Metallica gear encyclopedia: strings, guitars, bass, and drums, member by member
The Metallica gear encyclopedia. The documented strings, guitars, pickups, bass, and drums James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, and Lars Ulrich play, with primary-source citations and album-by-album context from Kill 'Em All (1983) to 72 Seasons (2023).
Written with AI help · Updated
Metallica formed in Los Angeles in 1981 and are the biggest-selling thrash-metal band ever, 125+ million records and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees (2009). The lineup: James Hetfield (rhythm guitar, vocals), Kirk Hammett (lead guitar), Robert Trujillo (bass), Lars Ulrich (drums). Hetfield plays ESP guitars strung with his Ernie Ball Papa Het's Hardwired set (.011-.050). Hammett plays ESP KH signature guitars with EMG pickups and Ernie Ball Regular Slinky. Trujillo runs a low, aggressive bass tone on stainless-steel strings. Ulrich plays Tama drums with Ahead aluminum sticks.
Band members(6)
Kirk Hammett
Documented strings, guitars, amps, and effects Kirk Hammett uses with Metallica. The Ernie Ball RPS-10/RPS-11 hybrid set (.010 to .048), the ESP KH signature line, the Mesa Boogie Rackmount Dual Rectifier years, the Randall KH signature era, the current Fractal Axe-FX III live rig, and Greeny. Every claim cited.
Cliff Burton
aka Clifford Lee Burton
Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Cliff Burton used with Metallica from 1982 until his September 1986 death. Rotosound Swing Bass 66 documented use, Rickenbacker 4001 + Aria SB-1000 + Alembic basses, Morley wah pedal effects. Historical, with citations.
At a glance
Role
Active
Affiliations
- Blackened Recordings (their own label, since 2012)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (inducted 2009)
- Nine Grammy Awards
- 125+ million records sold worldwide
Notable credits
- Kill 'Em All (1983)
- Master of Puppets (1986)
- ...And Justice for All (1988)
- Metallica, the Black Album (1991), 16x Platinum US
- 72 Seasons (2023)
Metallica formed in Los Angeles in 1981 when drummer Lars Ulrich placed a newspaper ad and James Hetfield answered it. Four decades later they are the biggest thrash-metal band on earth, 125+ million records sold, nine Grammys, and a 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. The current lineup is Hetfield (rhythm guitar, vocals), lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, bassist Robert Trujillo, and Ulrich (drums). This page is the gear encyclopedia; the discography lives on the individual album pages linked below.
James Hetfield, rhythm guitar and vocals
Hetfield's rhythm tone is the spine of Metallica, tight, percussive, and heavily down-picked. He is a long-documented Ernie Ball artist and released his own signature string set for it.
Strings · Signature
Ernie Ball Papa Het's Hardwired Master Core (.011-.050)
His signature set, gauged for down-tuned, high-gain rhythm. The heavier bottom holds tension in Eb standard and drop tunings.
Pick · Signature
Dunlop Tortex Flow James Hetfield "White Fang" 1.14mm
His signature heavy Tortex Flow, built for fast, aggressive down-picking.
Source: Dunlop, Hetfield White Fang.
Kirk Hammett, lead guitar
Hammett's leads ride on ESP signature guitars, EMG active pickups, and a signature wah. His full rig is broken down on his profile.
Strings · Endorsed
Ernie Ball RPS-10 Regular Slinky (.010-.046)
The base of his live set; he mixes RPS-10 tops with heavier bottoms for the lower tunings.
Pickups · Signature
EMG KH Bone Breaker Signature Set
His signature active set, voiced for tight high-gain rhythm and singing leads.
Source: EMG, KH Bone Breaker.
Robert Trujillo, bass
Trujillo's tone is low, aggressive, and finger-driven, a huge part of Metallica's modern live sound since he joined in 2003. His full profile is here.
Bass strings
D'Addario ProSteels bass (.045-.100)
Bright, high-tension stainless-steel roundwounds are the lane for his cutting, articulate low end. CYS's featured bass line.
Lars Ulrich, drums
Ulrich has been a Tama drums and Zildjian cymbals player for decades, and swings a distinctive aluminum-core signature stick.
Sticks · Signature
Ahead Lars Ulrich Signature (LU)
Aluminum-core sticks with replaceable covers, built for durability and a bright, consistent attack across long sets.
Album by album
The gear above evolved across the catalog. Full breakdowns live on the album pages: Kill 'Em All (1983), Master of Puppets (1986), ...And Justice for All (1988), and the most recent 72 Seasons (2023). The through-line: heavier gauges, tighter tunings, and a relentless down-picked rhythm tone that has defined metal since 1983.
Further reading and listening
Go deeper on Metallica. Books and Audible audiobooks on Amazon, so you can read or listen.
Enter Night: A Biography of Metallica
by Mick Wall
Narrated by Alister Austin
The definitive full-band biography, from the LA metal underground through the stadium years.
Metallica: This Monster Lives: The Inside Story of Some Kind of Monster
by Joe Berlinger and Greg Milner
The filmmakers' account of the near-breakup years captured in the Some Kind of Monster documentary.
To Live Is to Die: The Life and Death of Metallica's Cliff Burton
by Joel McIver
The biography of the bassist behind the first three records, up to his death in 1986.