Even James Hetfield played a Japanese guitar. Before ESP, the Metallica frontman’s main guitar was an Electra Flying V-style guitar built by Matsumoku in Japan, sold to him as a Gibson. This is the story of that guitar, from a cheap secondhand buy to two classic albums and back onto his stage today.
Hetfield’s Electra Quick Facts
- Guitar: Electra 2236 Flying Wedge, a Flying V-style model
- Built by: Matsumoku, Japan
- Bought: Around 1980, secondhand, sold to him as a Gibson
- Albums: Kill ’Em All (1983) and Ride the Lightning (1984)
- Today: Back in his live rig, alongside recreations built from vintage Electras
Prefer to watch? This article is based on my own video below.
Sold as a Gibson, Made in Japan
The guitar was an Electra 2236 Flying Wedge, a Flying V-style model built by Matsumoku in Japan. Unlike a real Gibson, it had a bolt-on neck.
He bought it for just 200 bucks. Someone sold it to him as a Gibson V, and he believed it. Eventually he realized it was not a real Gibson: it said Made in Japan. But he did not care.
Why a White V: Michael Schenker
Hetfield admired Michael Schenker of UFO, who played a white Flying V, and this guitar gave him that same energy. He painted it white, and over the years repainted it many times. He has described it as giving him confidence, almost like a shield.
The Guitar Behind Two Classic Albums
He used it on his first two albums, Kill ’Em All (1983) and Ride the Lightning (1984). Those records became classics that defined him, and this guitar with them. It is a piece of rock history that started life on a Japanese factory floor.
It was not an easy life for a bolt-on Japanese V. The neck snapped on tour and was glued back more than once, and the pickups were changed over the years.
Back on Stage: Recreating the Original
In recent years, Hetfield’s team found more vintage Electra Flying Wedge guitars to recreate his original. They fitted his pickups and parts, aged a couple of them to match the original’s look, and they are now part of his live rig, with the original “OGV” still his favorite guitar.
Why This Matters for Japanese Guitars
Hetfield’s Electra is one of the best examples of how good the Japanese factories of the late 1970s had become. A secondhand Matsumoku-built copy was good enough to carry one of the most influential metal guitarists through his first two records. Electra is also one of the many US guitar brands made in Japan.
His later signature guitars came from another Japanese name: see James Hetfield’s ESP guitars.
Final Thoughts
It is a great story: a Japanese guitar sold as a Gibson, bought for 200 bucks, ends up on two of the most important metal albums ever made. The badge on the headstock mattered far less than what the guitar did in the right hands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What guitar did James Hetfield use on Kill ’Em All?
His main guitar was an Electra 2236 Flying Wedge, a Flying V-style guitar built by Matsumoku in Japan. He used it on Kill ’Em All (1983) and Ride the Lightning (1984).
Was James Hetfield’s Flying V a Gibson?
No. It was sold to him as a Gibson V, but it was a Japan-made Electra with a bolt-on neck.
Who made Electra guitars?
Hetfield’s Electra was built by Matsumoku in Japan.
Why did Hetfield paint his V white?
He admired Michael Schenker of UFO, who played a white Flying V.
Does James Hetfield still use the Electra?
Yes. His team found more vintage Electras to recreate the original, and they are part of his live rig, with the original still his favorite.
