One

The recording

The track features a tight, aggressive rhythm tone and soaring lead lines recorded separately. Kirk Hammett used his 1988 ESP KH‑1, fed through an ADA preamp and an ADA MP‑1 digital head, then blended into a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amp. James Hetfield’s clean intro and verses were captured with a Tom Anderson Stratocaster run through an MXR Dyna Comp compressor into a Roland JC‑120 Jazz Chorus, giving a bright, chorus‑rich clean sound. Both guitars were double‑tracked, with the rhythm part panned left and the lead panned right, and recorded at One on One Studios with Neve consoles.

Tuning Standard E

Reported gear

1988 ESP KH-1

Guitar

Kirk Hammett used his 1988 ESP KH-1 neck‑thru guitar with skull inlays on the fingerboard for both the lead and clean sections of 'One'.

ADA Preamp (1988)

Preamp

An ADA preamp was placed after the guitar to add clean gain before the digital amp.

ADA MP-1 digital amp (1988)

Digital Amp

The ADA MP‑1, a programmable digital head with tube sections, was used to shape Hammett's tone before the Mesa/Boogie.

Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (late 1980s)

Amp

Hammett blended the ADA signal with a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head, delivering the high‑gain tone heard on the lead sections.

Tom Anderson Stratocaster (mid‑1980s)

Guitar

James Hetfield used a Tom Anderson‑signature Stratocaster for the clean intro and verses of 'One'.

MXR Dyna Comp (1970s model)

Compressor

Hetfield ran his Strat through an MXR Dyna Comp compressor before the amp, adding sustain and smoothing dynamics.

Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (combo, 1975)

Amp

The clean tones on the intro were captured using a Roland JC‑120 Jazz Chorus, whose built‑in chorus gave the signature bright, scooped sound.

Alternatives

ESP KH-2 (reissue)

Reissue · for the 1988 ESP KH-1

$1,200 to 1,600

Fender American Professional Stratocaster

Modern equivalent · for the Tom Anderson Stratocaster (mid‑1980s)

$800 to 1,100

Friedman BE-OD (preamp)

Modern equivalent · for the ADA Preamp (1988)

$250 to 350

MXR Dyna Comp (reissue)

Modern equivalent · for the MXR Dyna Comp (1970s model)

$150 to 180

Line 6 Helix (digital amp)

Modern equivalent · for the ADA MP-1 digital amp (1988)

$600 to 800

Roland Jazz Chorus 120 (reissue)

Modern equivalent · for the Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (combo, 1975)

$2,100 to 2,400

Mesa/Boogie Mark IV

Modern equivalent · for the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (late 1980s)

$2,000 to 2,800

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Attack the rhythm parts with tight, alternate down‑strokes for a precise, punchy sound.
2. 2.Use the bridge pickup at full volume and roll the tone knob back slightly for a tighter lead tone.
3. 3.Apply light palm‑muting on the low‑E and A strings during the chugging sections.
4. 4.For the clean intro, set the Strat’s pickup selector to the bridge position and let the JC‑120’s built‑in chorus enhance sustain.
5. 5.Blend a slight overdrive or boost in front of the Mesa/Boogie for the soaring solo passages.