Metallica's James Hetfield At Guitar Center

James bought this guitar in 1980 for $200. It was his second ever guitar. He played it on Metallica’s first album “Kill ‘em All”, and kept playing it until 1984. At that point the James Hetfield Guitars  guitar had Saymour Duncan humbuckers, Tune-o-Matic Bridge,mahogany body with bolt-on mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard. Just prior to recording “Death Magnetic” James decided to restore the guitar. He changed a couple of things, including the replacement of the pickups with the EMG 81/60 pair, and reparation of the headstock which was broken more than one time.

James' ESP Explorers They are all James Hetfield Guitars based upon the standard ESP EXP series and were built or overseen by Matt Masciandaro. Meanwhile the EXP series has been replaced by the ESP EX standard series which has a sharp shape for its ends and headstock instead of the old EXP series which was comparable to the rounded shape of the Gibson Explorers. The difference between the EXP model and James' Explorers  In difference between James' Explorers and the standard ESP EXP series, James guitars have set-necks (glued joint) instead of bolt-on necks. Besides the "Black Album" guitars' fingerboards consist of ebony instead of rosewood.