Metallica: A Look at James & Kirk's Guitar Rigs

Guitar techs Chad Zaemisch & Justin Crew walk us through James & Kirk's WorldWired guitar rigs.
© 2017 Blackened Recordings
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[@bucketfeet6570]

A lot of ppl backstage don't get enough credit. They are just as much a part of the performance as the bands themselves. Much respect!

[@mrdrprof99]

@FiftyCaliberTV stage production is hard on the body and the family.

[@sn47som]

Amen!

[@DaPoopIsInDaPudding]

Bucket feet that goes for most any line of business

[@musicfriend2051]

But they sure get fat checks

[@razvandascal1867]

not really they didnt write the songs and dont perform them but are important for ahure

[@jasonrackawack9369]

Little known fact....The entire stage surface also acts as a wah pedal....just in case Kirk needs to wah in between wahs and he is to far away from one of his 5 main wah pedals. As a back up his shoes also have built in wah effect incase he falls into the crowd and still needs to wah while he is away from the main wah pedals and secondary stage surface back up wah. Kirk is a damn good wah player and we are not about to let a little guitar playing get in the way and distract the audiance from the wah they know and love and have grown to expect from Kirk. Currently we are working to include a quadruple redundant wah in Lars's drum pedals. That way if Kirk is too far way from one of his 5 main wahs, he leaves the wah stage surface, and loses his wah equipped shoes in the crowd, then Lars can help out with the wah untill a wah tech can get Kirk back up and wah-ing on his own again. Thank goodness Kirk did not develope an affection for talk boxes over the wah.....but if he does we are ready to handle it....the need for superior wah drives our wah r&d program. We are proud to be on the cutting edge of maximum wah accessibility and leading an exciting joint venture with nasa and space x, soon we will be testing a new wah system with global reach satellite link network so kirk can wah from anywhere on the planet with little to no wah interruptions.

[@timmyh3004]

Wah

[@bluecomet1109]

Ok enough already

[@AI-ke9pp]

Legendary comment

[@jonnyj.]

Holy fuck, I haven't laughed this hard reading a youtube comment in a while. You're a legend

[@lewqitz]

Wait, wah?

[@TheAdambee7]

Full respect to Kirk for using the Peter Green/Gary Moore lespaul on tour. The beast was meant to be played not locked away.

[@leerobinson590]

Couldn't agree more. Love to see it being played as it should be

[@EVILTAPO]

very good point

[@kalecardenas9645]

it also sounds so awesome

[@gfgranja]

It is great that 59' Les Paul is being played and not in a museum or stored with a collector behind a glass

[@UnforgivenIV]

Exactly - the whole reason a guitar exists is to be used to play music. If it's sitting in a vault it isn't fulfilling the purpose it exists for in the first place...

[@aniquinstark4347]

Bingo. Les made his guitars for playing. They're beautiful and collectable, no question about it but first and foremost they're instruments.

[@giosundance5643]

Why does it have to be Japanese? That’s oddly specific

[@mouloudo]

Hurt a bit to see it taking california's hot sun in the stand

[@oneminutefixed5003]

Yes and the natural wear and tear on these guitars make them look beautiful

[@trumanorr4423]

Its always cool to see a rig rundown of a professional band, but the fact that Metallica uploaded this to their own youtube is beyond awesome. Its nice to see that they do indeed care about the fans. Metallica has inspired thousands upon thousands of musicians.

[@nicekkk6642]

Thy don't upload it, other people do

[@martos60]

I love how with the popularity of KZbin in the world now,they became more open to the fans and upload a video from every show,show us the studio process,backstage and stuff.

[@martos60]

Yes,but they know about everything that's uploaded and agree to do it.

[@martos60]

You know that they are using wireless since 88-89 right?

[@TheJayBee1990]

so the documentaries from the late 80s about their justice tour and early 90s about their black album tour were for youtube as well? also all the year and a half, week and a half, day and a half, making of load and reload, the st anger movie, etc, etc, etc were all done for youtube way ahead of its time? Thats how you make money nowadays. You cant sell CDs, Vinyl and shit anymore. You make your money from playing huge shows and expanding your social media activity to gain financial support from brands, companies and stuff. All the Tuning room videos bring them money. KZbin pays them, bcs youtube makes money from views by showing adds, thats how companies pay money to youtube. KZbin pays some of this money to metallica. And its easy af too. They do rehearse all the time, so why not film and sell it? Same about backstage shit. Its thei job, so they will be there even if there is no camera, so they just film it, press it on DVD or share it on yt. thats how you make money nowadays. Or why do you think do people like Justin Bieber have cinema movies nowadays? You know how metallica became what they became? bcs of letting people have these insight looks since the beginning. I would suspect Lars to be behind all of that. The funny thing is, or the good thing, they let you into their world. You can check their rigs, you see them behind the stage and off camera, but its always from work. They present everything about them when it comes to Metallica and so they can keep their private lifes more safe. you are saturated by what you alrady see, so fans wont annoy them about their private lifes....

[@Gunslingerwashere]

9:00 Dude, what's he holding? I only see a fretboard.

[@willknox7273]

If you look closely there's some pickups and a bridge

[@spider6033]

Will Knox yeah and some tuners

[@no4carter338]

and strings

[@monicaconstable4636]

wait if you look super closely you can see a strap button

[@cheothegeo2742]

if you look really closely there's a trumpet and a saxophone

[@MrJWW]

The intricacies, skill and knowledge of this setup is astounding! This is just 2 of the Metallica team - a real rock and roll family rating these epic concerts! So cool to see what goes on behind the scenes - makes you appreciate the production a lot more : )

[@Duskusbunny]

Hi

[@SwidrygajlowArek]

The bunker is 10/10 straight fire

[@gcm747]

Who knew James was a Metallica fan! 🤘

[@serdar213]

9:50 ''Well, This is the guitar that I forgot to tune it Eb in St Louis 4 months ago for Fade to Black and 11:04 band bought me this ipad to use tuner in big screen ''

[@douglasriibeiro25]

😂😂😂

[@quiltface83]

haha i was thinking the same thing when i saw that

[@maynardburger]

Funny, but Fade to Black aint Eb. That album did have a funky tuning, though. Not only slightly sharp, but usually with this chorus-y effect from the double tracking they did. Very hard to play along to those songs and make them sound right. That said, live, they just play in standard tuning.

[@serdar213]

@@maynardburger Metallica plays mostly everyhing ( except Seek, Sad, The Thing and Whiskey) in Eb at live shows since Load era. And Ride the Lightning Album is A444 Hz tuned as I measure.

[@cole3774]

He didn’t tune it wrong the guitar malfunctioned.

[@CammojoDragon97]

It doesn't get said enough for generous Metallica are with their free online content, this is beyond awesome!

[@123612100]

@Teh Modest Mouse they're so generous that they rip off fans with live nation by selling their tickets for way more.

[@AK-rx6hv]

Not really free... KZbin ads $$$

[@itscorvid358]

@@AK-rx6hv It's free for us watching it, but metallica still get money from it.

[@Jamesfoofighter]

NAPSTER 😂

[@JoaoGabriel-lz3wp]

@@AK-rx6hv bro just use adblock

[@markpappas]

casually pulls out Kirk's $2 million Gary Moore/Peter Greene '59 Les Paul

[@ziphrox]

Mark Pappas Eventhough Hammet is an amazing player, i don't think he deserves the guitar, nobody deserves tbh! The Guitar went through so mutch, all the upcoming moments won't compare to what it went through in the past. And taking it on tour is the worst thing imaginable, it deserves it's rest, it needs to be in a museum at this point.

[@AlexisGitarre]

well, who says that it's not a replica he's taking on tour? I highly doubt that it's the real deal.

[@stevewilko1914]

Elliott T Nah. what would Gary say.... Play that thing man. Just play it.

[@ThorneyedWT]

That guitar had seen some real shit in her life and few more battle scars won't make her worse. Though I guess now she is handled with care now better than ever. And i guess the fact that Kirk plays her now is adding few hundred thousands bucks value more. Also good guitar should be played. Like those Stradivari violins. Hide them in a glass box and you basically kill them.

[@ios6605]

Knowing Kirk i’m sure it’s the real deal he’s playing up there on stage so there is actual proof that it was played by some of the best !! And you better damn well believe he deserves it a lot more than sitting in your basement in a case under the bed or just on a stand where only you and your two buddies can look at it

[@robertgomez5248]

And here I am thinking my $79 wireless guitar transmitter was hi-tech.

[@eduardozepol2000]

Don't worry, they're millionaires

[@samsmelser_]

It is

[@jw3384]

Lol I bought that too

[@satrah101]

Thanks will add this product to my 20 watt fender g-dec junior.

[@victorherrero4790]

Amazing tech. This guys are the unsung heroes of Metallica. Respect.

[@metfan4l]

Love watching these kinds of backstage videos, thanks for putting this together!

[@renecorrales4562]

metfan4l you should check out ac dc rig rundown and also uli jon roth

[@martinbennett1048]

cool stuff Metfan41,i think some people assume the gear comes off the of the trucks pre-set up and dont realise what it takes to set up and put on a a concert, if your into this kinda stuff you should check out Iron maiden:Behined the beast.

[@TheJLSentertainment]

metfan4l o

[@randybobandy7746]

You're welcome. It was me Randyman that made the whole stage

[@due_2477]

I think this is kinda a sponsor obligation or something

[@bakerXderek]

What a treat of a video ! Thanks for this !

[@Duskusbunny]

Hi

[@mini0n_ftw831]

Chyeaahhh!

[@greeneronald6017]

Well, I should have expected it. Kirk has 5 wah pedals on stage, because one is not good enough for him =|

[@themuddywolf5794]

CHEAA

[@m4ssee]

Wow, even as a guitarist I never realised how much technology is actually involved in a show this caliber.

[@francescasofia8189]

as an engineer, imo the electronics behind these stages is amazing, but can we just take a moment for Kirk's guitars... simply stunning

[@dknollRX7]

It's crazy how much fear goes into creating the desired sound and this guy must be a damn engineer to understand it all and make it all work. Big thanks to the unsung hero who helps Metallica sound so good live!

[@user-zv7lm8uk7h]

Lot of fear...

[@vishalsheth1888]

Wow, Metallica uploads these kind of videos and proves they walk the extra mile for their fans. Quality of MetallicaTV vids is beyond all other bands on youtube or anywhere else and to think it is one of the greatest band ever in Metal that never forgets their fans. Thanks, Metallica (including all the crews, roadies, techs, engineers etc and of course the 4)!

[@grant5603]

Vishal Sheth there are many other bands who have done this

[@vannacee26]

@@grant5603 I can find no other massively big band that has the video output for the fans anywhere like Metallica does, period.

[@wahajaleem27-95]

Yes they love their fans so much that they didn't show up 😊😊

[@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid]

I love how passionate NASAguy is about his work. It was kinda touching when his voice actually got a bit shaky while he was talking about James mistreating that camo guitar. He has the mannerisms of a guy who's fuckin awesome at what he does, too. 👍

[@iambrandon_aka_partyhous3]

this dude is the reason why the guys can have a life changing performance. so much respect to this guy and everyone else who does this stuff. i'm a musician too and I definitely can't understand even half of what he's saying

[@ironnads7975]

which guy? there was more than one that was talking

[@jodyssey9921]

It's a different world they're playing in, they have employees to turn their effects on and off for them.😂

[@fishman80]

I have no clue what they are talking about but its cool as hell. All that shit must hook up to the flux capacitor.

[@VBshredder]

The AxeFX II units are basically the flux capacitor

[@PowuhToSeven]

Jimmy Kimber lmaooo

[@bigmoneyjackson2385]

Once you get into guitar or drums you nerd out on this shit

[@lizardspawnofdeath]

Those live rigs are actually really simple so there's less to go wrong and perform the same night after night. Simpler than using amps feeding a ton of cabs

[@michaeldean7220]

No surely it's wired to the bamble weeny generator!

[@andrew0323]

Are we not going to talk about the transition from One to Master of Puppets at 6:51

[@p4x.frontier]

Andrew Watters someone needs to make that a video

[@vessaliusnrml5378]

The seek and now transition was amazing

[@armonsari2772]

Damn that's amazing

[@andrew0323]

Slug Round that just gave me an eargasm

[@eliesiegal]

thank you

[@ThorneyedWT]

Well, I should have expected it. Kirk has 5 wah pedals on stage, because one is not good enough for him =|

[@Videohead-eq5cy]

Thorneyed yeah he has 5 legs too, to use all of them at once, just to annoy the shit out of you

[@Iam_Dunn]

LOL..yeah, you think he could have explained it a bit better. He _actually_ only has two pedals. One that’s live and one for backup. They are located in the effects cab, under the wireless receivers. The “pedals” that are on the stage are basically just remote controllers. :)

[@joaquin8637]

you can't use 5 wahs (wahses?) if you have only 5 legs

[@TheCheesewalrus]

I heard some of the major shoe manufacturers are designing wah shoes for him so he never misses a step :D

[@mr_times]

Здарова, клешнерукий брат и сестра.

[@crankystinkleton4284]

12:59 Me: "Holy crap, that's Peter Green's guitar!" Justin Crew: "This used to be Gary Moore's guitar, used to be Peter Green's" Me: "I know! I know!"

[@SSSnake420]

I Thought That Said Peter Griffin

[@majesticpbjcat7707]

"Shut up, Meg"

[@l5e2n9]

It's just a Gibson Les Paul

[@ScottGreenMusic]

When did Paul Heyman become James' guitar tech?

[@rubenezyoed]

Scott Green he does look like Paul lol

[@powerslave6944]

Scott Green that's because James is a Beast of Riff. That's why he need Heyman.

[@cliffsenac2825]

Scott Green cause he's a James Hetfield guy

[@CJG4L]

It's funny because Brock Lesnar is a big Metallica fan

[@gamerxyouthubecamp9624]

Scott Green lol he does look like him holy shit

[@micmag2375]

Kirk is so into horror movies that he got Hannibal Lecter as his guitar tech!!!

[@samuelshonhart]

I love the bond between the techs and their guitarist it’s amazing to see how in tune they are

[@loxalot31]

Thank you for showing how much goes on behind the scenes. Those guys, and the ones that they supervise deserve a ton of thanks.

[@angelslu2468]

I'm watching this because I'm a fan but I really don't understand a word of what this guys are saying lol

[@thewireartisan]

Me either but I thought it was super cool to see all the work behind the scenes!

[@bradyfisher2115]

Me too

[@peoplevsradio317]

Well said... Yet I enjoyed it. I think I am a Metallica Addict

[@milesdevlon]

Me neither, but Metallica is my favorite metal band

[@Les537]

I'm watching because I love gear and I understand everything these guys say except I don't know any of the songs. Everyone is happy.

[@GabrielNardinMusic]

Looking at the T-Shirt of the guy talking first, only Metallica has the money to pay a guy from the NASA to be their road tech.

[@BAND-MAID-USA]

Gabriel Nardin Music They literally sale that shirt at Wal-Mart. Not joking.

[@markusaurelius777]

Dude, it's just a shirt LOL

[@serenehamilton8186]

NASA t-shirt!! It looks so ugly with that serpent tongue, anyway. Just a pollution from NASA as always.

[@Videohead-eq5cy]

Serene Hamilton you believe in earth being flat, by any means??

[@auntjenifer7774]

Vibudh Sharma 🤣 Flat !

[@ReneAlexisPenalozaMunoz]

Amazing job these gentlemen do every night. The band relies 100% on their talent so they can concentrate 100% on the performance. Hats off to the crew.

[@carpediemarts705]

They and the sound man are effectively extended members of the band. That essential to the music and to the show.

[@Aviator1974]

I just said exactly the same. They carry a hell of a lot of responsibility. I would imagine the guys quite rightly so wouldn’t put up with persistent mistakes and being fired would be inevitable. At the end of the day if those techs fail it would be the reputation of the band members that would collapse in an embarrassing heap!

[@raindropcleaners]

That's crazy, I just plug my 10' cable into my amp and turn it on.

[@supernintendude6411]

no way you got the same setup as me tho sometimes ill change it up and use the 6' cable

[@raindropcleaners]

@@supernintendude6411 Ha! That means your signal is getting there quicker. Kick ass!! 🤣

[@supernintendude6411]

@@raindropcleaners its pretty helpful because since i play slow as all hell it at least lets me hear it quicker so that there something with the slightest amount of speed

[@keithmorgan1170]

but you're not a rock star

[@raindropcleaners]

@@keithmorgan1170 Thats your opinion! 😆

[@JoshuaDalviken]

This video is a dream come true! Thank you!

[@Thesongstaysthesame]

Josh Dalviken can't remember the last time I clicked on a video so quick!!

[@MehYam2112]

This is fantastic. I still can't believe all that tone is coming from the AxeFx. We're living in the future.

[@ltrzepalko]

Right, 'digital' used to be considered insufficient in terms of quality until just recently. Pro Tools succeeded instantly whereas amp sim had to evolve for the next ~20 years to be fully implemented. The code for driven sound has been cracked!

[@ShadovvV]

+ltrzepalko Uhh.. Protools is recording software and has nothing to do with amp sims. Digital will never replace analog either. That's like comparing plastic to glass or wood to metal.

[@mottosierra1372]

+ShadowⓋ digital shit like line 6 or boss never but the fractial and the Kemper take it to far , most bands tour with that technology , the Kemper is the most the possibilitys are endless , most tube guys don't want to admit that the technology gone to far and that will break those hearts

[@paulcarlsen4088]

Love how techs get into the technical shit such as antennae, frequencies, etc. Being a technical nerd, part of seeing a show is checking out the rigs. Bad ass techs!

[@cjmaddux]

So funny reading the tone "experts" in the comments section freaking out about the amps and modeling. Consistent tone in a stadium is a little different beast than in your basement, guy. Pump the brakes and recognize that these guys make the big bucks because they honestly know more than you about this subject.

[@texvanburen4566]

THANK YOU!!!!!! Finally. Always funny to hear kids talking that everything is bullshit and crap and sounds not good and they know it all better, while we are doing stadium shows and they have their little school band. I am a drumtech for big arena bands worldwide but mostly in Germany and also did the last leg for Testament at the biggest festivals in the world and I always see comments of how they would do it better, while Gene and the guys know EXACTLY why they're doing it like this. Since 1985. :D

[@MrSpeed-lt8gr]

Thank you!!! Needed to be said.

[@gregfalc]

This, definitely. But also, recorded sound is very different from live sound. The tone you actually hear when standing in the stadium sounds and feels completely different than the live KZbin videos most people are judging.

[@JorgeGeorgeD]

They've forgotten more than we will ever know.

[@MrSpeed-lt8gr]

I’ll admit I still love my tube amp. But what Chad described in this video (tube amps being temperamental and a pain to ship around the world) is so true. Digital and solid state gear give you a consistent sound anywhere. I often use my digital Boss Katana when I don’t want to drag around my Mesa Boogie Mark V and the Katana works very well. If technology has made cars, phones, airplanes and computers so much better, I think it’s safe to say it’s done the same to guitars, amplifiers and guitar effects.

[@ovaismalikvo]

Metallica definitely appreciates their crew big time as they should. The guys behind the scenes make everything look and sound amazing!

[@339blackdiamond]

9:00 what guitar is he talking about?can't see it

[@dylanriebau1542]

Such an old joke.

[@PodQuestRPG]

I never get this joke

[@339blackdiamond]

cuz it's a camo paint job,so people act like if they couldn't see it

[@wolfpackq2321]

Mr Selivestove I can't see it either

[@GiaNt_TaLOn]

is that a camouflage joke? cause the guitar is camo

[@TheGeekwad]

Wow, Kirk has been touring that Rhoads for almost 40 years? Wild.

[@lazyfingers4382]

A well oiled machine, amazing team .

[@CatAttack6471]

9:57 I really appreciate that the background song changes to Fade To Black when he’s talking about the acoustic lol

[@kaiser7695]

And later when it became sad but true when he said the guitar was tuned to d for sad but true

[@metalfan4863]

I’ve never clicked so fast on a notification in my life. It was amazing seeing you guys at Gillette Stadium in May. Amazing setlist for my first Metallica concert

[@Tohofan122]

That show was amazing!!! It was my first Metallica concert too

[@zulucenturion6640]

I was there too. Pretty damn cool.

[@ashpighetti6970]

I also attended, amazing show!

[@christopherdreyer305]

I was also at that show. My first Metallica concert as well. It was awesome!

[@pugsleytattoos3631]

People dont understand...people like him are the hero's of the show!they make sure you hear and feel the music...without them you ain't got a show..and none of the band members get their credits! ..they just dont get enough recognition

[@Payduro]

This was really really cool. Its amazing how much stuff goes on backstage and how much the crew contributes to the performance. Massive respect to the crew and make more vids like this pls!!

[@karl1914]

Fantastic, thanks for showing us around guys!

[@fonzybrookestone727]

LOVE rig rundowns!!!!!! Awesome stuff!

[@photosolutions8618]

I saw Metallica in 2017 and it was the best show production I have ever seen; an audio-visual experience that was executed flawlessly. They spared no expense in providing a superb entertainment experience. Totally worth the $150 ticket.

[@jacobnelsen2786]

I saw them in 2018

[@jackgambino2687]

I remember watching kirk’s guitar tech on the cunning stunts dvd about 20 years ago

[@metalmike350z]

"Called caution cause.....caution" 1st thing I thought of seeing him again lol

[@jengable4888]

Always interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes ! It is amazing how much equipment and manpower is required for a single show ! Thank you for posting....

[@trevorjosephoneill345]

That I loved, thanks you two and MetallicA for letting us in

[@angelslu2468]

Awesome, third best Metallica Stage after the Black Album tour one and the one from the Through the never movie

[@jburdsinfuse]

Dude - the original Justice stage was awesome. It collapsed around them and lady liberty crumbled at the end. Saw them in 1989.

[@jburdsinfuse]

Nitswah The coliseum in Madison, WI. One of my very first shows. "One" hadn't come out with the video yet - seems like a lifetime ago. I've seen every show they've played locally since then (in Houston and Dallas now). Death Magnetic was really cool too with the spinning caskets.

[@nahnotsomuch2292]

Gotta imagine they've gotten down to just two units when the Axe FX III came out. Gapless switching, ability to run 4 amps in a preset with the different channels now, etc. Such an incredible device.

[@reav3rtm]

Long overdue gapless preset switching. My 15 years old Line6 X3 Live had that.

[@AWESOMEvance]

Really interesting stuff. Thanks for the behind the scenes!

[@Nuevo512]

Thank you so much for everything your team brings to the table..

[@Beatypatrockks]

i would imagine there are NASA scientists going around thinking their job is way easier than roading for metallica

[@Wrathofkala]

Exactly, how in hell does anyone figure out all these details. What happened to putting on a show with guitars, amps, drums , bass, cabs, cables, peddles, and mics? Technology seems to just make things more complicated as opposed to intended purposes of making it simpler.

[@eliju420]

@@Wrathofkala Part of his whole point was how the digital gear has simplified things. When you have a tube amp and cab the sound can be radically different from day to day, venue to venue. With the Axe FX they are sending the same signal to the FOH engineer every single night with no need for tweaking. That means big Mick can do his thing and doesn't have to have the guitar techs moving mics around or dealing with other issues that creep up. The rigs are pretty simple. There's an Axe FX, a controller to switch presets, a signal switcher and the wireless racks. Go watch Peter Frampton's Rig Rundown with all his analog gear. It's 3 huge racks of stuff and so many more things can go wrong with it.

[@eamonahern7495]

There would be no show without these guys. Great work. 🤘🎸👏👏👏

[@kingevz]

Wow. History is being made.

[@EstevaoBaruque]

9:33 Behind it looks like Axl Rose was testing the bass lol

[@powerslave6944]

Estevão Baruque #MáfiaEspartana Hey yeah it does look like him, wtf? Probably he's trying to sabotage Rob's bass for the concert.

[@TheFlexXMLG]

LMFAO

[@ManoSoundStudios]

Estevão Baruque #MáfiaEspartana ahaoahoahaoah

[@TheSixStringGuy]

Estevão Baruque #MáfiaEspartana I thought it was Ted nugent

[@Akshay-uq5uq]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@stephenwinchester6668]

A brief glimpse into the tons of work that goes on backstage! Amazing 🤘

[@brandygrinnell4706]

This was so interesting to watch! Such talented people backstage as well!

[@JesusIsLordofMybeing]

Friggin awesome behind the scene video!!!! Thank you guys for EVERYTHING you do to make Metallica's shows as amazing as they are!!!!!!!!!!!! You ALL ROCK!!!!

[@zippofireball]

YES!!! Thank you for sharing your rig!

[@marieprovencio288]

Been a long faithful follow the guys since 1984. Anaheim CA USA

[@F3PIZZA]

What incredible challenges these gents face. The problems that they solve. Under appreciated.

[@MrMetallidude]

This is pure gold. If you're as big of a fanatic as I am, this is gold. To see behind the scenes is priceless.

[@carmenradu5514]

There is so much engineering behind Metallica!! It's absolutely amazing!

[@cctvjim-9344]

What a team of talent! This is an amazing video.

[@shannonjones3714]

Outstanding video! A lot to deal with! Thanks for sharing this with us!

[@espensund1996]

Very talented and skilled people. Metallica touring is truly a teamwork

[@stewdapples267]

“This guitar is kind of unique” Understatement of the century

[@BigOakMan]

5:00 I just want to rip the plastic covers off soo badly!

[@andrewpappas9311]

Same, honestly

[@nojeshei]

So a fractal for a single tone and another for the next tone. The definition of being rich af.

[@JorgeGeorgeD]

Have you ever seen Metallica live? It sounds like a record, the sound is extremely clean, unreal. I guess I they need all that stuff.

[@nojeshei]

@@JorgeGeorgeD i saw them live six weeks ago. Wasn't that overwhelmed. Kirk's clean les paul sounded pretty harsh. But yeah i know they use this gear cause they can.

[@jpsuominen]

No, the definition of being a professional. Dude, they have three video screens the size of a football field. Do you really think that the cost of one axefx unit is anything but a rounding error on the production budget?

[@FVRS97]

nojeshei they said million times in the video that switching from an axe fx to another is far better because they cut instantly instead of the jumpy effect of making it trough soundbanks, that has actually been a problem of modelers since the beigining and only Line 6 has fixed it with the introduction of snapshots in the helix

[@prometheustv6558]

Jorge Luis It sounds like the record if it was a half step lower.

[@AndersEngerJensen]

These are the true heros making the show run smoothly! Kudos to my fellow tech buddies front and rear! :D

[@WUTANG-CLAN]

Amazing to see how much hard work, and everything that goes into a Metallica concert, all to make it perfect for the fans out there. Thanks for the great insight!!!!

[@heshwuan]

Metallica has been putting so much effort into their live shows over the last 10 years, and it shows. They continue to refine their craft after so many years of touring. There is no better band, IMO.

[@jackchow6668]

What a challenging job being techs for these super stars , definitely unsung heroes of rock musics

[@JGarrison51285]

This is pretty cool seeing all of the gear and sound setups used.

[@dylanriebau1542]

I'd be blessed to work for Metallica. Just holding the fucking guitar of a GOD would be a blessing.

[@fofrankstank]

I lived that dream once working as a local crew stagehand in Halifax N.S. Canada ! I worked setting up 1 show there during The Black Tour !

[@TheJayBee1990]

I would love to touch anything from it just once... but that job is tough! tougher then most people think. Travelling a lot, not seeing your family for weeks, maintaining friendships is getting harder, its also pretty stressful (holding to appointments, tight time schedules, shows are stress pure for them bcs they do the magic while the band can just play and gets the fame for it) etc. I think these guys have a great time doing what they do, but still this is really hard work. and doodling around for hours on that nice black new ESP V design? well forget it, you have to tune other guitars, check all electronics in the rig etc. ....

[@martos60]

Exactly.It's not an easy job.You have to make sure that every guitar is ready at any moment.And also during a show,besides that you should know every instrument for every different song(different tunings),something might fail.And you must react in a second.

[@mrwasso]

just guys playing instruments.... not gods. THAT said, I love Metallica, and enjoy playing and listening to almost every album on a regular basis.

[@AnthonyJTa]

I hope by “god” you’re talking about Kirk.

[@juliaparker3767]

I love watching technical stuff like this - great to know what goes on to make a fantastic Metallica Show - Tech Guys are so important - thanks for this - saw Met at O2 on Oct 22 - was so amazing - sound was great -

[@rustnok12]

I'm glad that Kirk still has the tech from Cunning Stunts

[@ethanaubrey858]

Me to. Justin seems like such a cool dude.

[@conorlabarr282]

Hats off to the crew and the band. Really good job folks! We can learn from the attitudes abroad the spectrum of life.

[@ivonahora]

Awesome video! I love rig rundowns, and I've never seen a band do it for their own channel before. It'd be cool to see Rob and Lars's gear as well.

[@philipwilson3430]

Probably the best, most detailed rig rundown I've seen on here.

[@jamesmadison4176]

We have no idea what these guys do for us to get to enjoy these fantastic ROCKERS ! Thank you for doing all the back stage things , so we get to really enjoy a show !!!

[@jorggamingcr409]

Being Metallica my favorite band and being myself an electronic enegineering student this just blows my mind!, The huge system and how every amp, every eq, splitter's and all the stuff has to be very complex, the RF anthenas for the noise coming from the screens, wow! Much respect for this guys behind the stage!

[@metalmaniac8640]

The signals from the antennas and and not crossing signals is what impressed me the most.

[@jamesellen3558]

as a gear geek im totally nerding out on this video. Love them guitars and that solid state rig sounds great.

[@RackhirTheRed]

I only saw them live once. Pittsburgh PA. Justice For All tour and it was incredible. They sounded great, kicked ass and I swear they played for over three hours. It was awesome!

[@claytonrothwell5495]

You boys are backstage rockstars, love your work! Great video cheers!

[@A_Final_Hit]

I love videos like this. Great stuff! Would be great to see a similar video for Lars and Rob's setups.

[@hmudara]

I kinda want the a live concert of the backstage guys doing their magic with the set. Looks cool af!

[@marieprovencio288]

Love you guys!!!!! Have a great tour this year!!!!

[@UsTheMusicTVOfficial]

Wow, interesting set up. Never knew their rigs were so complex. Pretty cool though none the less, you need a lot of power if you are gonna rock out like these guys.

[@judemisura4323]

Been waiting for this for years

[@maxmustardman298]

So they really carry this far too expensive Green LP around for touring ? On the other hand I'm glad they do instead of keeping it locked away in a vault.

[@ziphrox]

Max Mustermann The Guitar deserves to be locked up in a museum or something, it has been through so mutch that it deserves it's rest.

[@judemisura4323]

In an issue of Vintage Guitar, James also brings a '58 Explorer on the road. Also, Both James and Kirk have 5 or 6 '59/'60 Les Pauls and a set of '58 Explorer and Vs

[@LFC-Star]

it would appear so..

[@Swampster70]

Kirk bought it because of the history and because he thought it should be kept on the road. It's an instrument and the really good sounding guitars just need to be played. It's like the folks that play stradivarius and guarneri violins that cost many, many $millions. They sound that much better and apparently play better too.

[@erikrandan7294]

It's Kirk's favorite guitar. Can't fault him for wanting to play it all the time.

[@1992raider]

Hats off to this crew🤘

[@MetalGuitarTV]

Metallica are my idols since I was a child ... the four horsemen are my God!!!!

[@sinceagesago5258]

MetalGuitarTV read the bible

[@MetalGuitarTV]

NOT!!! \m/\m/

[@sinceagesago5258]

:):):)

[@MetalGuitarTV]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@alphaholloway]

MetalGuitarTV same

[@Carepackage65]

Thank you for this video!!!!

[@MrGuitarforyou]

Saw them this day. Right on the rails. Loved it. Seeing them again in December

[@nitrokyosho]

Great video and info ,I took alot of grief when I ditched tube amps and bought a fractal fx3 but I love it and would never go back great modeler

[@Spoonley]

Lol all the gear heads and tone elitists are going to be mad when they figure out that Metallica uses modeling amps live

[@FVRS97]

Meh...every major band uses at least something digital these days unless they are some serious tube lovers like AC/DC who are just guitar and amp with no effects at all

[@aaronmarkham4424]

They do now, they didn’t always do that...

[@tylercady3985]

Moddling amp or not, I just love that Metallica uses solid state amps. That'll really piss of the tube snobs

[@bluecomet1109]

@@tylercady3985 tube snobs exist?

[@tylercady3985]

@@bluecomet1109 Yes I've seen dozens of people online, and even some in guitar stores, that swear by tube amps to the point of labeling anything that isn't a true all tube head (including Boss Katanas and modeling amps) as shit without ever playing it.

[@kimikimonnn]

Where is Kirk's 'blue liquid' guitar? (Appeared in Cunning Stunts)

[@nyx_jupiter-trash]

last time i saw that guitar i think its either somewhere deep in his private collection or in another collectors collection theres been dozens of tribute guitars to it i know that for a fact but im not sure where the OG one is, that or his black les paul from the justice/black tours

[@muhammadirsyazman8389]

Nyxi i think he still have it. He just not bring to tour retired it. Maybe a risk of lost of neck broken

[@rockerseven]

They probably have an entire warehouse full of their guitars over the years.