Cliff Burton, bass master!!

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Mr. Kristopher

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Hey, anybody know any info on Cliff Burton's(Metallica bassist) effects? I've been to numerous web pages but I still can't find any good info. I know he at least used a distortion and a wah, but what kinds I do not know.
 
I have been playing the bass for over 22 years and the closest I came to any kind of
effect was to use some Earnie Ball Slinkies using the Slap-Thumb percussive technique.
I never used effects.
 
I know he has a really heavy, loud picking style. That could affect the sound.
Have you seen "A Year And A Half" part one. You might get some ideas from there.

Do bassists use wah and distortion often? I always thought of them as guitar FX.
 
I'm a guitarist, and all the bass players i know do nothing like that; ever.
I think i need to to find a new bass player.
 
I arn't really going to look for a new bass player(just in case he's reading). But i would love to hear a bassist use guitar FX. It would be like running vocals through a GT-3. Hehehe, long story. :D

omnipotent
 
Originally posted by omnipotent:
I know he has a really heavy, loud picking style. That could affect the sound.
Have you seen "A Year And A Half" part one. You might get some ideas from there.

I think you are getting Cliff Burton confused with Jason Newsted (Metallica's current bassist). Cliff used a monstrous finger style that scares me rigid quite frankly. Effects wise all i know is Wah + distortion. The main reason i bought a Wah pedal was "For Whom The Bell Tolls"!! I think he might have used some kind of bass boost too although that might be a side effect of the wah.
 
Dunno what he used for distortion, but i think he used a Morley wah. These have a way different sound than yer usual Crybabies, it's a lot thicker and less nasal. Sigh, I miss ol' Cliff. Too bad him and kirk switched bunks that fateful night....
 
Didn't Cliff play a Ricky 400x bass? That bass can offer up some serious sounds that no other bass can, IMHO. Maybe that was part of his sound as well.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by omnipotent:
I'm a guitarist, and all the bass players i know do nothing like that; ever.
I think i need to to find a new bass player.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I use a few effects, such as a distortion (Tube Screamer and Boss Bass Overdrive), delay (Boss DD-5 Digital Delay), and flange (Boss). I have a lot of Boss petals because I thought that was a good place to start, but now I'm looking for other stuff.
 
CLiff also used an Aria Pro (IV i think) as well as a Rickenbacker.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by scraggs:
Sigh, I miss ol' Cliff. Too bad him and kirk switched bunks that fateful night....
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

How did it actually happen?

Also OneLouder you are right i screwed up. Thanx for watching. :o

[This message has been edited by omnipotent (edited 06-15-2000).]
 
I LOVE my Rick. Very distinctive sound. '75 4001.
 
omni...
cliff died when their tour buss hit a patch of ice and rolled onto it's side while touring in (don't quote me) i believe sweeden....
or was that switzerland...
i'm pretty sure it started with a "s".
anyway, he was launched out of the bus only to have it subsequently roll on top of him.
damn shame, too.
his surving probably would've prevented such atrocities as world hunger and the new metallica album (and not in that order).
 
Cliff was the only one in the band with bigger balls than James. Cliff never would have allowed Mettalica's "selling out"
Now its all James' gig and I think he's been listening to some country.
 
Two thumbs up for Cliff R.I.P.

No offense meant at all and sorry for the lack of attendance to the WEB!!!!

The only thing that any bass player lacks is balls! I am and have been a bass player for years and can keep up with most any guitar player. EGO yes and I can back it up! You know what, guitar players hate it but I don't care!!!!!!

Asshole, maybe but I can tell you right now that I am not one to bullshit. If you can't do anything, don't say it. Rib me if anyone wants to but I can back it up.

Cliff was one of the few bassplayers to stand up and take a chance. I have, and always will, play like Gene Simmons & Stanley Clarke. Along with Chris Squire, Jaco (RIP) and many, many others. Who cares really what they used? Can you play to back it up?

Along with that I add Steve Perry backup & lead vocals and can hit Bon Scott lead vocals. Big deal!!!!

Only point I make is why worry, to the point, what anyone uses? What do you want to sound like and how good are you? Cliff is dead and so is Jaco, if you have a good enough ear you can sound like anyone you want.......(Oh yea money too)

Look, listen and learn!!!!!!
 
Damn Steve! Good call on Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorius and don't forget 1 more great
bassist,Miroslav Vitous. I too follow thier styles and find these guys awesome!
 
Steve:

Not only can you alledgedly play the bass and sing, but you're pretty damn good at blowing your own horn.

dmc
 
Not sure what model.

But i do know that this distortion sounds came from a Randall (such as on his painkiller bass solo).

However, with a guy like that it's sooo much about the player and the sound his playing creates .
 
Wow, 5 year old thread revival...but I agree Cliff rocked!

He did use a Morley wah, as someone guessed at 5 years ago. :)

War
 
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