Kirk Hammett’s wiry, wah‑scorched lead tones have been a core component of Metallica’s sound since the band reshaped the landscape of metal in the early 80s. Now 60 years of age, Kirk’s youthful looks mask the fact that he’s been recording at the sharp end one of the world’s biggest acts for 40 years, after he replaced Dave Mustaine in the band in the spring of 1983.
And though Metallica’s juggernaut touring and recording schedule has clearly made extraordinary demands on the band’s members, four decades of music‑making has also left Hammett with enough room to reflect on and evolve his sound far more than some might credit. You might think, for example, that he still builds his sound primarily around active pickups. But, as our free‑ranging conversation with the guitarist reveals, he’s more likely to get his gain sounds with much older tech these days – PAFs mounted in a certain storied Les Paul formerly owned by Peter Green, of which he is the current owner and steward.
“There’s so much Greeny on the new album,” Hammett says. “I mean, when you hear a whammy bar, it’s not Greeny [laughs]. But I really only played two guitars on this album. Some albums I played, like, 16 guitars on. But on this album, it’s only two guitars: Greeny and my [ESP] Mummy guitar, that’s all I needed.
“When I put Greeny on the rhythm pickup, and I hear that neck tone, it’s just so much the neck tone that you want to hear,” he says. “I mean, it just takes me… And the bridge pickup has
