Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett sure does love to use the wah pedal. Hammett’s use of the wah pedal has become somewhat of a joke over the years, and during a recent conversation with Guitar World, the guitarist spoke about his love for the device.
As the Metallica member explains it, he feels that the wah pedal allows him to provide more depth through his performances, as well as express himself:
“The wah enables me to mirror the inner voice in my head and in my heart. That’s what I’m hearing. All these manipulated notes and tones, because that’s what the human voice is like.
“We cycle through all these different tones and frequencies when we speak. When I step on that wah pedal and hear that click… well, I’m hearing that clicking in my brain and in my heart at the same time.”
Hammett is aware of the numerous jokes and comments that have been made about his use of the wah pedal. But when it comes to those jokes, what does the guitarist think? Well, per Hammett:
“I don’t care what anyone fuckin’ says. If I feel like stepping on the wah pedal, I step on the fuckin’ wah pedal, because it brings me closer to what I’m hearing internally. And that’s the whole point of gear – to help bring the thing you hear internally out into the external world.”
What do you think of Kirk Hammett’s use of the wah pedal? Are you a fan? Do you wish he would scale back on how much he uses it?
That Time Metallica Played a Free Concert For Over 1 Million Fans
Metallica's New 'Playlist Generator' Creates A Custom Soundtrack to The First 18 Years of Your Life
James Hetfield on Metallica Fandom: 'It Could Be Hard To Be a Metallica Fan'
Upcoming Metallica tour dates in 2023:
- August 4th and 6th – East Rutherford, NJ – Metlife Stadium
August 11th and 13th – Montreal, Canada – Stade Olympique
August 18th and 20th – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium
August 25th and 27th – Los Angeles, CA – SOFI Stadium
September 1st and 3rd – Phoenix, AZ – State Farm Stadium
November 3rd and 5th – St. Louis, MO – The Dome (At America’s Center)
November 10th and 12th – Detroit, MI – Ford Field
In 2024:
- August 2nd and 4th – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium
August 9th and 11th – Chicago, IL – Solider Field
August 16th and 18th – Minneapolis, MN – US Bank Stadium
August 23rd and 25th – Edmonton, Canada – Commonwealth Stadium
August 30th and September 1st – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field