Kirk HammettPedalboard, 2017
Kirk Hammett's WorldWired rig in 2017 kept two Cry Baby Rack Wahs that could be driven from treadles at five stage positions or switched by his technician, feeding two Fractal Axe-Fx II XL+ processors, one clean and one lead.
WorldWired remote-wah rig
Order evidence: No source publishes this sequence; the order is reconstructed
Inside the rig · 4 units
Pedal roles & evidence
How each unit fits Kirk Hammett's 2017 setup. Board-specific roles and the evidence behind each identification and position.
Reconstructed orderIdentity and position are evidenced separately. Reconstructed positions are not observed connections.
Filter & EQ
Dunlop Cry Baby Rack Wah - A
Switched loop
Role in this rig
Provides Hammett's principal vocal lead sweep from remote treadles positioned around the stage.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Filter & EQ
Dunlop Cry Baby Rack Wah - B
Switched loop
Role in this rig
Extends the remotely addressable wah system documented by Crew across Hammett's large in-the-round stage.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Multi-effects & Modeling
Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II XL+ - Clean Processor
Clean branch
Role in this rig
Carries Hammett's clean and lower-gain programmed sounds within the WorldWired rack.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Multi-effects & Modeling
Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II XL+ - Lead Processor
Drive branch
Role in this rig
Supplies Hammett's high-gain amplifier models, delays and programmed lead effects.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Reconstructed
Documented equipment · Reconstructed order · Switchable effects loops
Guitar tech Justin Crew documents a processor rack broadly matching Hetfield's WorldWired architecture and identifies two rack wah units controlled from five stage positions. The official video and its technical summary do not publish the private Axe-Fx preset layouts or a strict loop-by-loop order, so the rack wah pair and processor paths are presented as an exact inventory with reconstructed display order. Dunlop independently confirms that Hammett's touring sound comes from a Cry Baby Rack Wah and that its settings formed the basis of his signature floor model. Expression shells, MIDI controllers, input mixer, GCX routing and backups are omitted.
No source publishes this sequence. The units are ordered by conventional signal-chain practice, and any documented routing zone is kept as recorded.
Cited sources
MethodologyQuestions about Kirk Hammett's 2017 pedalboard
- What pedals did Kirk Hammett use in 2017?
- This dated entry lists 4 units: Dunlop Cry Baby Rack Wah - A, Dunlop Cry Baby Rack Wah - B, Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II XL+ - Clean Processor, Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II XL+ - Lead Processor. This is the recorded inventory, not a claim that every connection or model identification is confirmed; see the evidence and routing notes.
- What order were Kirk Hammett's pedals in?
- The complete order is reconstructed, not observed. The layout follows the cited routing constraints and the archive's signal-chain convention where the sources are silent. See the diagram and routing notes for the separate paths and any unconfirmed connections.
- Is this Kirk Hammett's full guitar rig?
- No. This dated entry covers 4 units in the effects path, not every piece of gear Kirk Hammett owned or used. Floor pedals, rack units and routing devices are included only where recorded; omitted equipment and uncertain connections are explained in the notes. It is not a complete or current rig inventory.
- When and where was this pedalboard used?
- September 21, 2017. WorldWired tour. This is the rig documented for that touring period, not a career-wide gear list.
- How does the archive know what was on this pedalboard?
- 3 cited sources, listed above with the date each was read, including Metallica, Guitarristas, Dunlop Manufacturing. Among them a rig rundown, a written article and an official listing. The units are recorded as documented equipment, and the page was last audited on 2026-07-18.