Kirk Hammett Quotes

When I need to nail that riff to the cross, Marshall will always provide the hammer!

For 'Death Magnetic,' I used what I always use, which is my standard touring rack, which is filled with some Boogie stuff and a Marshall that I've had forever.

A wah-wah is important as well. I love it; it makes the guitar scream.

I play a Fender Jazzmaster and three stacks and a combo, two old Marshall Plexis and a Hiwatt combo and a Hiwatt combo with Marshall cabs.

I've always played every amp I've ever had full up, because rock and roll is supposed to be played loud. Also, that's how you get your sustain.

I still fall back a lot on my Les Paul, and there is just no getting away from a Les Paul and a hot pickup.

In the studio, my brother and I have always used a lot of Marshall amps. We like to keep it pretty basic. We just use a couple of cabinets each - sometimes just one, if we think that's enough. We mainly go for 100-watt and 50-watt heads.

The guitar can go at a scream. It can yell at you.

I have one custom guitar which I play almost exclusively. I have others - sometimes you want a little texture, kind of a different sound or something.

In my opinion, the P-90 is the best pickup for slide - it has the right overtones.

I keep changing my stuff. I used to play through a Marshall JCM800, and then I also had a Randy Rhoads signature amp. So before I was playing EVH, I was playing an ODB pedal. I still have my Dunlop Jerry Cantrell wah pedal because I love that.

I use Bogner amps and custom-designed Schecter guitars with Seymour Duncan Invader pickups. I beef up my tone with a Boss CS- 3 Compression Sustainer. It's kinda like my secret weapon.

It is the universe where all rock players live- we all use distortion, overdrive, gain and saturation. I call it 'fuzz.'

Trent likes to record guitars direct, whereas I've always preferred playing through an amplifier.

I mainly use Stratocasters. I like a lot of different kinds of guitars, but for what I do, it seems that a Stratocaster is the most versatile. I can pretty much get any sound out of it, and I use stock pickups.

When I was 14 years old, I had the opportunity to meet Buddy Holly. I asked him how he got that big, powerful sound out of his guitar amp. He said, 'I blew a speaker and decided not to get it fixed.'

Strats are my favorite electric guitars, and I've got quite a collection.

In early '57, I bought a Fender Telecaster.

I always loved rock guitar. I just never put it together that that's what I'd end up doing.

The first amp I had back in the '50s was a small Fender.

I bought my first electric guitar when I moved to Memphis; a Gibson with a DeArmond pickup which I used with a small Gibson amplifier.

My favorite is still the one that I started off with, which is a Les Paul Standard. I've played that at every gig I've ever had. And that's my starting point in the studio.

It's fun, but the fun is where it always was. I mean, it's still fun to strap on my Les Paul in the basement and turn up the Marshall amp. I'm still 15. I still enjoy that as much as I ever did.

I've always liked the electric guitar better. Even though the acoustic can be a very sexy and mysterious instrument, I can go to way more places with an electric.

I wanted to be the best guitar player in the world. And then my dad got me a portable recorder, so I started writing my own music.