Gear List
Kirk Hammett
Metallica Guitarist


Kirk Hammett with His Custom ESP KH2 "Mummy" guitar

Born in San Francisco in 1962, Kirk Hammett's first guitar was a Montgomery Ward special he received as a gift when he was 15. The Metallica guitarist (and founder of Exodus) continued developing his style on a 1978 Fender Stratocaster, but eventually acquired a 1974 Gibson Flying V that would become his primary instrument through the formative years of his career. Just prior to founding Exodus in 1980, Kirk acquired his first Marshall amp with money earned working a few shifts at Burger King, and would continue with the brand until years later when he signed an endorsement deal with Randall. Just prior to the 1988 release of ...And Justice for All, the guitar legend signed an endorsement deal with ESP, and Hammett has used their guitars almost exclusively ever since. Hammett's signature sound includes heavy use of a wah-wah pedal on solos, earning the guitar legend an endorsement deal with Dunlop, the manufacturer of the Kirk Hammett signature wah pedals. Dunlop also makes the picks, straps and slides Hammett uses. Hammett prefers Ernie Ball RPS strings, gauged 11-48, while the majority of his guitars are outfitted with EMG 81 pickups. The list below was compiled using several sources, including the gearlist on the official Metallica website.
Kirk's Guitars


ESP KH2 "Mummy"
ESP M1 "Bride of Frankenstein"
ESP KH-2 mirror pick guard
ESP LP Jr. sunburst
ESP Flying V Red Korina white pick guard
ESP KH-2 "Greenburst"
ESP M2 black "Ouija"
ESP M2 "white Ouija"
ESP KH-2 "Caution Hot" sticker
ESP Flying V black w/ white PG "devil inlay"
ESP KH-2 custom paint "by Mark Ryden"
ESP M2 "Dracula- original"
ESP M2 "Dracula- big"
ESP M2 "Dracula-boat"
ESP M2 Devil sticker

ESP KH20 20th Anniversary black translucent
ESP KH2 Black Caution Relic "Phoney"
ESP KH2 Black Caution Relic "Faux"
ESP M2 Black "Ouija Mirror" inlay
ESP "Spider 13" black
Jackson Flying V "Randy Rhoads"
Jackson Flying V "Randy Rhoads" #11" copper
Jackson Fly-V"Randy Rhoads" black w/ white stripe
Gibson Les Paul translucent red tiger stripe
Gibson Les Paul black
Gibson Flying V black w/ gold hardware
Gibson Les Paul sunburst tiger stripe
Gibson Les Paul translucent black tiger stripe
Teuffel Niwa charcoal gray wood
Teuffel Birdfish charcoal gray


Amplification
Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier amp heads
Randall RM100KH Kirk Hammett Signature amp heads
Randall Kirk Hammett Signature 4x12 speaker cabinets
Shure UR4D wireless gear
Voodoo Lab Ground Control switcher Furman AR Pro power conditioner

Effects
TC Electronics G-Major fx unit
Dunlop Crybaby DCR-ISR wah control
Dunlop Kirk Hammett Signature wah pedals
Ibanez Tube Screamer
Digitech Whammy pedals
Line 6 MM4 modulation pedals
Line 6 DL4 delay pedals
Digitech Space Station pedal

Strings, Pickups & other Gear
Ernie Ball RPS 11-48 strings
EMG 81 guitar pickups
Dunlop picks & 222 slides
Dunlop straps
Isolation chamber road cases




Guitar Center Interview with Kirk Hammett


Exodus Biography