Hammett & Hetfield's Rig Pix from Australia Nov 2010!!!!!!

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myownself26

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Here's a few High resolution pix I found on the web for us to munch on! Priceless Pix indeed!!!!

James Rig:

Jamesamps1.jpg


Jamesdiezel2.jpg


Hetfield3.jpg


Kirks Rig:

Kirkrackfront.jpg


Kirkrackback.jpg


Kirkrandall.jpg
 
Might I add... Since seeing these pix, I don't feel so bad about having bad cable management in my rig! I was honestly surprised Kirk's rig is that messy! Justin Crew (Kirks Tech) must have his hands full or he has his own little routine on troubleshooting. :roll:

Also, notice the addition of the Line 6 X3 Pro in James' Rig? Hmmm... I wonder if it's used for his Variax tone while playing any Acoustic passages? Perhaps Fade To Black 12 string tone or Unforgiven etc...

It drives me nuts there are so many mysteries to James rig! :evil:

JAMES! Do a **** Rig Rundown video will ya!?! I emailed James' tech Chad Z. and asked some questions about the rig. I wasn't expecting a response, but Chad was kind enough to respond! However, he didn't answer any of my questions! How ironic, hey? Ha!
I'll dig up the email and post it.

Cheerz!
 
Ok, I dug up the email. the questions, and the answer!

I knew it was a total long shot, but hey, you can't blame me for asking right?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On May 21, 2011, at 11:21 AM, Myownself26 wrote:

Chad,

I stumbled upon your website through countless attempts researching the boys from Metallica’s rig setups. I figured whats better than getting the info straight from the horse’s mouth? So… I was hoping you’d be so kind to answer a few questions I have regarding James Hetfield’s tour setup?

I saw a video on youtube from guitar world while you were in Kansas City back in 2008. The camera man was speaking out loud, listing the various pieces of gear. When he spoke of the Mesa Triaxis, you stopped him by saying “Heavily Customized Triaxis”. I have seen a photo or two from the late 90’s of Het’s rig, there was a label that stated: Phase Inverted IIc+. I was wondering if you could shed any light on this for me? Seeing as how the presence is able to be at 10 and the Dynamic Voice at O, shows how far from stock the unit is. Maybe you have a schematic on the mod? Possibly you know how to achieve the modification? A long shot, but thought I’d ask.

Also, the second Triaxis that Het uses for clean has a label stating “Stock Recto”. I’m assuming, this is the old Recto Board, pre Phat Mod?

What does James use the Klon and DM4 pedals for? I saw a pic that had a label “SAD” on the DM4, any truth to that? I also saw an Line 6 Pod X3 pro mounted above his Diezels? Variax for Acoustic maybe?

Hetfield’s Custom 2X5 EQ is the last question. I have figured out it is revamped from an old Studio Preamp. Do you have any idea how this is achievable, and what the settings are? A scooped V, M, or T configuration? Are both EQs set the same?

Thanks in advance!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Brian,
You don't ask for much, do you? Even if I had an extra 8 hours to sit down and address all of your questions, which I do not, the ever changing specifications of James' rig are the property of James. Right now, there is a Sheik of some sort in Dubai who is trying have James' rig duplicated. He has been hounding manufacturers and Metallica employees like myself. He wants to fly me out to build the rig which is just not possible. Even if I gave you everything you wanted to know, I don't understand what you think you would have?
I appreciate the thought, time and effort you have put into this, and I appreciate that you are a fan. Keep in mind that the sounds on the recordings are always different from what is used live. I think you should just enjoy James' playing for what it is. If James plugs into a stock recto head and Mesa cab, it still sounds like no one else.

Good luck to you Brian,

Chad

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Touche!
At least Chad was humble! I can appreciate that. It still didn't satisfy all of our hungry needs! :?
 
screamingdaisy said:
myownself26 said:
Dear Brian,

F*ck off.

Chad

:lol:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Pretty much.
Remember, James' live rig is designed to sound good...going into an iso cab, through a HUGE PA, along side Kirk's rig, and with Papa Het at the strings. You will never in a million years come close to his sound playing your Ibanez through a 4x12 cab in your basement.
I look at the gear they use in their rehearsals. James can make a 2 channel Triple Recto or a Diezel VH4 sound like him with no problems.
 
ryjan said:
I look at the gear they use in their rehearsals. James can make a 2 channel Triple Recto or a Diezel VH4 sound like him with no problems.

There's a lesson in that.

If you simplify things and focus on the meat of his sound you can plug an EMG loaded guitar and chorus pedal into a Dual Recto and if you have the chops you'll walk away with the majority of his sound.
 
I hear ya!!!! 8)

The tech dork in me figured it was worth a shot to receive some answers to the mysteries of James' modded or unknown use of certain said equipment.

Not a chance in hell is anyone going to replicate the sound of the down picking king! Except Het!

I love it!

Brian,

F*ck off!

Chad

Ha! Priceless!

Good times indeed! :lol:
 
James sounds like James whether it's Marshall, Mesa Mark, Wizard, 5150, TriAxis or Diezel. Oh wait, he did use all those amps and he always sounded like himself :lol:

I think that if James read through some of these pages he would LHAO, his mysterious tweaks are probably something simple (though his TriAxis settings are a bit strange) and he'd have a laugh looking at our guesses :)
 
This is the typical "up their own butt" response and attitude I'd expect from metallica or someone associated with them. I am a huge metallica fan and have been for decades but things like this kill my fandom one brick at a time. I like John Petrucci's attitude. He demos his entire rig on video, posts his settings, guitars, everything. Then dares you to play like him. We all know that tone is unique based on a persons style and technique to an extent. But we all like to know the set ups our influences use. This response from Chad is nothing short of lame arrogance by people who forgot they would have killed for a tip from their heroes at one time.
 
Sixstringpsycho said:
This is the typical "up their own butt" response and attitude I'd expect from metallica or someone associated with them. I am a huge metallica fan and have been for decades but things like this kill my fandom one brick at a time. I like John Petrucci's attitude. He demos his entire rig on video, posts his settings, guitars, everything. Then dares you to play like him. We all know that tone is unique based on a persons style and technique to an extent. But we all like to know the set ups our influences use. This response from Chad is nothing short of lame arrogance by people who forgot they would have killed for a tip from their heroes at one time.

I don't know about that. Metallica is a corporation and Hetfield's sound is proprietary information. It's like walking into GE and demanding (or in this case, politely requesting) to know how to build a light-bulb from a project manager. The employee is going to appreciate your interest, but it's procurement is unfeasible without jeopardizing his job.

I, personally, enjoy the mystery of Hetfields rig. If Het's rig is ever truly revealed, I would prefer it that James reveal it himself in a 2.5 hour long Blu-ray that I can purchase for $25. They can call it Metallica Gear...THE RIG OF HET...or whatever. Seriously, having James go through his Live and Studio guitars, live and studio amps, favorites, experiments from the SKOM days, all that. It would be **** interesting.

I really liked the two part episode on the EMG website where James talks about the entire design and R&D process of his custom EMGs. I thought that was really cool.
 
myownself26 said:
I hear ya!!!! 8)

Brian,

F*ck off!

Chad

Ha! Priceless!

Good times indeed! :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh sh!t, I spit coffee all over my keyboard again, you guys slay me!
 
I'm glad Petrucci was brought up!

I agree ten-fold about Petrucci being completely open about his gear, settings, techniques etc...

I love the mentality... this is what I use, how I use it and if it helps you out, cool!

As for the Het's Triaxis mod, You're probably right, it's some simple alteration. Changing this resistor to another value, or adding this or that cap.... I mean "Phase Inverted"? When I think of that term, I think, speaker or an amplifier phasing. I always contribute the term to mean something bad for some reason. I mean, I understand the concept of phase cancellation of frequencies etc.. Het did this blending different Amps and cabs during the Black Album recording. What I can't wrap me head around is the "Inverted"? :?

"PC load letter....What the F*cks that mean!?!" :lol:
 
Each time the signal passes through a gain stage the phase is inverted 180 degrees.

My guess is that the Triaxis' Recto and IIC+ modes have a different number of gain stages, which would have them cancelling each other out when used in stereo. Thus I'm guessing he had the preamp modified to invert the signal an extra time so that the two preamps are in phase with each other.
 
Here's an idea...

I once ran my TriAxis stereo, into my Mesa 2:90 and my Marshall's power section simultaneously. The mids and highs were SWEEEEET but there was no low end whatsoever, I asked what gives on this forum and the answer I got was "phase cancelling", which I didn't want it to be but well, it was xD
Anyway, maybe James had the same problem if he's running the TriAxis into or with his Diezel, so he had the Phase inverted internally?

I think that James' mods on the TriAxis were probably centered around getting him that old Mark IIC+ tone he loves so much into a MIDI programmable rack preamp that he can haul... I know that the IIC+ voicing on the TriAxis has a fixed configuration of which of the tone shift knobs on the original C+ head is pulled and which is not, so he may have had that trimmed to his taste.

I mean for example if Marshall would come up with a new a rack preamp and it had a mode that is based on a JVM410 but is for example OD1 instead of OD2, I'd have mine modded to OD2 specs too if I was an endorsed artist - it's just two caps and a resistor.

EDIT lol screamingdaisy beat me to it xD
 
myownself26 said:
Brian,

F*ck off!

Chad

Actually did full-on LOL at that one!

Seriously though Chad could have been a little more accomodating, like a certain Mr F. Rasmussen!

I think a lot of people spend too much time agonizing over Metallica's tones. I took the approach of approximating it as a starting point then tweaking it with what works for me in my own music.
 
r_cod_81 said:
myownself26 said:
Brian,

F*ck off!

Chad

Actually did full-on LOL at that one!

Seriously though Chad could have been a little more accomodating, like a certain Mr F. Rasmussen!

I think a lot of people spend too much time agonizing over Metallica's tones. I took the approach of approximating it as a starting point then tweaking it with what works for me in my own music.
r_cod_81,

F*ck off!

Ryan.

:lol:
Just kidding.
Why wouldn't someone "agonize" about getting their grail tone be it something rattling around in their head, something they heard on the radio, or at a concert? You even said yourself that you snaked his tone as a jumping off point.
 
Ha! Fair play Ryan! :D

I absolutely agree that everyone has a tone in their head and that you have to start somewhere in terms of "I like that sound, what hear's he/she using". I just think that when one has experimented a bit to approximate the tone's they're hearing (be they Metallica's, Nirvana's, Oasis's, Robert Johnson's, whoever's) they should then search for their own sonic identity.

With reference to this thread If you like what JH can do with a triaxis/2:90 then get your own and get your own 'signature' sound out of it.


Richard
 

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