Kirk Hammett
Latest about Kirk Hammett

Metallica are currently touring with 64 guitars – and 36 need to be ready to go at any given moment
By Phil Weller published
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

Kirk Hammett doesn't pay attention to solo trolls – and thinks “bad” solos are a thing of the past
By Matt Owen published
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

“The perfect weapon to seek and destroy”: ESP LTD KH-V Kirk Hammett review
By Amit Sharma published
The latest signature model for the Metallica guitarist is a lot pointier than his previous offering – and the tones match the looks

Mastodon's Bill Kelliher on how meeting his guitar heroes pushed him to improve his craft
By Janelle Borg published
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

Ride the Lightning at 40! Kirk Hammett on Satch’s influence and Cliff Burton’s dual harmonies
By Andrew Daly published
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 finds a new fan in Metallica’s Kirk Hammett
By Janelle Borg published
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
Metallica may have covered Stone Cold Crazy, but that’s not Hammett’s no. 1…

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