James Hetfield’s Ernie Ball Papa Het’s Hardwired Guitar Strings

In 2022 James Hetfield teamed up with Ernie Ball to create his own signature string set, Papa Het’s Hardwired Master Core, specifically designed for his playing style. This custom set features a unique gauge combination of 11, 14, 18p, 28, 38, and 50. The strings also have a higher core-to-wrap ratio, meaning the core wire is thicker.

The heavy core was a major milestone in strings. I’m kind of a little bit of a barbarian when I play. You got to have some of these Metallica calluses to play some of these things some times.

James Hetfield for Ernie Ball YouTube

As of now, Papa Het’s Hardwired Master Core strings are sold exclusively in a custom tin metal box, with each package containing three sets of strings. Priced nearly three times higher than the Ernie Ball Power Slinky strings that James used for decades, this signature set comes at a premium. So, if you’re looking for value, skip the marketing hype and go with the Power Slinky set.