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 at the sharp end of one of the world’s biggest acts for 40 years, after he replaced Dave Mustaine in the band in spring 1983.
And although Metallica’s juggernaut touring and recording schedule has made extraordinary demands on the band’s members, four decades of music making have also left Hammett with enough room to reflect on and evolve his sound far more than some might know. 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, referring both to Green’s Les Paul and Metallica’s latest, 72 Seasons. “I mean, when you hear a whammy bar, it’s not Greeny,” he adds with a laugh. “But I only played two guitars on the album, whereas on others I played, like, 16. But on this one, it’s only Greeny and my [ESP] Mummy. 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
