Kirk Hammett of Metallica feels guilty. He owns loads of guitars, of course, as they are tools to his trade, one in which he is very good. Most guitarists of legendary groups probably own more guitars than they can ever play.
That is part of the issue here. Hammett keeps some guitars in storage and never has a need to play them again. The sound they produce simply doesn't fit with what Metallica is currently doing, or anything they haven't done in 15 years and likely never will again.
According to Guitar World, instead of letting the guitars sit, Hammett has sold "a lot" online through Reverb or eBay. He does so anonymously because, one assumes, he doesn't want the price to spike, or be resold simply because the guitar is attached to his name. The instrument needs a good home and someone who wants to play it.
You might have a guitar previously owned by Kirk Hammett in your collection
Hammett says he gets "anxiety" is the instrument is not played. This makes sense, of course, because guitars are made to make noise, not just stay in storage forever.
Hammett rightfully does not name the guitars that he has sold for the same reason he doesn't have his name listed as the seller. The price of the guitar is what it should be, not simply because it was a Hammett-owned instrument.
He did drop a hint that the guitars he worked with on Metallica's 2008 album Death Magnetic, which appears to be a 1958 Les Paul, ESP Mummy and Caution guitars, and a 1959 Telecaster. If you have recently bought one of those online, you might be a winner. The truth is you would never know, though.
The Metallica guitarist also does not mind trading equipment, especially if he finds something he wants. This makes sense, too, as the person getting Hammett's guitar is going to play it, and the one the guitar god receives is going to be played, too.
Hammett has previously exchanged instruments with players such as Jack White. In that move, Hammett sent the White Stripes founder a Greeny Les Paul while Hammett got a classic Fender Stratocaster.
The next time you are watching a video or one of your favorite bands playing live, you might look at the guitarist and wonder where they got their guitar. You might also wonder if you might unknowingly end up with the instrument one day, too.