The late, original bassist of Metallica, Cliff Burton, played the hell out of the bass, specifically, an Aria Pro II bass. A replica of his instrument will display at NAMM this Thursday through Saturday in Anaheim.
The model is a 24-fret, neck-through specimen with a rosewood fretboard and passive pickup, a combination sure to approximate his signature throaty rasp. As Loudwire reports, it “was designed with the consent of [Burton’s] family and bandmates,” so Metalliphiles can’t help but wonder—what took so long?
Nevertheless, it has arrived in all its Master of Puppets-era glory. No less an authority than Burton’s father, Ray, who plans to introduce the bass at noon Friday, calls the model “beautiful instrument and a wonderful tribute to Cliff.” NAMMers, get your Metallica Tab Books ready.
Watch the original instrument in action:
[tv]https://metalinjection.net/tv/view/8221/metallica-for-whom-the-bell-tolls-%28live-1985%29[/tv]
