Metallica Black Album

 (last updated: 29/12/24)

Metallica Black Album

Instruments

Drums:

• Gretsch ‘Stop Sign’ kit:
• 2 x 24” bass drums
• TAMA Bell Brass snare
• 12”, 13”, 14”, 16” and 18” toms
• Cymbals:
• Sabian hi-hat
• Zildjian crashes & china
• Drum heads:       
• Remo Powerstroke 3 (bass drum)
• Remo Pinstripe (tom-toms)

Guitars:

• James Hetfield:
• Electric:
• Danelectro Longhorn 6-string bass: “Sad But True”
• Danelectro Sitar: “Wherever I May Roam”
• ESP MX-220 (1987, “So F**ing What”): e.g. solo on “Nothing Else Matters”
• ESP MX-250
• Fender Telecaster (cream /w B-Bender): “My Friend In Misery”
• Fender Telecaster (possibly natural – same as above?): “The Unforgiven” melody lifted from “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly”
• Gretsch White Falcon: “Nothing Else Matters” divebomb, borrowed from Bob Rock
• Acoustic:
• Fender Shenandoah 12-string: “The Unforgiven”, around 5-minute mark
• Guild 12-string (specs unknown): “Nothing Else Matters” choruses

• Kirk Hammett:
• Fender Stratocaster (black, white pickguard)
• Fender Stratocaster (sunburst, 80s)
• Gibson Les Paul (1989)
• Gibson semi-hollow: Kirk Hammett
• Tom Anderson ProAM: played by James Hetfield, clean tone on “Nothing Else Matters”

Guitar rig:

• Mesa/Boogie heads /w Marshall cabinets
• Trace Elliot preamps
• Rack (Kirk Hammett):
• Lexicon PCM-42  Mesa/Boogie Strategy 400 power amp
• T.C. Electronic 2290
• Boss Chorus
• Boss Overdrive?

Bass guitars:

• Alembic 20 Year Anniversary Bass(?)
• Hamer 12-string bass – “Wherever I May Roam” intro
• Spector NS-2 black – Jason’s main
• Fender Precision sunburst – e.g. “Unforgiven”

Bass rig:

• Ampeg SVT
• Trace Elliot preamps

Recording & studio equipment

Microphones:

• Drums:
• AKG C414 EB (x2 – ambience)
• AKG C451: overheads (x6)
• Neumann KM86: snare
• Sennheiser MD409: rack tom-toms (top)
• Sennheiser MD421: tom-toms (bottom), floor tom (top & bottom)
• Shure SM7: hi-hat
• Shure SM57: snare
• Percussion:
• AKG C414 B-ULS (x2)
• Guitars:
• AKG C414 B-ULS (acoustic)
• Neumann KM86 (black, acoustic)
• Telefunken 251 (acoustic)
• Shure SM57 and/or Sennheiser MD421(?): Marshall cabinets
• Vocals:
• Neumann U47 FET - main for vocals
• Neumann M49
• Shure SM57 - live guide vocals

Tape recorders:

• Studer A800 24-track
• Sony PCM-3324 24-track

Outboard (partial list):

• AMS DMX 15-80S digital delay/harmonizer/sampler
• AMS RMX-16 digital reverb
• Drawmer
• Eventide H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer
• Pultec MEQ-5 EQ
• T.C. Electronic 2290
• Teletronix LA2A compressors
• UREI 1176LN peak limiters
• Yamaha SPX90

Consoles:

• Solid State Logic SL-4000E
• Neve BCM-10 sidecar /w modules

Monitoring:

• Auratone 5C
• Yamaha NS-10

Sources

Metallica - A Year and a Half in the Life documentary

A Year and a Half in the Life (outtakes)

Classic Tracks: Metallica’s Enter Sandman

Music Radar

Photo from sessions

https://guitar.com/features/artist-rigs/the-gear-used-on-metallicas-black-album/

..