What Do They Use? Metallica

We all know that Metallica has had huge success with their style and sound of music. Some can find reasons to hate them, but for the most of the part they are incredible talented musicians.

What do talented musicians use that us regular people don’t. In our segment of What Do They Use, we will break down all the equipment that Metallica used on their latest tour.

James Hetfield – Vocalist and Rhythm Guitar

For the most part James likes to use ESP and Gibson guitars and stay with mostly Mesa guitar amps. For his vocals he uses a Shure Super 55 stage microphone to bring it all together.

Guitars

ESP "Truckster" gray
ESP "Truckster" black
ESP "Iron Cross"
ESP Explorer black w/ white PG vintage Nash
ESP Explorer silver diamond plate
ESP Explorer black diamond plate
ESP Flying V white
ESP Explorer "Tattoo" white
ESP Explorer black diamond plate w/ "antlers inlay"
ESP LTD "Grynch" green flame
Trussart LP "Rusty Holey"
Trussart metal Explorer
Trussart Steel DeVille metal
Ken Lawrence Explorer "flame sun inlay"
Ken Lawrence Explorer "aztec tribal inlay"
Gibson Explorer silverburst w/white pick guard
Gibson Flying V sunburst
Gibson Les Paul flat purple
Gibson Explorer "Rusty" black w/ tarnish metal PG
Gibson Flying V silverburst
Gibson Flying V white chrome pickups
Gibson Les Paul "Cliff Burton RIP"
Line 6 Variax acoustic 700
Dave of England custom aluminum engraved JH tattoo
Fender Telecaster B-Bender Butterscotch

Guitar Amps

Mesa Boogie Tri-Axis Preamps
Mesa Boogie Simul-Class 2:90 pwr amps
Mesa 2x5 band eq custom
Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier amp heads
Mesa Boogie 4x12 speaker cabinets
Diezel VH4 amps
Line 6 fx
Shure UR4D wireless gear
TC Electronics G-Major fx
Roland JC 120 combo amps
Blackstar amps
Furman AR Pro power conditioner
Voodoo Lab Ground Control switcher
Celestion vintage 30 speakers
Isolation chamber road cases for guitar sounds

Other Equipment

Ernie Ball RPS 11-48 strings
EMG 81 & 60 guitar pickups
Dunlop Black Fang 1.14 guitar picks
Dunlop straps
Shure Super 55 stage microphone

Kirk Hammett – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals

Kirk is really know for his shredding scales and solos for Metallica, and like James, he stays true to ESP and Gibson Guitars. Together with Randall signature guitar amp, we can only expect good things to happen.

Guitars

ESP KH2 "Mummy"
ESP M1 "Bride of Frankenstein"
ESP KH-2 mirror pick guard
ESP LP Jr. sunburst
ESP Flying V Red Korina white pick guard
ESP KH-2 "Greenburst"
ESP M2 black "Ouija"
ESP M2 "white Ouija"
ESP KH-2 "Caution Hot" sticker
ESP Flying V black w/ white PG "devil inlay"
ESP KH-2 custom paint "by Mark Ryden"
ESP M2 "Dracula- original"
ESP M2 "Dracula- big"
ESP M2 "Dracula-boat"
ESP M2 Devil sticker
ESP KH20 20th Anniversary black translucent
ESP KH2 Black Caution Relic "Phoney"
ESP KH2 Black Caution Relic "Faux"
ESP M2 Black "Ouija Mirror" inlay
ESP "Spider 13" black
Jackson Flying V "Randy Rhoads"
Jackson Flying V "Randy Rhoads" #11" copper
Jackson Fly-V"Randy Rhoads" black w/ white stripe
Gibson Les Paul translucent red tiger stripe
Gibson Les Paul black
Gibson Flying V black w/ gold hardware
Gibson Les Paul sunburst tiger stripe
Gibson Les Paul translucent black tiger stripe
Teuffel Niwa charcoal gray wood
Teuffel Birdfish charcoal gray

Guitar Amps

Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier amp heads
Randall RM100KH Kirk Hammett Signature amp heads
Randall Kirk Hammett Signature 4x12 speaker cabinets
Shure UR4D wireless gear
TC Electronics G-Major fx unit
Dunlop Crybaby DCR-ISR wah control
Dunlop Kirk Hammett Signature wah pedals
Ibanez Tube Screamer
Digitech Whammy pedals
Line 6 MM4 modulation pedals
Line 6 DL4 delay pedals
Digitech Space Station pedal
Voodoo Lab Ground Control switcher
Furman AR Pro power conditioner
Isolation chamber road cases for guitar sounds

Other Equipment

Ernie Ball RPS 11-48 strings
EMG 81 guitar pickups
Dunlop picks & 222 slides
Dunlop straps

Robert Trujillo – Bass, Backing Vocals

Robert’s slap style bass really brings in the heavy and deep bass sound that has been pair perfectly with the drums for the backbone of Metallica. As his list isn’t as complex as James or Kirts, he keeps a nice stash of Warwick 5 string basses on tour. His amp of choice is an Ampeg or Mesa Boogie cabinet.

Basses

Warwick 5 string Trujillo chrome
Warwick 5 string Trujillo heavy chrome
Warwick 5 string Trujillo "Terminator" black chrome
Warwick 5 string matrix turquoise
Warwick 4 string Trujillo blue chrome
Warwick 5 string Trujillo blue stain maple "Surf Stringers"
Warwick 5 string Trujillo black stain
ESP 5 string Trujillo model army green Nash
ESP 5 string Trujillo model Dirty Donny
ESP 5 string Trujillo Red Scorched
Tobias 5 string "Aztec de la Chloe"
Tobias 5 String blue stain
Tobias 5 String black stain
Nash 4 String P-Bass white w/ red tortoise pick guard
Nash 4 String P-Bass "Jailbreak" black
Nash 4 string P-Bass 62 Black w/ copper pick guard
Nash 4 String P-Bass yellow "Shitblaster"
Nash 4 string "Flamethrower"
Zon 5 string "Klown"
Zon 5 string "HoodRat"
Fender 4 string P-Bass black w/ white pick guard
Fender 4 String P-Bass tobacco burst
Music Man 4 string Fretless Sting Ray root beer sparkle
Yamaha 5 string "Aztec"
Yamaha 5 string "Rat Rod"
Rickenbacker 4 String 4003
Rickenbacker 4 String 4003 "Mean Green"

Bass Amps

Ampeg SVT-2 Pro amp heads
Ampeg 8x10 Pro speaker cabinets
Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier amp heads
Mesa Boogie 4x12 speaker cabinets
Shure UR4D wireless gear
BSS Audio AR-416 DI
Gas Cooker DI
Tech 21 pedals
MXR pedals
Radial pedals
Line 6 fx
Morley fx pedal
Voodoo Lab Ground Control switcher
Furman AR Pro power conditioner

Other Equipment

Dunlop Trujillo Icon Series bass strings (45-63t-80t-102t-130)
EMG J Set bass pickups
Dunlop picks & straps

Lars Ulrich – Drums / Percussion

Last but not least and everyone’s favorite band member Lars. Lars drum kit is complex but simplified. It has everything a solid drummer needs. Playing a Tama Maple Drum set, an array of Zildjian Cymbals and Remo Drum heads, do you need more?

Tama Star Classic Mable Drum Kit

Finish is LU Magnetic Orange
2- 16" X 22" bass drums
6.5" x 14" Lars Ulrich Signature snare drum
8" x 10" tom tom
10" x 12" tom tom
14" x 16" floor tom
16" x 16" floor tom

Pedals, Hardware & Sticks

2 Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide pedals
Tama Iron Cobra Lever Glide Hi-Hat stand
Tama Roadpro boom cymbal stands & hardware
Ahead Lars Ulrich Signature aluminum drum sticks

Zildjian Cymbals & Hi-Hats

14" Dyno Beat Z hi-hats
17" Projection brilliant crash
18" Projection brilliant crash
19" Projection brilliant crash
18" China Trash (used as a ride)
18" China Trash
20" China Trash

Remo Drum Heads

White Coated Emperor Tom Head
Power Stroke 3 Bass Drum
Coated Controlled Sound Reverse Dot Snare Head

Metallica's PA System

No band is set without the proper PA system. The PA system is mostly a Meyer sound system with a lot of watts for a lot of power. To top it off, some in-ear monitors.

Meyer PA System

MJF-212A
MILO 90
MILO 120
MICA
Melodies
600 HP
700 HP

In-Ear Monitors

Sennheiser SR 2050 IEM in ear monitors
Ultimate in-ears monitor buds