<![CDATA[ Latest from MusicRadar in Kirk-hammett ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/tag/kirk-hammett Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:37:01 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “It inspired a whole generation of hard rock guitarists to pick up the instrument, not least Metallica’s Kirk Hammett”: How a broken string, a loan from his brother and a fresh paint job helped Michael Schenker turn this Flying V into an icon of rock ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/gibson-michael-schenker-1971-flying-v-collectors-edition eooRTcP6CD9byvpFkB8pBU Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:37:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Developed with Kirk Hammett’s guidance and built from specifications taken directly from the actual PAF humbuckers on that world-renowned guitar”: Gibson unveils the $449 Custom Shop humbucker set that will make your Les Paul sound like ‘Greeny’ ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/guitars/gibson-aged-greenybucker-set-humbuckers-greeny-kirk-hammet-pickups omq8tVvjLaRA98s98fvXkC Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:05:02 +0000 <![CDATA[ "Not that Kirk doesn't get enough solos, but Cliff took his solo, which I think is just so cool": Robert Trujillo on the time Metallica mixed up their solos ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/guitars/bass-guitars/not-that-kirk-doesnt-get-enough-solos-but-cliff-took-his-solo-which-i-think-is-just-so-cool-robert-trujillo-on-the-time-metallica-mixed-up-their-solos rKyREXorprCuWxpARXJZaG Thu, 12 Feb 2026 11:13:00 +0000 Thu, 12 Feb 2026 11:13:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ “That whole thing of doing the trades with other players is a really nice thing”: Vernon Reid says he hopes he and Jack White have started a trend for pro guitarists swapping signature models ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/vernon-reid-on-swapping-signature-guitars-with-jack-white-and-friends Yjk8HkJs6VkrxvqnqhCQj9 Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:56:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I put the headstock on the buffing wheel. It threw it out of my hands. That day I learned how to fix a broken headstock”: Cesar Gueikian on building the SG Kirk Hammett played to honour Black Sabbath and how his designs might shape future Gibson releases ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/cesar-gueikian-gibson-ceo-on-making-guitars-sg-kirk-hammett 3k3DxtENRpUrSBr95sBHGh Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:19:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The guitar I built in Kirk’s hands… paying tribute to Tony, Ozzy and Black Sabbath, it was amazing and strange, humbling and epic”: The unique SG built by Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian and played by Kirk Hammett at Back to the Beginning heads to auction ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/gibson-juliens-auctions-kirk-hammett-cesar-gueikian-custom-sg-flying-v-gibson-gives-auction F5t5rMMK9bYhBKx4bgAStH Tue, 11 Nov 2025 10:51:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s like the Hummingbird only evil”: Kirk Hammett’s new Custom Shop signature Raven dresses up the classic Gibson acoustic for Halloween ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/gibson-custom-kirk-hammett-raven-signature-acoustic-guitar kTw3qWPVuKJTPGhJmaM98a Tue, 28 Oct 2025 16:05:34 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I of course fully endorse ANY mods done to any of my designs, let alone from the great Hammett”: Kirk Hammett orders up custom Thinline version of Jack White’s Fender Triplecaster – and gets one for White, too ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/kirk-hammet-gifts-jack-white-a-custom-thinline-version-of-the-triplecaster hZLeYeE3oBUuyW9ijiF55J Tue, 19 Aug 2025 12:03:14 +0000 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 07:12:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s not signed, sealed and delivered... but speaking to me and asking my opinion I would love to do it”: After being "blown away" by U2 at the Sphere, Lars Ulrich suggests that Metallica would be keen to play there in 2026 ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/shows-festivals/its-not-signed-sealed-and-delivered-but-speaking-to-me-and-asking-my-opinion-i-would-love-to-do-it-after-being-blown-away-by-u2-at-the-sphere-lars-ulrich-suggests-that-metallica-would-be-keen-to-play-there-in-2026 ARY5AC2TKGZgS6okELiSKg Thu, 07 Aug 2025 14:16:21 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I get anxiety because I believe guitars should be played”: Metallica’s Kirk Hammett has too many guitars and has been anonymously selling them online ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/metallica-kirk-hammett-has-been-anonymously-selling-his-guitars-online fv7DBGDqs7fTXPiy5X5kNc Wed, 11 Jun 2025 13:49:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “And so the first thing I do is put it in the middle position and play Oh Well”: Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr on that time he brought Duane Allman’s 1957 Les Paul to a Metallica show and ended up playing Kirk Hammett's Greeny ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/blackberry-smoke-charlie-starr-took-daune-allman-goldtop-les-paul-to-a-metallica-show-and-ended-up-playing-greeny J4DuNS9YqFv6ApfkePobte Tue, 10 Jun 2025 15:10:57 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Every note counts and fits perfectly”: Kirk Hammett names his best Metallica solo – and no, it’s not One or Master Of Puppets ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/every-note-counts-and-fits-perfectly-kirk-hammett-names-his-best-metallica-solo-and-no-its-not-one-or-master-of-puppets y4HMDuHGJKSrCfaRkmXfsK Fri, 11 Apr 2025 17:17:34 +0000 Thu, 17 Apr 2025 11:37:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ "I remember showing up at 10 or 11 in the morning and working on solos and that leading to two or three o’clock in the morning the next day”: How Metallica beat the clock and battled fatigue to create a poignant and pulverising anti-war epic ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/i-remember-showing-up-at-10-or-11-in-the-morning-and-working-on-solos-and-that-leading-to-two-or-three-oclock-in-the-morning-the-next-day-how-metallica-beat-the-clock-and-battled-fatigue-to-create-a-poignant-and-pulverising-anti-war-epic 9p4MuLhTvcbVjcjTfAPJdJ Fri, 04 Apr 2025 16:05:53 +0000 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 06:49:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We might just say, 'OK, let's go back to the '90s again.' It's not a bad idea”: Kirk Hammett says the next Metallica album could be a throwback to the Load and Reload era ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/we-might-just-say-okay-lets-go-back-to-the-90s-again-its-not-a-bad-idea-kirk-hammett-says-the-next-metallica-album-could-be-a-throwback-to-the-load-and-reload-era g6wZMm4BhVAR7nhbnaghMX Mon, 24 Mar 2025 15:15:36 +0000 Tue, 25 Mar 2025 11:55:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The deepest-ever dive into the Metallica star’s eclectic guitar collection”: Kirk Hammett and Gibson Publishing team up for epic coffee-table book ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/gibson-publishing-the-collection-kirk-hammett-metallica-book 7y3c6n6VniE2MgyGGv9ekX Thu, 20 Mar 2025 15:02:01 +0000 Thu, 20 Mar 2025 16:23:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It was that fusion of funk and rock. It gave birth to Michael Jackson doing his incredible stuff!”: Brian May on a killer Queen song that blew away the King of Pop - and Kirk Hammett! ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/it-was-that-fusion-of-funk-and-rock-it-gave-birth-to-michael-jackson-doing-his-incredible-stuff-brian-may-on-a-killer-queen-song-that-blew-away-the-king-of-pop-and-kirk-hammett nnUduEQFCMcATHWZECNWAU Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:07:15 +0000 Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:20:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “On Load and ReLoad we tried to get a little looser, a little bluesier. Greasy is the word”: Watch James Hetfield lead Metallica in a swampy blues version of Fuel with a Danelectro 58 Longhorn Baritone ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/metallica-james-hetfield-danelectro-baritone-fuel-all-helping-hands VoB3Wx7nbQejngBWmEKqmX Tue, 17 Dec 2024 16:32:33 +0000 Tue, 17 Dec 2024 16:33:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Add some gain and it’s got this weird kind of chainsaw distortion that I love... of course I feel in love with it”: Kirk Hammett has a second Les Paul that was previously owned by Gary Moore – and Moore said it sounded even better than Greeny ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/guitarists/kirk-hammett-guitar-collection-gibson-les-paul-1959-gary-moore-greeny iB6CCtKwj8bz2JzGWdhksC Fri, 01 Nov 2024 13:00:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Greeny is my Excalibur!”: Metallica’s Kirk Hammett says he’s still in love with that famous guitar ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/artists/guitarists/greeny-is-my-excalibur-metallicas-kirk-hammett-says-hes-still-in-love-with-that-famous-guitar RBHNzKxxcTke6CtEdkw7ic Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:54:25 +0000 Wed, 09 Apr 2025 10:39:02 +0000 <![CDATA[ "To my ears, it sounds like me when I was 15 years old": Michael Schenker reveals how he hears his influence on Kirk Hammett's playing in Metallica ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/to-my-ears-it-sounds-like-me-when-i-was-15-years-old-michael-schenker-reveals-how-he-hears-his-influence-on-kirk-hammetts-playing-in-metallica LC5xfUi9V2L47G8WV6EsS Thu, 29 Aug 2024 08:01:30 +0000 Thu, 29 Aug 2024 12:46:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ "At first, based on the music and the riff, the band and their management thought it could be the first single… then they heard James’ lyrics": When Metallica and Bob Rock changed tack and gambled with Enter Sandman ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/metallica-enter-sandman-james-hetfield-bob-rock nk4h8HokY6prcGLi7iFwge Thu, 18 Apr 2024 12:41:37 +0000 Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:28:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ "With effortless playability and the credentials to absolutely nail those iconic Peter Green, Gary Moore and Kirk Hammett tones": Epiphone Kirk Hammett "Greeny" 1959 Les Paul Standard review ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/epiphone-kirk-hammett-greeny-1959-les-paul-standard-review QkjZRsvJbNPByCceVDqemC Fri, 15 Mar 2024 13:22:13 +0000 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:10:57 +0000 <![CDATA[ NAMM 2024: “A fitting tribute to a metal guitar master and one of his favourite instruments”: Gibson unveils meticulous Murphy Lab replica of Kirk Hammett’s 1989 Les Paul Custom ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/gibson-murphy-lab-1989-les-paul-custom-metallica-kirk-hammett GQggbmxwmns7xWuJuGzLNV Tue, 23 Jan 2024 12:06:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ Do guitar solos matter? Kirk Hammett says non-musicians won’t remember your solos – but “they are gonna helluva remember a great melody and they’re really gonna remember a great song” ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/kirk-hammett-says-non-musicians-will-not-remember-your-guitar-solos vKr42NetWv3SGSie5eRe2A Fri, 15 Dec 2023 18:39:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ Epiphone unveils Kirk Hammett ‘Greeny’ 1959 Les Paul Standard – a top-tier collab with the Gibson Custom Shop and “amazing opportunity for more players to experience the spirit of Greeny” ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/epiphone-kirk-hammett-greeny-1959-les-paul-standard GwLt6tuVDS4NTgNXK2zQzm Tue, 21 Nov 2023 11:08:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ Epiphone Greeny Les Paul breaks cover early: Kirk Hammett and Gibson CEO have been filmed playing it ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/epiphone-greeny-les-paul-breaks-cover-early-kirk-hammett-and-gibson-ceo-have-been-filmed-playing-it n2KohtgjncuN5vnSEDTst3 Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:39:32 +0000 Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:39:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ Epiphone and Kirk Hammett team up for the Metallica guitarist’s signature 1979 Flying V – an affordable version of “one of the most important heavy metal guitars of all time” ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/epiphone-kirk-hammett-1979-flying-v VPech8ntRYaZQSzX3EWTTa Tue, 31 Oct 2023 10:41:46 +0000 Tue, 31 Oct 2023 15:38:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “If you have too much distortion it feels like a sponge”: Kirk Hammett reveals the secret behind his Metallica rhythm tone and advises against high-gain overkill ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/kirk-hammett-rhythm-guitar-tone 3FnXwkfwBhpDHgLS8ZZiNA Fri, 18 Aug 2023 11:38:51 +0000 Mon, 16 Oct 2023 14:14:11 +0000 <![CDATA[ Metallica’s Kirk Hammett flubs intro to Nothing Else Matters in front of 80,000 people and recovers like a champ ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/metallica-kirk-hammett-flubs-nothing-else-matters-intro 9KHyqc6yzFVJKkZjk3GPEF Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:45:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kirk Hammett’s 1960 Les Paul Standard “Sunny” is A) beautiful and B) up for sale via Gibson Certified Vintage ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/gibson-certified-vintage-1960-les-paul-standard-sonny-kirk-hammett din3552FSooHptEzESk8UC Fri, 19 May 2023 13:34:54 +0000 Fri, 19 May 2023 14:41:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kirk Hammett plays his '59 'Unicorn' black Les Paul on the Stern Show and explains how he came to buy his Greeny 'Burst – but James Hetfield reveals that he was offered it first ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/kirk-hammett-plays-his-59-unicorn-black-les-paul-on-the-stern-show-and-explains-how-he-came-to-buy-his-greeny-burst-but-james-hetfield-reveals-that-he-was-offered-it-first ANA6jPEkFNy4vEQZcRgESV Fri, 14 Apr 2023 09:48:18 +0000 Fri, 14 Apr 2023 11:43:42 +0000 <![CDATA[ Gibson unveils $19,999 Custom Shop Kirk Hammett “Greeny” 1959 Les Paul Standard and a more affordable model is on its way ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/gibson-custom-shop-1959-kirk-hammett-greeny-les-paul-standard yVQztNjNiobPxrs6FThx3n Tue, 28 Mar 2023 17:25:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ What is the heaviest guitar riff of all time? Metal musicians have their say ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/metal-musicians-name-heaviest-riff-of-all-time pHh7q5VdYQSKuZ9BfbiBPU Tue, 28 Mar 2023 12:35:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ ESP is totally on-point with its latest Metallica collab, the LTD Kirk Hammett Signature KH-V, an asymmetric V-shaped electric and bona fide shred machine ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/esp-ltd-kirk-hammett-kh-v-metallica-signature-guitar uptzLuj2Hht2kngL7z5vAd Fri, 03 Mar 2023 18:00:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ Metallica unleash new single Screaming Suicide, a 5:39 min Hetfield masterclass in downpicking ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/metallica-screaming-suicide VeiF2HZQvX95iBepgixYSg Fri, 20 Jan 2023 11:41:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ Metallica's live covers of Thin Lizzy's Borderline and UFO's It's Killing Me are a great advert for the Fender Acoustasonic Jazzmaster ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/fender-acoustasonic-jazzmaster-kirk-hammett-metallica-thin-lizzy-ufo GQeNw6cHnx83UmqRqbGQg5 Tue, 03 Jan 2023 10:58:03 +0000 Tue, 03 Jan 2023 10:58:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kirk Hammett joins Journey for Wheel In The Sky and Enter Sandman medley ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/journey-kirk-hammett-wheel-in-the-sky-enter-sandman KniKWsKuQVv6J6mnnExcs6 Mon, 10 Oct 2022 11:31:34 +0000 Mon, 10 Oct 2022 11:31:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kirk Hammett reveals chilling new horror project and soundtrack ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/kirk-hammett-crossroad-magic-blues-horror-project KnwknPiXgYghhc8P79E6hB Tue, 13 Sep 2022 11:23:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ Metallica’s Kirk Hammett announces instrumental solo EP ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/kirk-hammett-portals-metallica-solo-ep ABwUJHt7t5JAwSKVUWSaC7 Tue, 08 Feb 2022 17:49:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ "Jimi Hendrix has played that guitar, Rory Gallagher, Jeff Beck, George Harrison… I mean, the list goes on and on" – Kirk Hammett on owning Peter Green's legendary 'Greeny' 1959 Gibson Les Paul ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/peter-green-greeny-kirk-hammett-les-paul-interview unFfzR2s6srrBNs4eAbKhL Thu, 18 Nov 2021 11:25:48 +0000 Thu, 18 Nov 2021 11:27:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kirk Hammett pays tribute to Slayer and says Kerry King “doesn‘t get enough credit as a rhythm guitar player“ ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/kirk-hammett-pays-tribute-to-slayer-and-says-kerry-king-doesnt-get-enough-credit-as-a-rhythm-guitar-player aYJrSPBasp9fCvJKQaRaVo Fri, 17 Sep 2021 15:12:34 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kirk Hammett's iconic glow-in-the-dark Ouija Board ESP KH-2 is up for auction ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/kirk-hammetts-iconic-glow-in-the-dark-ouija-board-esp-kh-2-is-up-for-auction rHntazL4RkSDAKg4etTzBE Tue, 13 Apr 2021 13:25:30 +0000 Tue, 13 Apr 2021 13:25:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ Gibson makes a replica of the 'Greeny' 1959 Les Paul Standard for Metallica's Kirk Hammett ]]> https://www.musicradar.com/news/gibson-makes-a-replica-of-the-greeny-1959-les-paul-standard-for-metallicas-kirk-hammett MCUp63VCj2dBw6ysuBbikf Mon, 21 Sep 2020 11:28:59 +0000