Seek & Destroy

The recording

“Seek & Destroy” was recorded in May 1983 at Music America Studios for Metallica’s debut album Kill ’Em All. The rhythm tracks were captured live with James Hetfield playing a white Gibson Flying V through a hot‑rodded 100‑watt Marshall head into a 4×12 cabinet, while Kirk Hammett doubled the leads on a black Gibson Flying V, employing a wah pedal and an Ibanez Tube Screamer for extra bite. Both guitars were run through the same Marshall stack, and minimal effects were used, resulting a raw, aggressive tone that defines early thrash metal. The session was engineered by Chris Bubacz under producer Paul Curcio, who emphasized a direct, high‑gain sound with limited overdubbing.

Tuning E Standard

Reported gear

White Gibson Flying V (James Hetfield)

Guitar

James Hetfield recorded the rhythm parts for "Seek & Destroy" using his white Gibson Flying V, the only guitar he owned at the time.

Black Gibson Flying V (Kirk Hammett)

Guitar

Kirk Hammett used a black Gibson Flying V for the lead parts on "Seek & Destroy", delivering the soaring solo tone.

Wah pedal (model not specified)

Wah

Hammett’s lead tone was shaped by a wah pedal, adding expressive sweeps to his solos as noted in rig rundowns for "Seek & Destroy".

Ibanez Tube Screamer (model not specified)

Overdrive

A Tube Screamer overdrive was part of Hammett’s early lead rig, providing a smooth mid‑range boost before the amp.

Boss Distortion pedal (model not specified)

Distortion

The rig list for the era notes a Boss distortion pedal in the signal chain, adding extra saturation to the guitar tone.

Marshall hot‑rodded 100W head (modified)

Amp

Hetfield tracked the rhythm guitars through a heavily modified Marshall head, often described as a hot‑rodded 100‑watt unit used throughout Kill ’Em All.

Marshall 1960 4x12 Cabinet

Cabinet

The amp was miked through a classic Marshall 4×12 cabinet, delivering the aggressive low‑end and tight dispersion heard on the track.

Alternatives

Epiphone Flying V

Budget alternative · for the Black Gibson Flying V (Kirk Hammett)

$300 to $500

Boss DS-1 Distortion Pedal

Still made · for the Boss Distortion pedal (model not specified)

$60 to $80

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah Pedal

Modern equivalent · for the Wah pedal (model not specified)

$120 to $150

Marshall 100W Plexi Reissue

Reissue · for the Marshall hot‑rodded 100W head (modified)

$1,200 to $1,800

Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer

Still made · for the Ibanez Tube Screamer (model not specified)

$150 to $180

Marshall 4x12 Cabinet (Modern 1960 Reissue)

Modern equivalent · for the Marshall 1960 4x12 Cabinet

$900 to $1,300

Practical playing approach

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

1. 1.Palm‑mute the low strings tightly to achieve the chuggy rhythm feel.
2. 2.Alternate‑pick the fast sixteenth‑note riff with precise, even strokes.
3. 3.Use a bridge pickup position and roll the tone knob back slightly to tighten the high‑end.
4. 4.Attack the strings with a firm, near‑parallel pick angle for maximum articulation.
5. 5.Syncopate your picking with the drum accents to preserve the song’s groove.