When Cliff Burton met Geddy Lee: “He started pacing, he started smoking pot, and he was like, ‘Oh my God!’” By Nick Wells published 6 June 23 Kirk Hammett remembers when Rush frontman Geddy Lee showed up at a Metallica show
Gibson Kirk Hammett ‘Greeny’ Les Paul Standard review By Dave Burrluck published 5 June 23 Following a pair of five-figure Custom versions, here’s the everyman Greeny. But is it a valid introduction or simply a slightly pimped version of an existing Les Paul?
Kirk Hammett: “Maybe the age of active pickups is over” By Matt Parker published 31 May 23 The Metallica guitarist says PAFs age better and he has been swayed away from active humbuckers for lead work – and James Hetfield agrees
Kirk Hammett says he prefers the Epiphone Greeny to the $20k Gibson Custom Shop version – here’s why By Matt Parker published 26 May 23 The Metallica man says they’re all great “but my favorite version of Greeny is probably the Epiphone”
Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Kirk Hammett and more close out first Jeff Beck tribute concert with star-studded rendition of Going Down By Matt Owen published 23 May 23 Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, John McLaughlin, Johnny Depp, Gary Clark Jr. and many more all squeezed onstage to pay tribute to the late guitar great
Gibson adds Kirk Hammett’s 1960 “Sunny” Les Paul Standard to its Certified Vintage Collection By Matt Owen published 18 May 23 Sunny was used by the Metallica maestro up until last year, and joins the company’s growing cohort of ultra-exclusive vintage instruments to be sold to customers direct via the Gibson Garage
Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo offer their track-by-track guide to Metallica’s super-heavy smash-hit new album, 72 Seasons By Jenna Scaramanga published 18 May 23 Fast stuff, bouncy stuff, thrashing riffs, evil tones, power grooves and ‘total noise’ solos included
The guitar gear secrets behind James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett’s tones on 72 Seasons By Jenna Scaramanga published 12 May 23 Metallica co-producer Greg Fidelman reveals how the new album was made with the help of a Marshall modded by Eddie Van Halen’s amp wizard and a rack full of battle-hardened guitars, including one that makes Hetfield “immediately want to play fast riffs”
Metallica’s Kirk Hammett: “With 72 Seasons, I improvised 20, 30 solos, gave them all to Lars and Greg Fidelman, and went, ‘You guys edit them!’” By Jenna Scaramanga published 5 May 23 Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo draw back the curtain on the metal album of the year: the gear shakeups, the Angus Young and Ritchie Blackmore-inspired guitar approach, and the response to critics of Kirk’s improvisational soloing approach
James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett debut new ESP and Gibson guitars at first show of M72 world tour By Michael Astley-Brown published 28 April 23 Papa Het has a fresh Vulture, while Hammett’s uber-rare ’59 Les Paul got its first-ever runout for the set’s surprise opener
Kirk Hammett explains why he uses wah so much: "I can't think of anybody who uses the wah pedal as much as I do – I'm not ashamed of it" By Jackson Maxwell published 26 April 23 The Metallica guitarist addresses criticism of his frequent use of the effect and explains what it unlocks in his playing
Kirk Hammett reveals the truth about that burned guitar on Metallica’s 72 Seasons album cover By Matt Owen published 21 April 23 Is it a Fernandes Stratocaster copy? Well, not exactly
Cliff Burton wrote one of Metallica’s heaviest riffs on a de-tuned classical guitar By Nick Wells published 20 April 23 Kirk Hammett: “To this day, I think: ‘How did Cliff write that?’”
Guitarist who re-recorded Metallica’s Lux Æterna solo responds to Kirk Hammett’s defence: “The solos sound lazy and completely throwaway” By Matt Owen published 18 April 23 In a blunt rebuttal of Hammett’s comments, YouTuber Bradley Hall – who first criticized the song's solo by remaking it – labeled the lead playing as having “super-regurgitated, boring, lazy phrasing”
Kirk Hammett reveals the secret weapon behind his guitar tone: “I can’t believe I’m telling you about it!” By Matt Owen published 18 April 23 The elusive piece of gear has sonic ties to Eddie Van Halen, AC/DC and Pink Floyd, and featured throughout new Metallica album 72 Seasons
James Hetfield was offered the chance to buy the Greeny Les Paul before Kirk Hammett, but he turned it down: “I’m a real idiot” By Michael Astley-Brown published 13 April 23 Watch Hammett demo Peter Green’s iconic Gibson for Howard Stern as his Metallica bandmate makes the surprise revelation
Gibson’s long-awaited USA Standard Kirk Hammett ‘Greeny’ Les Paul launches at $3,199 – nearly $17k less than its Custom Shop sibling By Matt Parker published 11 April 23 The new Greeny comes with a considerably more accessible price tag that’s not much more than a modern-day Les Paul Standard
Kirk Hammett hits back at solo trolls: “My friends down the street could probably play a better solo than Lux Æterna – but what’s the point?” By Jenna Scaramanga published 11 April 23 In an explosive new interview, the Metallica legend explains why sweep picking is pointless, what makes melodic pentatonic playing harder than shredding, and names just three guitarists who make good music with arpeggios
Kirk Hammett: “It drives me nuts having to play that f**king guitar solo in Master of Puppets every time – I’m freaking bored of it” By Jenna Scaramanga published 6 April 23 The Metallica axeman explains why he prefers living on the edge with his improvised live solos: “Usually, I surprise myself – sometimes I die a f**king death”
Gibson unveils the Kirk Hammett 1979 Flying V, paying tribute to “one of the most important heavy metal guitars of all time” By Michael Astley-Brown published 4 April 23 The $15k Custom Shop model is Murphy Lab aged to match the guitar played on classic Metallica albums including Master of Puppets, …And Justice for All and The Black Album
