Metallica's Kirk Hammett has amassed an enviable collection of guitars over the past 40 years and credits an early job at Burger King with getting him one of his most prized early possessions, a Gibson Flying V that he still plays today.
The metal icon delves into his guitar collection in a nearly 2-hour video that just premiered on Gibson TV's YouTube channel. Sitting down with host Mark Agnesi, Hammett discusses several of his notable guitars, including “Greeny” (originally owned by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac), a 1963 Gibson Explorer, and more.
When it comes to one of his first guitars, the Flying V, Hammett recalls, “I remember at the time I was dating a girl who said, 'Let's go to Burger King.' …So we were sitting there, eating a Whopper or something, and she said, 'I'll be right back.' …She comes back and says, “I brought you an application for a job here. Sign here.' I say, 'Huh?'”
He continued: “But then… I thought, 'This is brilliant. I'll work at Burger King long enough to save some money so I can redeem my [old] Strat and maybe $200 or $300 for a new black Flying V that was at Leo’s Music in Oakland.”
Hammett went on to say that his friend who worked at that music store told him to hold on to it until he had enough money. In the end, he traded in his Stratocaster and a couple hundred dollars for the black Flying V and “was very happy.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Hammett says that a toy Monkees guitar his grandmother gave him when he was 7 years old was one of the first things that ignited his passion for the guitar. “I used to drag him with me to every room in the house, outside, and just pretend I was playing him until he literally fell apart,” the Metallica legend recalled.
Fans will be able to see Hammett playing some of his prized guitars when Metallica continues their “M72 World Tour” in 2025 with a new North American leg with Limp Bizkit and Pantera. The tickets are available here.
Watch Gibson TV's full video about Kirk Hammett's guitar collection below.
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