Kirk Hammett

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“I can’t stop being bewildered by all these people who say, ‘That guy sucks!’ I’ve got news for you – you don’t get to where you’re at if you suck! Okay?” Kirk Hammett on why bad solos are dying – and dealing with armchair guitar critics

By Jonathan Horsley published 25 September 24

Towards the end of 2023, we caught up with Metallica's affable lead guitarist to take stock of one of the greatest years in the Bay Area metal behemoth's history, and to talk guitars, songwriting and gear

Kirk Hammett of Metallica performs on stage at Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano on July 14, 2024 in Madrid, Spain

“There's various tunings, and also things that happen naturally, like strings breaking and guitars going out of tune”: Metallica are currently touring with a whopping 64 guitars – and 36 need to be ready to go at any given moment

By Phil Weller published 27 August 24

The huge arsenal of guitars and basses is part of a mammoth production that includes 6,000 guitar picks that are needed to make each night a success

“I don’t think bad guitar solos even exist anymore. Everyone is just so much better than they used to be”: Kirk Hammett doesn't pay attention to solo trolls – and thinks “bad” solos are a thing of the past

By Matt Owen published 23 August 24

The Metallica guitarist's lead effort in Lux Æterna came under intense fire from online commenters upon its release, with some even recording their own 'improved' versions

“Less versatile than the Greeny tributes… but it’s the perfect weapon to seek and destroy”: ESP LTD KH-V Kirk Hammett review

By Amit Sharma published 21 May 24

The latest signature model for the Metallica guitarist is a lot pointier than his previous offering – and the tones match the looks

Left - Guitarist Bill Kelliher of Mastodon performs on stage during the Hellfest Open Air Festival on June 17, 2022 in Clisson, France;Right - Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield of the band Metallica perform at the 2024 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song on March 20, 2024 at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC

“It was funny when I first met James Hetfield. I was like, ‘Thank you for teaching me how to play guitar. You paved the way for me’”: Mastodon's Bill Kelliher on how meeting his guitar heroes pushed him to improve his craft

By Janelle Borg published 15 May 24

Mastodon's Bill Kelliher also credits Slayer's Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman for changing his previously nonchalant attitude to warming up before a show

“James really absorbed the dual-harmony thing and took it to heart. He made it his but it was originally Cliff’s”: Kirk Hammett on Joe Satriani’s influence and Metallica’s ’84 masterpiece Ride the Lightning

By Andrew Daly published 10 May 24

Master of Puppets gets all the attention, but it was Ride the Lightning that made the metal legends sound heavier, more epic, and musically more audacious

Mdou Moctar playing his left-handed Fender Strat at Coachella 2024

“Us guitar players in the West, we all have the same base vocabulary, the same handful of stereotypical licks. But Mdou’s music, it’s almost free of that stuff”: Mdou Moctar finds a new fan in Metallica’s Kirk Hammett

By Janelle Borg published 23 April 24

The Tuareg guitarist’s latest album continues to expand the horizons of contemporary rock

“It’s like Brian May walked over to his tone booth and just turned it up to 11!” Kirk Hammett names his favorite Queen song – and it’s a seriously deep cut

By Jonathan Horsley published 20 March 24

Metallica may have covered Stone Cold Crazy, but that’s not Hammett’s no. 1…

Gibson Custom Shop Kirk Hammett 1989 Les Paul Custom

“Artfully aged by the Murphy Lab to match the look and feel of Kirk’s original”: Gibson’s Custom Shop takes on Kirk Hammett’s mod-heavy, “blacked-out” 1989 Les Paul Custom – and it’s safe to say it’s nothing like Greeny...

By Matt Parker published 23 January 24

The Metallica guitar god debuts his latest signature Les Paul – and it’s a little different to his other recent custom shop build...

“It was a huge risk – to this day I’m wondering if I pulled it off or not. But it was how I felt inside. I didn’t want picture-perfect solos”: Kirk Hammett reflects on his all-improv lead approach – and explains why he doesn’t sweat onstage mistakes

By Jonathan Horsley published 12 January 24

Kirk Hammett looks back on a landmark year in Metallica, reveals how Joe Bonamassa helped him snag one of the rarest Les Pauls ever made, and explains what caused him to mess up the intro to Nothing Else Matters – and why it doesn’t matter

“Joe Bonamassa texted me and said, ‘I know you love that black Les Paul. It’s at Carter Vintage right now. Call them ASAP!’”: Kirk Hammett says he only got his ultra-rare Factory Black ’59 Les Paul thanks to the help of his collector friend

By Matt Parker published 28 December 23

The Metallica guitarist also reveals he had “30 guitars stolen” in a previous attempt to buy the unicorn electric guitar

“Big jets moving, bombers, people in battle, distress, crying – the Vietnam War added a lot of darkness to his playing”: Kirk Hammett on how Jimi Hendrix’s guitar style helped birth metal and psychedelia

By Jonathan Horsley published 22 December 23

The Metallica man and Hendrix fan argues that the guitar icon's influence on metal is under-appreciated

Mark Tremonti, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett

“I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Master of Puppets”: Mark Tremonti on how Metallica's classic record changed his life – and how James Hetfield's right hand shaped his picking style

By Amit Sharma published 20 December 23

The metal trailblazers had an immeasurable impact on the Alter Bridge axeman – here, he discusses what makes Hetfield and Kirk Hammett such a potent duo

“We called that riff ‘The Batman Riff’”: Kirk Hammett admits Metallica lifted the Batman theme on 72 Seasons

By Matt Owen published 19 December 23

Thought that riff in Shadows Follow sounded awfully similar to a certain classic superhero theme? Turns out Metallica knew exactly what they were doing

“I hate to say it, but non-musicians – who are the majority of the listening world – are not going to remember guitar solos”: Kirk Hammett says it doesn’t matter how good or flashy a solo is – most people are going to forget them anyway

By Matt Owen published 15 December 23

According to the Metallica maestro, the average music listener doesn't share a guitar player's enthusiasm for a ripping solo

“It found its right home. Collecting is about what you love and what you are gonna do with it”: Joe Bonamassa confirms he passed up the chance to buy the iconic ‘Greeny’ Les Paul before it ended up with Kirk Hammett

By Matt Owen published 1 December 23

Bonamassa was approached with the prospect of purchasing the prized LP back in 2013 – the same year he played it live at the Royal Albert Hall

Kirk Hammett models the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop “Greeny” 1959 Les Paul Standard

“An amazing opportunity for more players to experience the spirit of Greeny”: The Epiphone Kirk Hammett ‘Greeny’ Les Paul is finally here – complete with a Gibson headstock and a price tag to match

By Matt Parker published 21 November 23

The most anticipated Epiphone model in its history hails the arrival of a new era of Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop models

Cesar Gueikian shows off the Epiphone Greeny Les Paul's Gibson-like headstock

“Please tell me that’s the new Epiphone headstock in general”: The Epiphone Greeny Les Paul is nearly here – and guitarists are losing their minds over the headstock

By Matt Parker published 20 November 23

Kirk Hammett and Cesar Gueikian have both teased the new model, offering glimpses of a build that looks much more faithful to Gibson’s own design

“A meticulous recreation of Kirk’s prized original”: Epiphone has launched a Kirk Hammett signature 1979 Flying V – and it’s a lot more affordable than the Gibson Custom Shop version

By Matt Owen published 31 October 23

Made in partnership with the Gibson Custom Shop, the Metallica man’s accessible Epi pays homage to “one of the most important heavy metal guitars of all time”

“My go-to guitar in the studio”: This Fender Telecaster lived in Metallica’s HQ and became Kirk Hammett’s writing workhorse – now it’s going under the hammer

By Matt Owen published 10 October 23

The single-cut became an integral part of Metallica’s writing process, and helped craft St. Anger and Death Magnetic

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