JUST NOW: James Hetfield’s Luthier Reveals How He Got His Job: ‘I Realized That I Better Do a Good Job on This First One if I Want to Have a Second One Happen’………

met Doug West from Mesa/Boogie, and we hit it off. We became fast friends. At the time, I was still making basses, primarily. I spent a lot of time down at Mesa’s shop playing music with Doug and I would leave instruments there for them to show to whomever might be stopping by.”

“Doug took one of those basses over to a Metallica rehearsal where they were working on their guitar rigs. This is when Jason Newsted was in the band, just to see if Jason ”might be interested.”

As for Hetfield’s reaction to his instruments, Lawrence said:

“He kept flipping it back and forth, studying it. Then he asked if we could meet.”

He added:

“I had showed up auditioning for a guitar commission with a carload of basses! I laid them all out on the floor, and he walked in and went, ‘OK, let’s make a guitar.’ So that’s how that all started. It’s been great.'”

His first commission for Hetfield was an Explorer-style inspired by one of Metallica frontman’s old ESPs:

“He said that this was one that he plays a lot. He really likes one, if you can get close to this, then we’re doing something. That was one of those little moments where I realized that I better do a good job on this first one if I want to have a second one happen. We got through it, and it turned out even better than either of us expected.”

Reflecting on the future of his relationship with Hetfield, Lawrence said:

“I mean, he’s a really cool guy, and he’s got some really cool ideas. We’re up to seven, and I think he might be pondering an eighth. I’m not sure – fingers crossed!”