Author Topic: Metallica - Black Album (gear questions) (Read 12943 times)

Crazy_Joe · « **on:** December 19, 2006, 04:35:39 PM »

I havn't listened to it for a while but i just came back to it today, and it has such a HEAVY guitar tone it's unbelievable!!

Can someone tell me what pickups they used, and also what amps (though i'm guessing EMGs and Mesa Boogies)

What would be the best pickup for this heavyness? (probs ceramic warpig)

I pretty much know the answers to all these questions but just need to make sure, because if they used EMG's surely a Miracle Man would do it just aswel as a C. Warpig?

This is probably my last pickup question ever as after soon after Xmas i will be BKPing one of my axes (most likely Explorer).

Davey · « **Reply #1 on:** December 19, 2006, 04:37:57 PM »

emg's as far as pickups go.

a mesa MarkIV will get you the closest to the black tone as possible. othervise, you need the recording rig.. have someone play all the overdubs, multiple other tracks, etc etc

maliciousteve · « **Reply #2 on:** December 19, 2006, 04:42:02 PM »

That album has some much tracking on there the gear list is bloody endless but i know for sure they used

Mesa Mark IIc+
Ada MP-1
EMG 81's
Mesa Mark IV

Crazy_Joe · « **Reply #3 on:** December 19, 2006, 05:00:53 PM »

So in terms of BKPs, i have 2 options really. C Warpig and Miracle Man, most people say MM is similar to EMG 81, so that would be the solution. But then there is people like Dakine who knows his stuff (and who also got the suggestion from Tim) who say C. Warpig for Metallica chug.

Hmmm....

Fubar · « **Reply #4 on:** December 19, 2006, 05:49:42 PM »

Good choice, i'd rate the black album as having the best production of any metal album, is just a shame they went downhill from there. If you can find a copy of the first "a year and a half in the life of..." video (the one where they are in the studio) it shows just how much work went into getting the guitar parts just right. There's a lot of layers to the rhythm tracks using different guitars, amps and settings that would be hard to detect without seeing how it was done. When it comes to actual gear thats involved it's much the same situation as with the "justice..." album. They really put a lot of work into using everything they could lay their hands on, experimenting with mic placement etc. I don't know what BKP's would be best but I do think Kirk Hammet's main guitars had EMG 81's and 89's in them and I believe he mostly used the Mesa Mk IV but with quite a lot of rack gear.

Damn, I'm gonna have to go dig that album out now! :lol:

Crazy_Joe · « **Reply #5 on:** December 19, 2006, 05:58:12 PM »

Yeah i really like the 'Justice' tone too, so heavy!!

MDV · « **Reply #6 on:** December 19, 2006, 06:14:39 PM »

As I understand it a lot of the rhythm was double tracked with amps through a mountian of cabs that were heavily dampened with thick blankets and foam. The open Ds in the sad but true riff for example.

2 -2 2 - 5p0 1p0 -----
0 -0 0 ------------- 3p0

the first is non-PM, the second two are palm muted as we all know, but also doubled with un-PM'd guitars through the blankets and sh!t.

You really cant replicate it properly at home :(

Fubar · « **Reply #7 on:** December 19, 2006, 06:20:25 PM »

Quote from: MDV

You really cant replicate it properly at home :(

I would doubt even most professional engineers, producers and musicians could in a fully equiped studio could pull it off either. I've never heard anyone pull off anything to an equal standard, is all IMO tho.

Fubar · « **Reply #8 on:** December 19, 2006, 06:21:29 PM »

Quote from: Crazy_Joe

Yeah i really like the 'Justice' tone too, so heavy!!

I love everything metallica did up until re-load, that album was just so dire and they've just not recovered since. :(

Davey · « **Reply #9 on:** December 19, 2006, 06:37:50 PM »

yea.... jason was allowed to write a song

LOL

i keed, i keed haha...

it's got some cool songs.

Crazy_Joe · « **Reply #10 on:** December 19, 2006, 07:42:37 PM »

Haha, yeah after the black album it just sucked pretty much.

Though i liked the S & M album.

dave_mc · « **Reply #11 on:** December 19, 2006, 08:10:15 PM »

Quote from: MDV

As I understand it a lot of the rhythm was double tracked with amps through a mountian of cabs that were heavily dampened with thick blankets and foam. The open Ds in the sad but true riff for example.

2 -2 2 - 5p0 1p0 -----
0 -0 0 ------------- 3p0

the first is non-PM, the second two are palm muted as we all know, but also doubled with un-PM'd guitars through the blankets and sh!t.

You really cant replicate it properly at home :(

you don't have blankets?

MDV · « **Reply #12 on:** December 19, 2006, 08:17:47 PM »

Steady on, fubar,lets not deify it!

By blankets I mean thick, heavy dense blankets, plus foam walls about a foot thick (newsted also played behind some to cut out his pick sound, he hits the strings so hard) and the crucial mountian of cabs :twisted:

Edit: Put it this way: the cab mountain, inc foam walls and blankets wouldnt fit in any room of your house. It was about 10 feet tall.

Crazy_Joe · « **Reply #13 on:** December 19, 2006, 08:31:17 PM »

I don't want the EXACT tone, i just want something along the lines of that, something that sounds heavy, just heavy.

What is the best bridge pickup for this? (going into an all mahogany explorer)

dave_mc · « **Reply #14 on:** December 19, 2006, 08:31:42 PM »

Author Topic: Metallica - Black Album (gear questions) (Read 12943 times)

maliciousteve