Hi All,

I've got an American HSS strat, and want to upgrade the humbucker. I'm specifically chasing after James Hetfield's earthy crunch on the Kill 'em All album. I'm already aware that I won't be able to nail that tone EXACTLY because I'm using a Strat vs. a Gibson Flying V like he had, BUTTT... I should be able to get relatively close with the correct pickup, considering that I've got an amp-pedal set-up that's pretty close too his amp-pedal setup. So now just need the best humbucker for the job.

Please keep in mind that Hetfield's sound changed after the Kill 'Em All album, so please reply only if you're familiar with the guitar sound specific to the Kill 'Em All album.

I guess lastly, if anyone knows what type of pickups he had in his knockoff Flying V at that time, that would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I am not the Metallica all-knowing gear guru. But I was there in the Bay Area when they were breaking. I am quite familiar with the tone and era you are referring to ... and also the timeframe of it. Back then, I would bet dollars to doughnuts that he had Dimarzio Super Distortions in there. Back then, there weren't the fifty million choices like today ... and they were very popular at that time (and place, for that matter).

Just my humble two cents ... nothing more.

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

You need a 70's V into a modded marshall plexi head. Your not going to get that exact sound without that gear.

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No no and no

Yes, I know I can't get the EXACT sound.

However, I know I can come a lot closer than what I'm currently getting from the stock humbucker in my Strat.

The only real way to go for metal sound is EMG. Thats why nearly everyone uses 81's, 85's or 89's. Rumour has it that hetfield uses a 85 in the bridge position. Other than that the nearest to the Killem all sound your going to get is a dimarzio superdistortion or whatever gibson were using around 79/80 when hetfield got that V.
The vital part of that sound is the plexi head and whatever mod was performed on it. You can just hear it on kthulu, lightning and fight fire with fire on the ride the lightning album its the same amp. He's never been able to get anywhere near that sound since.

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No no and no

The Kill em All studio rig for James was:
* Jose Arrendondo Modified 100 watt Marshall SLP
* Pro Co Rat Distortion Pedal
* Marshall 4x12

And his flying V was outfitted with an emg 60 in the neck and 81 in the bridge (Just like all out his guitars I believe). I have a Seymour Duncan JB-4 in the bridge of mah Jackson and after having it adjusted to the proper height and all it gives a very nice KEA style crunch IMHO. Hope I helped a little <_<

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

That's funny...I get a Metallica-like tone closer to And Justice For All from my Highway 1 (SSS) stock pups, Boss MT-2 (Metal Zone), Boss GE-7 (Equalizer), and a Roland Cube 30x amp. I bet I could tweak a Kill'em All -tone if I dial it in just right. I am about to install a Super Distortion in the bridge and see where that leads me.

RK

Mostlikely a DiMarzio Super Distortion or a Duncan Distortion. They were really the only two aftermarket pup's in the early days. As for his V it was NOT a Gibson. Many people think this but it was a knock off with a bolt on neck. Somebody bought the Gibson Truss rod cover plate and put it on. There are numerous places on the web that discuss this. I read it in one of the guitar mags when he was talking about recording Death Magnetic.

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2 Customized Strats w\DiMarzio's
07 SG
Modded DSL50 w\Mercury OT,PT & Choke
Carvin 2x12 V30's
Pitch Black Tuner-EH LPB-1,TS-808
Mxr 108 EQ-Modded Phase90
Carbon Copy
George L cables-Voodoo Power 2 Plus
Pedaltrain Board

Hetfield's modded Marshall head was stolen pre-Ride The Lightning album. It being stolen actually inspired his lyrics for the song "Fade To Black." So that head was only used on the Kill 'Em All album.

Also, Hetfield's Flying V at that time was a knock-off - it wasn't an actual Gibson. So those aren't even Gibson pickups.

Thanks for the gear list. It is correct per what I've read, with the caveat that the head was specifically a Model 1959 SLP, and the cabinet being a (either year-made or model-number) 1960. I do not plan to invest the considerable extra $$$'s to get this exact same gear, but am focusing on the pickups as a reasonable, affordable approach. That's why I haven't discussed gear and the OP is just about pickup recommendations.

Thanks also for the JB-4 recommendation - I will check this pickup out.

So with such an abundance of knowledge why the need for questions

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No no and no

James has been able to come up with some of the best metal tones. Even the buzzy AJFA album still had a killer tone imho. That KEA album tone was special, and to me its all Gibson straight to a cranked Marshall Plexi. It was crunchy and did not have the low end of some of the later albums.

However, it's one of the more straight forward tones James used. It esentially the same as AC/DC's tone, with the amp being pushed harder. AC'DC only goes about halfway on the gain and eq's. The KEA tone seems to be everything dimed to me, with maybe a boost pedal to get it crunching more. But make no mistake, that is classic Plexi tone that is so sought after and part of that sound comes from cranking one up loud. There is a reason those amps have the place they do in history, and James used a classic formula to get that tone.

My guess is you would need stock gibson V with a stock plexi head cranked to 10 and you would be very close. You might need a bit more boost from a pedal to get more gain....maybe.

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

It was guitar player couple months ago Ive read it too

I know he (and Kirk) were using Mesa Boogie Mark III's back then at some point too. They have a very thick, very hi gain, very tight focused sound that Marshall's don't get.

Going from a passive to an active (through a good quality tube amp of course) will be the biggest jump in tone change. Most of that tighly focused gain tone is going to come from the amp, more so than any pickup change.

There are always people that say all your tone comes from your hands. That's true for some of the things you'll play, like articulation and note attack, etc. But if someone wanted to get the tone from Battery, for example, pretty much none of that is going to come from your hands alone.