James Hetfield FAQ

What equipment does James use?

James uses ESP Explorer guitar's with EMG pick ups and Ernie Ball strings, and a Mesa Boogie mark II simul-class amp. James uses many different guitar/amp combos for different sounds in the studio.



What happened to James' hair between the Roam tour and the summer 1994 tour? And what happened in 1996?


In '94, James was involved in an ATV accident while hunting which required 40 stitches in his head--so he quite simply got it cut.... Before the release of Load, James decided to get his hair cut, and this time even more of it went!



Where did James get his skull ring and wolf pendant?


The ring formerly belonged to Cliff. The pendant is from a store called The Great Frog in London (the same place Cliff got the ring).



Has James ever recorded for anyone besides Metallica?


James has recorded backing vox for "Twist of Cain" and "Am I Demon?" on Danzig's first album & C.O.C. Man or Ash on Wiseblood.



Why did James get burned at the Montreal show (Aug. 8, 1992)?


The band was informed of a pyro change: pyro would be ignited along the "wings" of the stage during "Fade To Black." The pyro-tech however, failed to tell the band that new pyro would be going along with the old pyro. Assuming that the new pyro canceled out the previous pyro, James was standing exactly where the old pyro occurred when a 12-foot flame was ignited, severely burning the left side of his body.



Why did James switch from the Flying V to the Explorer?


The Explorer used to be James' back up guitar. When the V's neck broke, he switched to his back up guitar, only to discover that the Explorer was perfect, but he's back on the "V" again also.



The liner notes say: James--guitar; and Kirk--guitar. What does James play?


James is responsible for the great majority of the guitar work in Metallica's recordings. James handles all the rhythm guitar and most melody and harmony guitars, not to mention the acoustics and the occasional guitar solo. Kirk's duties on the albums are mostly for the full-blown lead guitar solos. However, on Load, the guitar duties for James and Kirk have expanded quite a bit--both play rhythm and leads.



What is James' favorite Venom album?


Welcome to Hell.



What does James do in his free time?


James is an avid hunter.



Who were his main influences?


Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Ted Nugent.



Does James still skateboard?


No, but rumors abound that past tour contracts have included a "No Skateboarding" clause, just in case. He has recently taken to snowboarding--apparently it has a slightly softer landing.



Quote:

"Live to win, dare to fail."

-- James Hetfield