Kirk Hammett Talks About Metallica's Gear and Influences

In this clip, Kirk Hammett discusses Metallica's gear and influences, James Hetfield's picking, and his admiration of Johnny Ramone.
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[@alienpartridge]

The real lyrics to Fade To black: "My modded Marshall went away, I hope to get it back some day"

[@FeFeronkaMetallica]

This was funny bro

[@damonring6471]

This comment is the best Metallica comment ever 😂

[@alienpartridge]

@@damonring6471 lol

[@sianspherica]

It's such a joy to hear such an iconic musician speak with such passion about his craft so deep into his career

[@jmbs9833]

Such such such ?

[@OneManAndHisBike123]

The fade to black intro and mid solos always make me feel something. They're beautiful and haunting at the same time.

[@daviddoch4872]

Some of the best intros ever made. I must bow to this man

[@sbrave]

He still has that Bay Area hippie vibe. So mellow and chill.

[@guillermo3564]

He picks up Greeny and I'm thinking wow, it was almost exactly 45 years ago to the day that I watched Gary Moore just tear it up with Greeny at a Thin Lizzy gig in El Paso. F#@%ing memories, man!

[@brianwaitzman]

That's the power of that instrument, right? I wonder who is next for Greeny after Kirk???

[@paullevine1813]

Be nice to see Derek Trucks with that 59 .

[@davehoward22]

Go to someone else with deep pockets.

[@Foxx81362]

Good question,Brian. Anybody who loves Greeny.

[@Foxx81362]

With all its repairs of course.

[@porcelainthunder2213]

One of the few that knows his gear. The Mesa Stuff was new…part of the reason it became standard for metal.

[@dub2459]

I could listen to him all day he’s so passionate about music, definitely one of my favorite guitarists.

[@thetoddkeith]

I've been a Metallica fan my whole life but have never seen an interview of him before. He's so different than I imagined.

[@u.s.m.c.fewproudthemarines2987]

He at easy in life. I'm shock 😲 he still remembers KEA RTL AMPS STILL AT 60

[@jayyoutube8790]

Very down to earth guy. His house is very….. unique? The whole home is 1920-1940 horror movie décor, I mean everything. He’s an interesting guy tho

[@guitarjero552]

Great interview! Kirk Hammet was my first guitar hero when I was a kid. I saw Metallica live many times, and every time they where great.

[@Conada1002]

Kirk is a rock and metal icon Kirk is a great guitar player Musicality isn’t always about shredding It’s about creating emotion and energy This guy is an awesome live player He creates tonnes of energy and emotion

[@vids595]

The isn't always about shredding parts sounds like you are pre-defending against people who find Mustaine to be a better guitar player.

[@ultimatedriversofmachinery]

@@vids595cause he is

[@Nexcroo]

@@vids595 mustaine the duck cry baby

[@TheDude044]

@@vids595 Notice how he didn’t mention Mustaine and yet you brought him up anyways? Pathetic

[@razzo2538]

Actually he's terrible live. He was the worst part of every metallica show I attended.

[@Nikki11369]

Gawd he's just so giving, so generous. Listening to his explanations for how music comes out of him or any explanation of anything really is like receiving a gift. And for that I say THANK YOU, KIRK.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

He is a bit of a meme with his wah wah addiction and pentatonic licks, but he seems like a nice guy that survived in a band with some major egos. He's probably the only lead player without an ego booster on his pedal board.

[@WishMount]

great joke, 10/10

[@jimbaxter8488]

You have to play the solo that fits the song...the solo sections in Metallica songs aren't really asking for sophisticated altered scales ..they are more about aggression and energy...

[@j-mo2453]

Oh you mean like Jimi Hendrix. Lolol

[@evanward4303]

I think he used a vintage Blame Shifter tho

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

@@jimbaxter8488 True. But it is trash metal. Intricate solos with weird scales are allowed. As Megadeth showed. Of course, it's still better then the noises that Slayer tends to make. And credit where credit is due, Kirk always has a tasty sing along melody in his iconic solo. I can't stress enough how important that is. Better tasty melodic pentatonic then weird noises.

[@ChrisM541]

07:05 I literally fell of my chair in disbelief and awesomeness here, and I 100% concur with Kirk that he is correct in that no one, indeed, has ever done that before...to both play that, and, outstare Rick with such stunning intensity.

[@jojomane7023]

It’s really fun watching these to talking to each other. They are on the same page about everything and the conversation flows so beautifully.😎

[@grindmoto9362]

Awesome to hear the stories about the legend Johnny Ramone!

[@davidtollefson8411]

Still brimming with youthful enthusiasm.

[@totalpartykill999]

well, he is extremely wealthy

[@songOmatic]

LOVE that story about Johnny Ramone!

[@andrewwebster2598]

He seems such a cool bro, very understated and modest

[@Fister_of_Muppets]

"It just feels like it's coming more... from my inner thing." Such is life.

[@hottotty13]

Sometimes I think Metallica partied so hard that Kirks permanently drunk without drinking.

[@satchelmouth1]

Watching this video while I'm sitting here in the office (working from today) dealing with my shitty co-workers every day, relaxes me.

[@cheneyrobert]

Rick’s chats are pure gold 👌🥂

[@tdkdgh]

I just saw a Kirk interview where he said he really liked Yes (The Yes Album through topographic Oceans). Maybe I was dreaming.

[@louise_rose]

Yeah, I'm a lifelong fan of Yes and I can see why he would have appreciated Howe and Squire, the blend of tone, clarity, agility, sharp edges and punch in their playing. Songs like Yours Is No Disgrace (the fabulous live take on the Yessongs album) or Siberian Khatru. Relayer (1974) also strikes me as an album that may have influenced eighties Metallica - Steve's telecaster wizardry and the complex, driving rhythms on it.

[@robertbordevik5072]

Can say what you want about Hammett’s playing, but you can hear it’s him 5-6 notes into the solo, and not many guitar players accomplish that in their lifetime.

[@Gcssdvnkloiutesc]

There is nothing wrong about hammetts playing. Not everyone is going for George lynch. There are aesthetic priorities that doesn’t correlate with difficulty of execution. Kirk is great for Metallicas kind of music. They were never a prog rock band anyway. They are thrash. And he is flashy and technical enough. He also is melodic , and Hendrix influenced. I always liked his solos.

[@V3ntilator]

@@GcssdvnkloiutescMichael Schenker were Kirk's biggest influence.

[@Gcssdvnkloiutesc]

@@V3ntilator was* and I didn’t negate other influences by mentioning Hendrix? Hendrix also influenced Michael so in a sense he is still bigger. In ways you probably don’t understand until you hear other guitarists before Hendrix. Rock Guitar leads used to sound like Chuck Berry until Hendrix.

[@V3ntilator]

@@Gcssdvnkloiutesc I know Chuck Berry very well. If Jerry Lee Lewis played guitar instead of piano, he would maybe have been the first "metal person". I know more about the past than you think. ;) I listened to a lot of Rock music from 1950's and 60's.

[@Gcssdvnkloiutesc]

@@V3ntilator if you look at music in a certain way you can probably trace metal solos in lyre solos in classical Egypt thousands of years ago, likewise with everything else. It’s a reduction to absurdity. So you have to give some credit not just for the notes which are limited anyway, but to the sonic shape of sound and instruments and what not. A piano sounds nothing like a distorted guitar. If you know anything about rock and roll, you cannot underestimate the singular impact of Hendrix which was monumental. Only chuck berry actually had comparable impact to Hendrix.

[@BrentCizekPhoto]

What a great interview, Rick. I could have watched hours of this.

[@chriswalters2554]

This is just a clip of the two hour interview they had. Full thing is on his page

[@fofrankstank]

Rick's interviews are great , I think this is wholly due to to fact of Rick's vast musical intelligence. I fully believe Rick could do interviews alone and make a great living as he is very good at it.

[@1siriuswolf]

Keeping it real as a human, and a guitarist.. legend 😈

[@marcusaurealius6129]

I love Rick's interviews! My only wish is that he interviews Robart Pollard of Guided By Voices.

[@fndrn8]

i enjoyed every second of that interview.

[@bluematrix5001]

Kirk must be a Saint, a very intelligent guy with great patience and self-control to last next to the terrible egos of Hetfield and the obnoxious Lars, definitely is a genuine guy and very artistic..he is extremely fun, interesting and entertaining to listen to

[@oopsydaizi3s824]

Apart from Angus Young , Kirk Hammett was my first “guitar hero” thanks to my friend with LimeWire and then *Guitar Hero: Metallica* . Thanks Zak!

[@kp4588]

Saw Metallica a few days ago at SoFi in LA. What a great show. Wish Newstead was in the band but RT is great as well. I’m on a huge Metallica trip right now.

[@triggSerable]

As a guitar player, i think some worry about gear a bit too much, but it is really cool listening to kirk, him rembering all the details about their early amps and stuff.

[@irevisibel9237]

Awesome talk!

[@CollinsTurner-pq4qu]

I literally have a Metallica shirt on right now while watching this and just so you know Kurt, I love you and your music and I’m so inspired by you that I’m even starting to try and take up electric guitar playing. Hope the best for you I was at your 72nd world tour in LA and on in 2023 and just so you know you rocked it.

[@jayjaymerritt2785]

Got his name wrong. It's Kirk😂😂😂

[@leafyleafyleaf]

Real insiders know his name is actually Kurt. Just ask him about the publicist’s typo in the early years. Too much trouble to fix the error after fame hit. Rock on, Kurt, rock on 🤘.

[@TheSWCantina]

What's your thoughts on Kirk from Nirvana?

[@JasonB808]

The people who say that Kirk can’t shred are forgetting about the solo in One, and many solos in the older albums. The newer solos sound to me like blues guitar solos fused with metal solos and I like it. There is more to guitar solos than just being fast. It’s an artistic preference.

[@marcblum5348]

You can immediately imagine how many discussions went into Metallica's music. They seem to be so self reflective, constant questioning themselves, pushing boundaries, looking for new ways. That pushes off many fans, but I like them for not staying in one place. Even if sometimes shit hits the fan.

[@chaospoet]

The way he talks about James reminds me of Ronnie James Dio talking about Tony Iommi. "Hey, Tony, got a riff? TONY, STOP! That was about 50 riffs no one has thought of before you just invented on the spot!" Some guys just exist to riff like no one has before and James is one of them.

[@fofrankstank]

I am not a guitarist but I believe James is among the best rhythm guitar players in the music business !

[@marvinshenk]

The brilliance that Metallica displayed as such young players is still mind boggling to me.

[@DrewSuch]

Thanks, Rick.

[@satorimystic]

Would love to see Rick react and review "The Warning" band's version of 'Enter Sandman', and their historic rise, amazing talents, and Rock-Solid songs!!! Their 'Teatro Metropolitan' show was absolutely masterful.

[@lastcall9998]

If you ever read my comment: This video alone sounds great (no more harsh sound). Guitar sounds godly. Great interview. (Using now an Apple Dongle, ditched the pos of the RME ADI -2 DAC, same headphones (HD820).)

[@johnqpublic2718]

Reminds me of when I acquired my Mesa S.O.B. head. Permanent hearing damage soon followed.

[@jeffrey3498]

Serious passion 😎👍

[@tonus6559]

I agree 100% with on the subject of using delay… I used to work in a guitar shop and you could tell the sloppy guitarists because they want to turn up the reverb on the amp or they’d play live with a big delay… even delay on a rhythm part?! Learning to play without a delay pedal means you have to be more accurate, you have to fill the sound the whole time… You can’t choke out on a chord or a note even for a moment cause you hear it completely naked. When you bend a note with the delay pedal I think it sounds like a mess, IMO. Great interview!

[@stuartmenziesfarrant]

Kirk is a big Michael Schenker fan...he has good taste, Schenker is a rock guitar god!

[@pfzt]

Yeah, Schenker is insanely fluid and melodic but never flashy. I wish he stayed longer in the Scorpions and got more famous.

[@davedecker1725]

@@pfzt He's batshit crazy. He has some serious demons. When he was on your with UFO in the states he would stuff his pockets with hotel stationary so when he was found passed out the cops knew where to take him 🤣

[@coversbyajrosales]

Kirk admires James' downstrokes which reminds me of a comment I read on a different video, which says "even when James is brushing his teeth, he only does downstrokes!" :)

[@havefunbesafe]

Love Kirk….my impression of him before the internet was not that it is now…thanks technology!

[@alg54]

Can't wait for Thornley 🤗

[@thomas9079]

Awesome!

[@wilmathewisp8252]

Man, this Mesa sound 🤤❤❤❤

[@progresivo717]

i love kirk He and James inspired me to play the guitar. There is a group of people who always criticize him and compare him to Dave Mustaine, something that seems stupid and childish to me. I personally think Kirk has great solos. I think the unforgiven solo is a masterpiece and he didn't need the speed of light or much technicality to create it.

[@grendol6968]

Thank you Kirk. Thank you Rick!

[@hamacaboy]

Kirk we ❤ u you are so amazing, such a genius, and anybody criticizing is crazy

[@hissinghed]

I like how Kirk can sound like some drunk person raw Raw'ing along about God knows what, but is completely sober. An art that comes from years of experience. But he makes sense!

[@smith8281]

Reminds me of some sort of drunk aunt Thelma type lol. Idk what he’s on.

[@herbertwest9626]

Well, alcohol and drugs leave their traces. Especially on your braincells. What's gone is gone. But wouldn't we all like to have lived their lives? That's the price you pay for rock'n'roll. Nothing wrong with that as long as you know when to stop or slow down.

[@luistijerina]

I love Kirk and James, but that “gallop” thing with pull-offs was done way before Moth Into Flame. At least by Adam Jones from Tool in the 2000s.

[@mrhyde2250]

Or nearly every thrash record ever made! 😂🤣

[@StorageYT]

Slipknot - The Devil In I (came out in 2014, Moth Into Flames in 2016) This one came IMMEDIATELY to my mind

[@herbertwest9626]

Even Metallica did it before.

[@deletebilderberg]

Kirk is such a style dude.

[@drzecelectric4302]

This is good stuff Kinda knew about the mkII but not when

[@AidanStutzman]

I think something that would have been awesome to talk about is actually rather than the taste they have in common, the stuff they didn’t. You can definitely hear that Kirk likes Van Halen, KISS, UFO, but the fact that James was very into American and UK punk and Hardcore was a huge part of the early sound and riffing style!

[@lifeisdead01]

He seems better than he did around the time 72 Seasons released, so happy to see it!

[@michaelkennedy736]

I've seen Metallica 4 times. First time was Marley Park Dublin and again in Marley Park I think 3 years later. The sound blew me away, mind blowingly loud. Again in Belfast o2 arena.same thing. Then Slane and the sound was NOT the same. Didn't have that loud kick the other gigs did. The bass drum didn't have that loud gut wreching hit to it and it just wasn't the same at all

[@TheSWCantina]

Yeah, I agree. I saw them in the RDS in 03, 04, 06, Marley Park 08, 09, Slane 2018. I wish I went to the shows in Belfast.

[@carterp3753]

I saw him Friday I’m seeing him again in like 2 hours

[@leoleishman8695]

siempre hablando en positivo de las personas, como en un "mambo re copado"

[@silentgnome]

Kirk tiene siempre esa actitud y es algo que cae súper bien de él. Es un tipo que conoce muy bien sus fortalezas y sus limitaciones y a veces creo que ni él mismo comprende el alcance de su influencia en el metal y el rock en general.

[@alteredstate07]

I'm glad he talk about Leper Messiah its the only 'tallica song I play, fabulous song to jam with.

[@louisserafin3369]

You should interview Adam Jones from Tool!

[@davecole2561]

Alex Lifeson from Rush first, please!

[@EthanRussell-eu5wd]

Finally someone who will listen without interruptions

[@j.d.791]

His golden littel shoes are really fuckin heavy metal!

[@schlagdog]

Kirk is the best. He always sounds like Jeff Spicoli. I feel like he is very high all the time.

[@Fafafohi]

“Okay, now that you’re done, uh, warming up.” - Bob Rock 😂😂😂

[@user-du1yk7uk9v]

Best band and player he mentioned : UFO (one of the VERY best hard rock band EVER) and Neal Schon as guitar player.

[@Leper_Messiah.]

Leper Messiah is my favourite song, hilarious he mentioned it.

[@Gmh6477]

Surprised he didn’t mention Graham Oliver, seeing as lots of there first big guitar riff songs are lifted from Graham & Saxon songs… the main riff in seek and destroy is basically princess off the night , creeping death is basically the eagle has landed, even new songs like Lux Eterna sound very close like Altar of the gods !!

[@AlecBaldwin5816]

Back in 1983, they were modding these marshall amps, mark 2C+, gives an aggressive piercing metal sound reactive to pickups, so they were making many of them. It wasn't the only 1-2 amp like that in existence. Kirk and James spoke about it like it was the best amp ever made, and couldn't buy it back after been stolen. Kirk adds of what they needed at the time. They might exaggerate a little since when came 1986 and after, the sound gets more massive, within these producer consoles. It is nonetheless an intriguing story, and we got fade to black in consequence of that amp been stolen, by James for who so pissed off about it. These days we have plenty of choices. The Crate, the mesa boogie mark V, the Marshall JCM 800 2203, the Elmwood m90 even through this one adds warmth and luxurious sound.

[@annewick3287]

Yeah hes on something but he is a true genius. I saw the M72 tour in arlington texas. One of my most favorite bands of all time

[@Chico-td2fy]

Awesome just Awesome ❤

[@GuitarFuel]

His point about delay is 100% true! You have to work harder when you have a dry guitar tone for soloing

[@raisinsawdust]

Michael Schenker needs to be on your list!

[@jimbaxter8488]

Kirk should try Wizard MTL II amps....you can gain them up and they stay super tight with fantastic clarity note separation in chords...and they thump like nobodies business!

[@Ibanezguy2007]

They used Wizard amps on the load through to garage inc albums

[@nealatthecrossfishing]

Leper Messiah is the song that turned me onto Metallica back in 86 or 87.

[@MetaITurtle]

I read that they ended up finding that Moded amp from 1984 for the Black album? But of course they still used the Mesa/Boogies with it?

[@OldManArmyJonno]

Lovely fella.

[@spottswoode8122]

7:17 Adam Jones often uses this technique

[@bluecomet1109]

I love metallica gear talk

[@mrjackbagginz]

His master of puppet riff is the defenition of the metallica sound

[@russellhamner5150]

Man those shoes 🎉

[@StormbringerI]

Cool dude

[@morelife6508]

Just found out hes part philipino. Always wondered why he had such a great looking perma tan

[@AnmarBaitalmal]

Rick! You MotherFucker! You Got The Best Interviews On The Planet 💀 Keep 'em comin' 🤘🏽

[@satevo462]

9:58 lol I said Leper Messiah 2 seconds before Kirk did.

[@rupert916]

Wish there was more on the justice gear and tone…

[@bobwreck3775]

I know. I was excited to hear about gear then they stopped talking about it. What a bummer video.

[@amx1820]

Playing along with different time signatures...Lars "Ok"🤣

[@Kimians]

Aaah…but the Mesa Boogies don’t go to Eleven……

[@jimbaxter8488]

The Mk II C+ goes to eleven...the Mk II C++ goes to twelve.

[@xaviergough9359]

Delay is not about cheating, it's about adding depth and a better stereo field. The feedback should be set low to simulate two guitar tracks with one a few milliseconds behind.

[@werideatdusk]

Aka chorus? Lol

[@xaviergough9359]

@@werideatdusk Technically no. A chorus modulates a frequency and thus closer to a flanger/univibe effect. If you didn't get what I said, you've never played serious gigs.

[@andrew6978]

That's just a doubling effect/slapback delay and gets very boring, very quickly. The Edge is still the king of interesting use of delay.

[@joves3407]

Love this guy. Have to add though, Adam Jones did the gallop with pull-off on several songs, particularly Jambi… sooo, you know, it has actually been done on an album before… just sayin’. Still love this interview though.

[@Andy666TheBeast]

was just about to comment this. jambi was the first thing that came to my mind as soon as kirk said that loool

[@LuisRdzG10]

Counting with the downstrokes... holy fucking shit!!! that might be helpful... never thought of that... I'm always with the damn foot or my mind...

[@richardervins]

The Mesa Boogie journey we all took. 😂

[@joves3407]

So true. I have a heap of Marshall’s, which I love, and then got the Badlander 50. That thing is a revelation! Still adore my Marshall’s though 😊

[@richardervins]

@@joves3407 Absolutely. My Marshall may be the one purchase that paid off most in my life - next to some Gibson and Fenders. I once had the chance to talk to Jim Marshall‘s daughter, that took over the business from her father. She said, that she heard that lot.

[@Raijin-RyuX24]

Hardcore punk bands have been doing that gallop pull off thing for 20+ years. What’s he talking about? Lol The reasoning for downstrokes vs adding upstrokes is interesting and actually makes sense. The more ya know.

[@babymodel1047]

what player does he namecheck at 3:10?

[@TheSultan69]

What did they mean when they said "high notes hit first" when doing upstrokes?