Metallica Week: Tone tips for 5 classic tracks

Here on MusicRadar, it's Metallica Week!

Friday 12 September marks the long-awaited release of Metallica's Death Magnetic album. It's already been acclaimed as a major return to form, and is one of the most-anticipated albums of 2008. To mark its release, MusicRadar is going to give you a little bit of Metallica every day until Friday.

We start with some crucial advice on the gear they use and how you get those 'Tallica tones.

Revisit MusicRadar tomorrow for more Metallica goods in Day 2 of MusicRadar's Metallica Week.

Track: Seek And Destroy

Album: Kill 'Em All

Guitar: Epiphone Flying V with Seymour Duncan pickups (James)

Amp: ProCo Rat distortion pedal into a 100-watt Marshall head modded by Jose Arredondo

Tone tip: Turn up the gain but concentrate on playing with precision

Track: Fight Fire With Fire

Album: Ride The Lightning

Guitars: Jackson Randy Rhoads Custom and Fernandes Strat copy (Kirk)

Amp: 100-watt Marshall head

Tone tip: Scoop those mids!

Track: Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

Album: Master Of Puppets

Guitar: Gibson Flying V (Kirk)

Amps: Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ rewired as a preamp into the power stage of a Marshall 100-watt head

Tone tip: Don't be afraid of using a super-harsh tone for the solo sections

Track: One

Album: …And Justice For All

Guitar: Tom Anderson ProAm (solo)

Amp: Mesa/Boogie '88 preamp

Tone tip: Use the edge of the pick for a fast, precise tapping sound

Track: Nothing Else Matters

Album: Metallica

Guitars: Gibson Explorer (solo) and signature ESPs

Amps: Roland JC-120 (clean), various Mesa/Boogie (everything else)

Tone tip: Be aware of the dynamics of the song. Make the clean tone as clean as you can, and vice versa for the dirt