :43), so fast, and I watched some covers, everyone alternate picking. I know all Misfits songs are downstroke, all of them.
But that part of the song is way too hard, so I asked Doyle, and he responed to me said, yes all downpicking.
I said man how do you play that fast?
He told me "Pro" :)
Nevzat Mutlu and that song has a sequence that sounds like the part of Metallica’s Sanitarium 😯
The tightness is not just an issue pf skill, its an issues of physics. The guitar, the crunch in the distortion the 'wubs' of the palm mutes all become shortened when they are sped up. This is a tightness that can't be achieved through skill, only through speeding it up.
Agreed.
That tone is ENORMOUS. That's my favourite band Owen. I supposed it was sped up. You can hear the same "bathroom" sound on For Whom The Bell Tolls, which was sped up to match the pitch of the bell (which was an anvil btw xD). Thank you man!
Very cool. That was the first track they ever played to a click to.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE I hear that they played whiplash to a click,to make it tighter
I remember reading about this in a guitar magazine. Really cool that you did a video on this. How many guitarists have tried to play this and went WTF!!!
It's good long term. Upped everyones game.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE Yes it did. I remember the arguments we got into about the timing. Everyone was pissed off because they couldn't get that "EXACT" sound. It really got crazy during "And Justice for All". I seem to recall the band saying they couldn't play it live because the timing was crazy as !!!!!
You said James used dirty fingers in his explorer, I've heard he did some tracking with a Seymour Duncan Invader...? Anything about that in the book?
No but after the album and on the tour I noticed neither are in the Explorer he was playing live. Unless he had a few Explorers for stage. The pole pieces/slugs were not the Dirty Fingers type or the Invader type in the tour pics. They looked like regular Gibson 500T/496R style or whatever was in the mid 80's.
The Mr Bubbles Tshirt pic of the Jackson V pickup could have been the Invader. The pic looks like the light may be bouncing off the raised aspect of the pickup poles. Or the pole slugs could be regular and blurred. Either way dirty fingers sound similar to invaders. Invaders are a bit more wooly in the low end due to the output. The way he gravitated to EMG's after suggests that you can't go wrong with high output pickups.
The invader was in the white V he had in the early days
Honestly refreshing to see someone actually play MOP the right way. No alternate picking, and the correct way he plays it.
Thanks man. I messed up one bit where I was a fret off but I like the result.
When I was younger in the early 90s I was in my mid-twenties. Back then? Yes.I could play along with the entire first 4 albums while the tape was in my cassette deck.I could down pick triplets for hours without getting tired hands(I could play "damage inc"or "dyers Eve"). Back then it didn't seem like a big deal. But then again I was young and playing 10 hours a day.It's all I did."Guitar Hermit"my friends called me.I miss those days man. I would sit there rewinding,learning Kirk's solos.(nice black wristband. Adds to the Hetfield style...lol).
yeah with downpicking you've just got to practice not only until it becomes muscle memory, but to the point where you're so relaxed while doing it that you don't even think about it. You can't tense your arm or hold your breath while doing it, you've just got to be relaxed and use minimal effort.
That style does not work on this though. You have to dig in to get the oomph. It's a physical style.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE i guess you could always track a bunch of guitars to get the oomph too, that's what i do, or try to
I literally sat up after that Intro haha. This tone means so much to me and many others man. I actually came across that speeding up trick when I sped up a demo of mine and thought: Holy shit this has that MOP quality all of a sudden!
Huge respect Owen, I think you nailed MOP while still sounding real (sick of the IR tone matches)
I thought I knew it all, but the internets ultimate neckbeard has striken once again
fretbeard
Interesting bit of info there. Thanks!
I'm sure they recorded Creeping Death slower as well. The key is between Em and Fm, not in-tune with either, and James' voice sounds a bit chip monk like. They probably did that trick a lot if you consider James' vocal sound.
Yep. He ended up blowing out his voice.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE He blew out his voice during the black album.
Creeping death, for whom the bell tolls, and fade to black were recorded in E standard at 444Hz
Circle of tone is known for posting false info.
sick video and love the Kramer
Thanks man
Circle of tone should do an episode that's a tour of your studio and gear.
Yep that should be done.
the trick is in the picking technique. down, put the pick in place, and down again, but, don't move out the pick and pick down in the next string, when hit the A string placing in him coming from the E, and pick it.
srry for my bad English. it's call hybrid picking i believe.
Ben Bruce from Asking Alexandria use that.
is more stamina convenient.
Gothenburg Sweden 1987 is their fastest that I have seen, insane how fast him AND KIRK keep up
Yep I've seen it inches from Hetfield. I was in the camera pit.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE That's insane man! And this whole video was a job well done! I never knew this about master, and definitely enjoy the neck beard stuff, keep it up dude 👍
@@ablazingrat3493 thanks man.
th-cam.com/video/wIzNviTFjqg/w-d-xo.html
This seems to me the fastest MOP has ever been performed
is it faster than the toronto 86 show?
"Because this is Circle of Tone, bitch, *we don't mess around"* . - Owen Gibbins, 2020
Dude, make that quote into a shirt! \m/
Hehe
Master of Puppets is the downpicking Holy Grail. I'm a little sad to learn that they sped it up, but in the end they did what they had to,in order to get the sound the way they wanted. Though honestly, this really changes nothing about how much I love that song and the entire album. It's a masterpiece of metal. Phenomal job sorting out all of this, your a helluva tone detective, cheers!
Yep it's all about songwriting and making the best music.
I mean they only sped it up with like 5 bpm. Plus live James downpicked live while playing it faster than the original
It is considered that, and I used to think that, until I saw James play Blackened - all downstrokes. The pedal between the E and A strings on the monster intro riff he plays downstrokes. Mind. Blown.
Thanks for this fresh info.
My body is ready, Owen.
Very educational and interesting. Thanks!
Thanks man.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE Great channel, too! You cover a lot of interesting ground.
I just want to know how to get the tone used on the intro solo for Sanitarium. That is a holy grail solo for me.
Me too
I think you can finagle it with chorus + rhythm pup + and lots of drive with the gtr vol rolled off slightly. There’s also the touch of reverb. But my donkey ears are easily fooled so *shrug*
good job sir, you ROCK
Why is Ricky Gervais smiling at me in the background???
That's Racky Gervais. (I did a subscriber competition to name the rack I put together).
I didn’t think anyone could tell me anything I didn’t know already about Metallica. But wow this guy knows his stuff! Awesome!
Thanks man.
lovely tone you've managed to get. Sounds amazing!
Thanks Chris.
Owen Great job on this, I watched this when it first came out and didn't get to comment. Well done, I have to say this was worth the wait, I never thought about Metallica speeding up the tape to make it sound so tight. I have to say I have seen them live a few times, they are tight, all of them can play, and James really does it from my point of view.
Yep James is a monster. Never seen anything like it.
If you ever get a Ricky 4003, get a hipshot replacement bridge. The bridge on the ricky is awful. Love the sound and playability but Rickenbacker needs to modernize their stuff.
I apologise, have deleted my previous comments. Watched some more of your content, very much loving the Slap bass one. i now get where you are coming from. :)
Thanks man.
That look when your forearm already burns 30 seconds in...been there many times.
Totally nailed the sound. I've always wondered why it sounded weird but in a cool way.
Yep me too. They never matched it live tone wise.
Blackie Lawless was a big fan of speeding up recordings. I think he is on record as saying this in one of those late 80s hard and heavy VHS compilations that used to be released. Brill vid Owen \m/+\m/ Stay safe and keep the vids coming \m/
That's awesome. I'm doing WASP soon. I'm going to recreate the vodka pool scene too. If anyone knows what WASP used on Circus era let me know.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE
🤘Live in the RAW 🤘
My main guitar back in the day was a Charvel Jackson. A yellow bolt-on Star. It’s the same one I use now. I’ve broken it about five times-I just glue it back together and put a new neck on it. The amps were Marshall Super Leads, 1971 or ’72, 100-watt tops. I used a Nady [Wireless], and I went into a parametric equalizer, then a Lexicon [effects] processor and then into the Marshalls.
equipboard.com/pros/chris-holmes/marshall-super-lead-100-watt-head
Very informative sir!
Hmmm is this mainly why everyone hates St. Anger? they left in a lot of the "human elements" in the recordings and less studio magic shite...i actually enjoyed hearing an almost raw album from them besides there stranded over produced shit
i agree, it is very raw and visceral
@@nimanikpoor2135 visceral...what a great word to describe it! I am gonna have to add that to my vocab 😝
The only thing that REALLY sucked about St Anger production wise was how loud the snare was in the mix + the tone of the snare. I didn't mind the production so much, it was a nice contrast to the production of everything else at the time. Also, the album was simply much too long.
They definitely should have knocked 2, maybe 3 songs off it to make a more concise statement. I would have deleted 'Invisible kid' and 'Purify' before releasing the album - both very average pointless filler.
Listening in retrospect, 'Frantic', 'Sweet Amber', 'Unnamed Feeling' and 'All WIthin My Hands' are all really good songs which i prefer to anything off Load or Reload.
@@pascalecnto68 Dam bro..you nailed it! I almost think the exact same way. Yeah that piccolo snare was a ballsy move by them. I totally agree with the whole no point in putting out average songs. If i had that opportunity in life to make an album with the resources they had during that production i would dam make sure every single second was worthy of what my fans deserve.
@@Joey.Darkwoods-Studio You didn't like one song on it? SHIT LOL
Great video! I'm more interested in the rest of the song at the end now though! So heavy!
THE WAITTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Awesome video like always. But that outtro song kicked ass!
Thanks man. I need to finish that song.
Pls try recreating the Nevermind guitar tracks, Butch Vig's work is legendary
I have a folder on that but I need the right guitar.
With practice comes perfection. I’ve been playing Master for couple of years in order to record a downpicking cover last week. James is a guitar GOD \m/
🤘The Neck Beard's Neck Beard🤘
Fantastic guitar tone!
Me: "Huh, this should be interesting."
*sees man incorrectly play the first two riffs*
Me: "Welp, that's enough."
Oh you poor thing. 2020 metalheads can be pretty precious. Grow a pair.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE I will admit that my critique was a tad pointed, and that's on me. That said, it is indeed 2020, and there are plenty of sources out there - VIDEOS, even - that show people the correct notes/fingering. Maybe it's just me, but I would want to know if I was incorrect. I should've chosen a better way to express that than I did, but I didn't and that's a mistake on my part.
Anyway, play it how you like. I won't bother you any further. Sorry that I upset you with my previous comment.
Growing up in Marin County, Metallica was inscribed on every Metal Heads Binder, was Awesome. You recreation is amazing. Was that the Langner Marshall you playing through to get that sound. I recently acquired to mod and made 3 Marshall style amplifiers and can only turn the preamp between 1 and 3 O clock.,cause 10 is definitely Punk or thrash Metal.
Glad you like it. This one was my jmp 2203 copy. The only mod is a depth mod on the back. You are right about the gain. Out of control.
*He used the neck pickup on the distorted parts?? My mind is blown*
My switch is backwards. It's upgraded and would not fit the right way around. I could boot be arsed to rewire it.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE that makes sense. I've seen some live vids of him using the neck pickup for it, so who knows
@@anthonysclafani3963 you talking about hetfield playing MOP? All his middle section parts are with the switch in middle position... at least in the live versions i've seen
James played it faster than the album in 1986 in canada right after cliff died. Every song they played for the entire set was about 15% or more faster than on the album. My favorite song from the preformance is blitzkrieg
Not as tight.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE it's still fast as hell
That's not the point of this video. Tight is on the title.
IT S More like a Ride the lightning era type of sound , but still impressive , great tone dude
Yep
It is funny to think that the first album Kirk played rhythm guitars was on the Black Album. I wouldn't be comfortable with that. Same thing with Exodus, Zetro said that Holt records all rhythm guitars. Slayer was the same way (I think that started in the 90's, when Hanneman wasn't as tight anymore on studio).
Incorrect. Kirk didn't share rhythm guitar duties on record until Load.
@@anthonyfrombelow holy fuck!
Fkn 2am for me though champ.
Same here, the raw, brutal tone of "the wait" is my Graal !
james is deffo a great riffer, no doubt, but he is given waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to much credit. he is not the only great downpicker in metal, but one thing that is never mentioned, and it really bugs me, is that kirk is following his downpicking in every song basically, except during solos. and if you watch 2019/2020 shows, james is slowing way down with his right hand, kirk hasnt faltered in his riffs.
True but keep in mind, James is singing too!
13:00 Savage tone
What about Kirk Hammett downstroke...?
Is there an actual difference with James?
I mean...every time they play live there's a Kirk Hammett doubling the verses..!
He's an underrated player esp back in that period. It was after the black album that he got into playing more off the cuff and he's not as good as improv as he was writing solos imo.
I wonder if he also deteriorated as a player because his hand suffered some permanent damage. Imagine playing along with James fucking Hetfield for countless shows for 37 years while obviously not having his right hand technique. No wonder he was the first to go EMG - with them he could pick lighter.
That's why they always sound out of tune live. Imagine if Mustaine never hot kicked out? Would have been unreal live as time went on.
JEKAZOL yes Dave is very on focus while playing. But the greatest regret about Mustaine divorce is that James lost a songwriter. I mean, behind the technical matter, Dave is a compositor.
Can you Imagine James and Dave looking each others saying "Yes this riff is a killer, now hear this chorus..!"
Kirk is not in that game
@@CIRCLEOFTONE And also because Joe Satriani stopped writing his solos
I thought of something that may be useful. I remember around the time of garage days. My friend had told me that when he went to day on the green. Metallica was using Mesa boogie heads. And Marshall cabinets. The rumor was. Mesa Boogie was trying to corner the American Market. They weee local in Cali and Metallica was a perfect fit for them to get they’re name out there. How much of this is true. I have no clue. The Wait one of my all time favorites. And good luck finding the original tape of the original garage days with them all in leotards I’m a bathroom. 🤣. I think I saw it in ebay for a ton of cash one time. Dammit man. I used to own that ! Grrrrrrrrr
These riffs aren’t being played right...
I've wondered if Hetfield's three-finger pick hold gave some sort of speed/stamina advantage, but I doubt it. The one thing it does do is make the pick flat and parallel to the string, which I think helps with the clarity/tightness when downpicking at fast speeds.
Yep that helps speed but I can't get the level of control using that technique. I can play that way and it's easier to play fast, but the tight aspect goes out of the window. That's why guitarists marvel at Het's playing. He uses that grip and sounds like he's playing with more control than he should. It's kinda ham fisted vs the two finger attack I used but he makes it sound more clinical.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE Congrats on the new baby! Yeah, I tried the three finger hold but after about 30 seconds the strings start tearing up my middle finger.
As for cool tape speed tricks, I seem to recall that the heavy guitar part on NIN's song 'Last' was recorded fast and then the tape was slowed down, but can't for the life of me find anything to back that up.
On the JCM 800, if it was an 84 like the cab, there is no input that bypasses the preamp. The closest thing would be to plug into the low input.
If there was an effect loop, you could bypass the preamp by going into the return.
Almost universally, you'd take the slave out from the iic and run it into the low input of the Marshall. Both need to be hooked up to cabinets though.
I'm gonna try this with my 5150 and JCM800 to see if I can make it sound similar to the EL34 5150's, but with that 80's Marshall, drake output transformer flavor.
I have two '84 JCM 800's, matching 84 cab, and 2x 5150 blocks and a bunch more cabs, so this could be fun to piss off my whole city. Hehe
I got the two JCM800's to duplicate Billy Corgan rig actually... His old amp tech helped me and the shit sounds exactly like the Soamese Dream album.
I said the JCM800's they used were modded. You are right, a stock one would not allow you to bypass the pre.
I love the crunch riffing at 11:55
I had to check the upload date because I thought this was a joke.
Great info 👍
Good job, but in the second riff it seems to me you're missing a 1 on the 6th string (first two notes being 0-1 rather than 0-0). Cheers!
Yep I divvy usually play stuff right. I kinda wing it.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE Still you get a tighter feel than I do with the "correct" notes, funnily enough haha
Great sound, well played! Minor quibble, I think the riff when the drums come in has a pedal of 0 1 on the low E rather than 0 2. Pretty sure that's how he plays it if you watch live videos.
I remember the first time I nailed the into I was so high from the rush while playing along. I don't play with music but maybe 1 out of 20 time playing but when I do I usually get this crazy rush the first time thru the song. I couldn't imagine being in front of an audience or on stage
on original tape version you could hear the transition from sped up to normal and back when song goes on the slow section at middle. Its fixed on later re-releases on cd.
"Because this is Circle of Tone Bitch, We don't Mess Around" that is a fucking shirt I would wear.
I started playing guitar cause of Metallica so Master of puppets was an obvious challenge. Honestly mastering stuff like MOP, Blackened, Creeping death etc etc means so much after all these years, so I owe all of my downpicking technique to James H.
Yep everyone got better trying to keep up. Including me.
"The Wait" utilized drop D tuning with a flange (as opposed to a chorus which some believe that was used) for the clean sound. For heavy sound, I believe there is the typical James heavy (which many already reproduce effectively). Both clean and heavy use a really big empty room for "reverb". The main difference in sound is the intro to Jason Newstead, and the experimentation on his sound. Great video, and wish you the best of luck on reproducing the sound of 5.98 EP! :)
Edit: I got schooled... the song I was referring to above is "The Small Hours". Both are awesome songs though worth learning! Happy Easter! :)
You sure you're not thinking of The Small Hours?
@@Gonboo Hmmm... Yesh! My bad...good catch! :) Happy Easter!