The Ride The Lightning era marked the exact moment when Metallica transformed from a raw underground thrash band into the most dangerous new force in heavy metal. Between 1984 and 1986, their sound became heavier, tighter, darker, and more aggressive — and that evolution was mirrored perfectly in the gear they carried on stage night after night across the world.

This period is also one of the most dramatic chapters in Metallica’s touring history. A devastating gear theft, last-minute rig rebuilds, fast-tracking endorsements, and the discovery of legendary amplifiers all happened within this narrow window. What resulted was the birth of the true Metallica live sound that would ultimately dominate the Master of Puppets era — but it all began here.

By the time Kill ’Em All exploded into the metal underground in 1983, Metallica had already changed the rules of speed, aggression, and riff-driven songwriting. Yet despite the album’s raw power, the band was still operating with borrowed gear, mismatched equipment, and limited touring resources. They were fast, dangerous, and new — but not yet fully refined. That would change rapidly in 1984.

Ride The Lightning represented Metallica’s first true leap forward as composers, not just attackers. The material became more melodic, more structured, and more dynamic without losing brutality. Songs like “Fade to Black,” “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” “Creeping Death,” and “The Call of Ktulu” showed the world that thrash metal could be emotional, cinematic, and massive. The album didn’t just elevate Metallica — it reshaped the direction of heavy metal entirely.

However, just as the band was preparing to tour the record in early 1984, disaster struck. On January 14, 1984, Metallica’s gear was stolen in Boston, wiping out much of their original equipment. What followed was a forced reinvention of their live rigs. Ironically, that setback became the catalyst that forged Metallica’s most iconic touring setups — ones that would dominate the Ride The Lightning tour and lay the groundwork for the legendary Master of Puppets era.

James Hetfield’s Ride The Lightning-era rig represents a critical turning point in his career — the moment he shifted from scrappy underground gear into the foundations of his legendary tone. Early in the tour, he still relied heavily on his Electra 2236 Flying Wedge, a Japanese-made Gibson Flying V copy that had defined his Kill ’Em All years. This guitar remained in service through the start of the tour until repeated neck breaks forced its retirement late in 1984. Initially fitted with stock pickups, it was later upgraded with Seymour Duncan Invaders for higher output.

Once the Flying V was retired, the torch passed to the guitar that would become permanently linked to Hetfield’s image — the 1984 Gibson Explorer in Alpine White. During this specific era, the Explorer remained mostly stock, fitted with Gibson Dirty Fingers passive pickups, long before the iconic “SO WHAT” carving or EMG actives appeared. A second backup Explorer, later nicknamed “More Beer,” was also introduced during the tour as part of his growing stage arsenal.

Amplifier-wise, this era belonged to the Marshall JCM800 (Model 2203). After his original modified Marshall Super Lead was stolen in Boston, the JCM800 became the backbone of his live sound. These amps were cranked loud and boosted hard for aggressive power-tube distortion. For clean tones — especially intros like “Fade to Black” — Hetfield relied on the legendary Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus, a platform that would remain a permanent part of his rig for decades.

His pedal setup was shockingly minimal by today’s standards. The centerpiece was the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, used purely as a boost to tighten low end and push the Marshall into heavier saturation. The ProCo RAT, which played a key role during Kill ’Em All, appears to have faded out of the rig during this tour as the Tube Screamer became his primary weapon. The result was a brutally simple signal chain that created one of the most influential rhythm guitar tones in metal history.

Kirk Hammett’s Ride The Lightning rig was built for flexibility — allowing him to shift between violent rhythm, soaring leads, and emotional clean passages. His primary guitar at the start of the tour remained his 1974 Gibson Flying V (Black), the same instrument that carried him through Kill ’Em All. Used for both rhythm and non-whammy lead work, it featured passive pickups throughout most of the era, with EMG installations not arriving until years later.

For dive bombs, expressive solo work, and clean tones, Kirk relied heavily on his Fernandes FST-135 Stratocaster copy, famously nicknamed “Edna.” Equipped with a Floyd Rose tremolo and likely early-installed EMGs, this guitar became essential for songs like “Fade to Black” and “Creeping Death.” By late 1985, Kirk also began introducing his first custom Jackson Randy Rhoads RR1T, which would soon become a defining guitar of the Master of Puppets era.

Kirk’s amplifier journey mirrored James’s evolution almost exactly. Early in the tour, he relied on the Marshall JCM800 as a traditional front-end driven amp. But by 1985, everything changed when Metallica discovered the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+. Rather than fully discarding their Marshalls, the band created a hybrid system, running the Mesa Boogie preamp into the Marshall power section. This combination produced the hyper-tight, cutting lead tone that became a Metallica signature.

Pedal-wise, Kirk’s board was built for projection and expression. The Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer boosted his leads, while the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah (GCB-95) became his defining voice, screaming through solos on “Creeping Death” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Early in 1984, the Boss SD-1 also appeared interchangeably before the TS9 fully took over.

Cliff Burton’s Ride The Lightning-era rig documents one of the most important transitions in bass history — from underground club chaos to full-scale metallic orchestration. Early on, his heavily modified Rickenbacker 4001 remained his primary bass. Fitted with a Gibson EB Mudbucker in the neck and a Seymour Duncan Jazz pickup at the bridge, the instrument struggled to survive the brutal demands of touring and was ultimately retired during the tour.

For a brief, almost mythical moment, Cliff acquired an Alembic Spoiler, a boutique instrument with pristine clarity and massive headroom. Unfortunately, it was stolen shortly after, becoming one of the great “lost” Metallica basses. By early 1985, Cliff signed with Aria and adopted the Aria Pro II SB-1000, which became his main touring bass for most of the remaining Ride The Lightning cycle, featuring active electronics and the famous LED fingerboard markers.

His amplification system was groundbreaking. Moving away from Sunn and Peavey rigs, Cliff built a devastating dual-amp Mesa/Boogie D-180 setup, splitting his signal between clean low-end power and heavily distorted lead bass. The clean amp preserved fundamental punch, while the dirty amp delivered snarling fuzz and wah-driven leads. His cabinets blended Mesa 4x12s and 1x15s for maximum depth and projection.

Cliff’s pedalboard was as legendary as his playing. The centerpiece was the Morley Power Wah Boost, responsible for the monstrous voice heard in “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Call of Ktulu.” A USA-made Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi provided long, violin-like sustain, while an Ibanez HD1500 rack harmonizer added detuned resonance to the Bells intro. The Boss CS-2 Compression Sustainer constantly reinforced his dynamics and sustain, allowing Cliff to function as Metallica’s true third guitarist.

Lars Ulrich’s Ride The Lightning drum setup was born directly from disaster. After his original Tama Camco kit was stolen in Boston, he rebuilt his arsenal with a Tama Imperialstar in Mirror Chrome, which instantly became one of the most visually iconic drum kits of the decade. Constructed from mahogany shells, the kit delivered a thick, dark punch that powered Metallica’s wall of sound throughout 1984 and much of 1985.

His configuration had already expanded into the full power-tom fortress: dual 24” kick drums, four high-mounted rack toms, and massive floor toms for overwhelming low-end impact. As the tour progressed into 1985–1986, Lars transitioned into Tama Superstar birch shells, which tightened focus and projection heading into the Master of Puppets era. All toms were fitted with Remo Clear Pinstripe heads, shaping the unmistakable dead, thuddy ‘80s metal tone.

The legendary snare sound of Ride The Lightning came from a borrowed Ludwig Black Beauty, originally owned by Def Leppard’s Rick Allen. On tour, Lars replicated this tone using various deep steel snares, often Tama King Beat models. Cymbals were exclusively Zildjian, with A-Series crashes, 14” Dyno Beat hi-hats, and most critically, the towering 20” Zildjian China Boy, which became his time-keeping weapon of choice. Regal Tip 5B nylon sticks completed the artillery.

The Ride The Lightning era represents one of the most violent, transformative gear evolutions in metal history. What began as a band scraping together replacement equipment after a catastrophic theft turned into the formation of four legendary live rigs — each perfectly aligned with its player’s role in Metallica’s sonic assault. These setups didn’t simply support the music — they shaped it.

More than just instruments and amplifiers, this era of Metallica’s gear symbolizes the moment underground thrash grew into global domination. The rigs forged between 1984 and 1986 became the blueprint for everything that followed. And without question, the thunder born during Ride The Lightning still echoes through every modern metal stage today.

Whether you’re chasing the crushing rhythm tones of James Hetfield, the soaring leads of Kirk Hammett, the earth-shaking fuzz of Cliff Burton, or the thunderous precision of Lars Ulrich, Music Bliss is home for everything related to Metallica and metalheads alike. From authentic Gibson, Epiphone, and ESP guitars, to Mesa-inspired amp solutions, premium pedals, bass fuzz monsters, and high-impact drum gear, our showroom and webstore are built for players who live for heavy music. Test-drive your dream rig, build your Ride The Lightning–inspired setup, and experience true after-sales support — by musicians, for musicians — only at Music Bliss.