Metallica's Kirk Hammett recently took fans on a unique journey into his world of guitars, sharing stories about his prized collection and the surprising backstory behind one of his most cherished instruments: his Gibson Flying V. In an episode of Gibson TV's The Collection, Hammett revealed how a part-time job at Burger King, of all places, helped him fulfill his early guitar dreams.
Reflecting on his first Flying V purchase, Hammett recounted the unexpected nudge he received while on a date. "I remember I was going out with this one girl at the time," he says. "She said, 'Let's go to Burger King.' I was like, 'okay.'" He recalls sitting down with her to enjoy their meal when she surprised him with a job application.
"She comes back and she goes, 'I got you an application for a job here. Sign here.' I'm like, 'Huh?'" Although Hammett was caught off guard, he saw potential in the opportunity. He thought to himself, "Wait, this might be a good opportunity for me to make some money for some guitar strings… Then I realized, 'Ah shoot, now I have a job, now I have to actually work.'"
Despite the initial hesitation, Hammett embraced the chance to fund his dream guitar. "I need a better guitar, so I thought, 'This is brilliant. I'll just work at Burger King just long enough for me to save up some money,'" he explained.
His sights were set on a sleek, black Flying V displayed at Leo's Music in Oakland. After a month of saving, he traded in his Stratocaster, added a few hundred dollars, and walked out with the guitar that would become a defining part of his career.
"I remember seeing that Black V and telling the guy — my friend who worked there — to hold this guitar for me for like a month. He literally stashed it in the back and then I came in, gave him the Strat, and gave him the cash and I had that Gibson V and I was so happy."
Hammett's love for guitars began early. He credits a childhood toy, a Monkees guitar gifted by his grandmother when he was seven, as the spark that fueled his lifelong passion. "I used to drag it around with me to every single room in the house, outside, and just pretend that I was playing it until it literally fell apart."
On November 29, Gibson Publishing will launch The Collection: Kirk Hammett, a deluxe coffee table book in hardcover featuring the stories behind Kirk's rare and highly collectible instruments used on hit records and play on stages worldwide in front of millions of fans.
