Metallica - Wherever I May Roam (Guitar Cover)

I know Kirk gets a bit of flack for using his Wah pedal, but for someone who never uses it, I found it really hard to use and certainly hard to imitate what Kirk was doing it. Anyway, I think this has always been my favourite Metallica song from my favourite Metallica album. I probably watch the making of it with Bob Rock more than actually listening to the album, but it's certainly a masterpiece in playing and production. Some of the techniques and general playing style of this song are quite alien to me but I enjoyed trying to play them.
I use a Jackson DK2 Dinky from 2004 (I removed the tone pot and moved the volume over) into a Boss Me50 (where I get my tone) into a Palmer Pdi-09 (which simulated a mic'd up cab) into a Focusrite Scarlett into my computer running Logic Pro X (where I add a little EQ and Reverb).
F.A.Q
My headphones are purposely like that so they stay out of the way. The cable is very long.
I'll be uploading my notation notes to my Patreon here / bwm5150 and if you are looking for custom tutorial content, then message me there or at my email [e-mail] . Let me help you get playing the music you love!

[@bwm5150]

Notation notes at my Patreon here - www.patreon.com/posts/59593986

[@k1dn1ce76]

Guitar tone is spot on! Played the solo cleaner than Kirk manages to live most of the time.

[@bwm5150]

Very kind, thanks!

[@replyindra]

The best "Wherever I May Roam" guitar cover I ever heard... hard to differentiate from the original! I'm sure Kirk's proud of you... 🧡

[@bwm5150]

Very kind, thank you!

[@johnhutsler8122]

This dude is such a killer player. More Metallica! Do Orion 🤘

[@500erider]

Unbelievable !!!!!!! I mastered all of James' parts on guitar years ago, but I've never even bothered to attempt Kirk's parts, which you played perfectly. Well done, my friend !!!!!! Love this song !!!!!!!

[@Pier88ita]

More Metallica please! Great!

[@MrGhostman666]

Damneee🙏🏼. Amazing work Ben. Some of us fans are still waiting for the long overdue Super Monaco- 2😊..🎸⚡

[@The80sKidRox]

Flawless execution 👍🏼

[@sonicexperiments]

You got Metallica vibe friend! Excellent playing

[@cryptoninjaz]

I grew up this album @ 13 years old.

[@whaguitars]

Great job as always Ben!

[@christianlockling1138]

Absolutely magnificent Ben, big time as always!!

[@maatias.herrera]

great tone

[@espjem2474]

You never disappoint with your covers, yet another awesome vid. Thank you.

[@Wolver1ne_Blu3s]

Another masterpiece Like always

[@florianmaschke269]

Wow... Metallica. Damn good cover. Thanks for sharing.

[@adamwarlock5286]

Lovley tune and great playing as usual Ben.thank you for introducing me to this group I will have to check them out 😁👍

[@palmmute]

Super solid cover! :)

[@garybrown4952]

Dude!!!!! Keep them coming mate 👍👍

[@thunderbrd]

Awesome cover! Your guitar sounds very cool!

[@ravibissookram6643]

Excllent dude!!

[@andersooliveira7665]

Espetacular!! Fantástico!! Thank you from Brazil!! Brazilian fans!! Play= lepper messiah, disposable heroes, sanataryum!! Brasil fans!! Thank you from Brazil

[@re6035]

Awesome job Ben!

[@helloworld4371]

Beautifully played!

[@vintagetrk]

Great cover man 🤟🏻

[@thelmalynch7109]

Another surprise my 🤴 that was amazing I have no words this video is on fire🔥🍻 cheers to many more 👍🎸🎧 your Journey fan always 🌹

[@revidon9267]

nice work man! Sounds great

[@alekostorru282]

Aahhhh... So smooth👌🏻👏👏

[@GreatOldOne9866]

Great sound man! 🤘🤘🤘

[@robertoponte]

Super cover!

[@aminahmed2220]

This is a fantastic guitar cover have a wonderful weekend

[@plrmusic]

great stuff man, looks like Bob Rock mastered your mix! :) your tone (and playing!) are perfect!

[@JB-he1jt]

Awesome 👌

[@danmenez]

Killed it!

[@kamikazee2668]

Perfect!

[@thechiqui_]

Def Leppard and now Metallica, so goood! The way you play allows me learn to play it correctly, it's so clean, like seeing a tutorial in real speed 😁 Cheers from Argentina

[@werewolf145]

Amazing cover, I like that metallica song too! But, my favorite is fade to black 😁🎸. Nice seeing you doing some metallica covers!

[@TearsPlays]

uh oh. the day i been waiting a few years forrrrrrrr.

[@MichaelFenixGamer]

I love this song bro

[@chriskiebel9046]

Awesome ❤️ more Metallica

[@Ranveer_sangha03]

Mannnnn seriously i am going to sell my guitars i am done with guitars 🎸 I wish I can play half of like this Its just mind-blowing 🤯 Beautttiiiifulllllll

[@DirtyMikeTM]

DAMN I wish I could just play half as good as you do. Great job WOW

[@ib4209]

Excellent!!! 👌👌 Amazing

[@ravibissookram6643]

Thanks for the signal chain info. I always wondered how you got those great tones.

[@bossdadatv]

Solid

[@alisterfiend8056]

Good Stuff 🤘

[@MrCarl5150]

Whooooaaaa...unexpected Metallica!!! KA work on this one! Kirk's guitar still isn't Bela 😁👍💪

[@MichaelFenixGamer]

amazing♥

[@Mujcanal]

Nice one , also my fav from black album.

[@kylewilliams2165]

This shit go crazy bravo

[@Arnold_Guitar]

Nice job! \m/

[@missycampbell2191]

Yesssss

[@TenPearlJam]

James Hetfield always had some tough rhythm riffs, you played them very well nicely done! More Metallica please 🤘🤘🤘

[@jokerisaac41]

10/10 🤘🤘🏻🤘🏿🤘🏼🤘🏽🤘🏾

[@semihuluturk31]

prety good solo

[@andersooliveira7665]

Brasilians fans!! Thank you from Brazil

[@robinstevens9189]

Fuk yeah!!! 🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽 Love it!

[@sgguitar]

Not so fund of Metallica, but this was amazing! Really liked it and the song too actually.

[@CrusTeek]

Great work. Is this the extended enging solo version the guys played from the mixing desk in that Classic Albums documentary?

[@bwm5150]

Thanks! It's still the regular album version I'm playing where the solo fades out.

[@voltnerstudios2115]

You're guitar tone comes from a Boss ME50? That's absolutely incredible! I think it's a great pedal and I used one for years, but never thought that it was your sound. Absolutely incredible! You have a talented year for nailing sounds.

[@sgguitar]

Yes, I don't get that either. I have a Boss Me-50, and I can't get those tones. I have the same Palmer, and the Focusrite too. Anyway I'm using bias fx2, and he uses logic pro. I don't know, if that makes a huge different. I am still not satisfied with my sound so I have only made bad recordings with my mobile up until now, but hopefully it will change at some point.

[@sgguitar]

And I use reaper.

[@bwm5150]

Thanks! Yeah essentially the tone is the Boss Me50 but I use a Palmer Speaker Sim which I guess adds to the sound but what it mainly does it keep things consistent so I can focus on tweaking the boss.

[@meeksguitar]

🤘🤘

[@jakewhite3338]

Ben, how many takes do you usually have to do to get a perfect run through of a song on video?

[@bwm5150]

I play the song a lot before recording so most of the time the takes are just to get a good feel and get used to pedal changes. This was a little tough for switching on my wah and making sure it doesn’t turn back into the volume pedal. Between 5-10 takes because of that but usually I don’t do more than 5 because then it starts to lose a certain feel if you’re just replaying it like that.

[@RhythmGuitarJCH]

👍👍👍

[@reneewoolery3755]

💪🔥🎸🔥

[@chaketzcruz1734]

🤟🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼

[@n0cturnalsurfer]

I too have seen A Year and Half in the Life of Metallica about 800 times. It's just the best. And i also use a Boss ME-50. Any chance you could share the selections you made to get this sound on that pedal board? Fantastic playing as always, by the way.

[@bwm5150]

Thanks! I have compression on with the distortion which I think helps out. Think I used the distortion that’s at 11 o’clock on the selector. Also have chorus and delay on.

[@epulepull2296]

👍👍👍👏👏👏

[@biswajeetbaruah3549]

🙏❤️❤️🔥🔥

[@iwanswd]

🤟🏽

[@NathanForgots]

Whats your settings to get that sound because i have been trying but i haven't got it. So it wiuld help alot if you could tell

[@bwm5150]

I use a Boss Me50 for my tone and I'm sure in this I'm using a compressor with the 'metal zone' overdrive.

[@NathanForgots]

Thanks alot

[@medhavikumar8199]

Master....Ben Apprentices....James and Kirk

[@bwm5150]

Haha, I have much to learn from Kirk and James!

[@diegorocklomas]

do "whiskey in the jarrow" metalica version!!

[@freyamccready8429]

Amazing how did you get this tone? 😍

[@bwm5150]

With a Boss Me50 and a great deal of luck 😅

[@Tyt130]

More heavy stuff pls Ben

[@bwm5150]

Certainly like to do more Metallica and maybe Pantera but after that there's much more I used to listen to on the heavy side. I've got some Iron Maiden covers too that you may want to check out as well.

[@belaradics6088]

And do some Black Sabbath song plsss Ben ^^ Anyway, this one is a great cover! Im abs proud you mate! :)

[@andersooliveira7665]

Scotland Forever!!!!!!!!!

[@piercedxangel]

Could you do Megadeth Symphony of Destruction? I'd LOVE to hear you do that one!

[@bwm5150]

If and when I go back into a 'heavy/metal' phase, I'll certainly consider it. Cheers! :)

[@CortLespaul-lu7mx]

What tuning using this song??

[@bwm5150]

Standard

[@norskyver]

Where's your volume knob? LOL Been meaning to ask you for a while. I'm going to assume it was in your way?

[@bwm5150]

I mention in the equipment part of the description. I removed the tone and moved the volume over, mostly because it would crackle and cut out when I touched it. I have since replaced that pot but got used to the volume being out the way. I don’t mind it on my Charvel and have learned to ride the volume more on that.

[@norskyver]

@@bwm5150 thanks for replying! I'm a huge Jackson, charvel fan! That's all I buy!

[@PanicInSectorFive]

Ever thought of doing some Vito Bratta White Lion?

[@whaguitars]

Agreed Vito is awesome!

[@bwm5150]

Sure have, maybe soon.

[@TearsPlays]

hey one day you should do Fade to Black, id love to see you do the outro solo

[@bwm5150]

Maybe one day, I always enjoyed their performance of it from the Justice tour

[@TearsPlays]

@@bwm5150 Oh, you should do Harvester of Sorrow if you like that tour.

[@ValHemi265]

While I'm roaming my axe watches this at home alone.

[@memnoch1974]

Is this your first Metallica cover?

[@bwm5150]

Sure is.

[@donaldgrossi6296]

Try Jimmy Barnes 'Walk On'. Australian music of 80s rocks!

[@andersooliveira7665]

Play= wasp, dokken, tnt norway seven seas, Whitesnake 87 89 ok

[@fefloria]

no wah? your legs and foot aint moving?

[@bwm5150]

I talk about using the wah in the description.

[@fefloria]

@@bwm5150 my bad, should of read it first. awesome job dude

[@bwm5150]

No worries, thanks !

[@fernandosilva9137]

Metallica! Great playing! Great song!!! I think you should turn down the volume of the song a bit …your guitar should sound stronger! Love your vídeos!

[@bwm5150]

I’m always conscious about the volume but KZbin compression can upset the balance too. If you compare mine to the original, the added guitar is very obvious.

[@fernandosilva9137]

@@bwm5150 I dont know why but I had the same idea in the Queen video…yes maybe you are wright and it’s the compression!

[@umutercan1119]

şu gitarını siyaha boya artık daha güzel görünsün :)

[@THESHADOWSLAIR669]

Damn down tuning 😂

[@bwm5150]

No down tuning on this

[@THESHADOWSLAIR669]

@@bwm5150 my bad dude great video!!! I know some of their songs are down tuned

[@getghost1534]

dude.. get into it.