If Cliff Burton were alive today..
 

...what brand & model bass(s) would he be playing? We all know the Aria's never caught on back in the day and are essentially dead (they are however, releasing a "Cliff Tribute bass" this year).

Cant wait to hear what you guys think.

Not sure what you mean here.
Aria has been producing instruments for over 35 years and is still doing fine. What does it have to do with choosing an instrument anyway?

He'd be playing 'wicks.

There ya have it.

I think Cliff would have been the next bassist(after Stanley Clarke and John Entwhistle) to put Alembic in the limelight.

I'll play along. James and Kirk both play some ESPs so I think Cliff might play one too. But all the Metallica guys play a butt load of axes

If Cliff were alive today he would probably be like the rest of Metallica...a total disappointment. Anyway if cliff were alive today alot might have changed. Aria's may have a better prescence in the metal scene he may have been picked up by another endorsee and be playing Warwick, Spector, Kramer or any other plethora of other basses. He may have become a blues bassist. Point is it doesn't matter because he's dead. Until we figure out how to bring about a controlled zombie apocalypse this is a mute thread

/thread

Cliff would be playing a Spector NS 2 (black body, black bridge and tuners, ebony board, MOP inlays). I have seen it in my dreams and it is sweet.

I love your opening sentence!

Im saying that they never caught on. You dont see every other musician (pro or not) running around with an Aria. If you spent all day calling local shops to find one (including Bass NW), your probably not going to find it.

I didn't question that they've been floundering around making hunks of garbage for 35 years. That's not in question.

I could totally see him playing one. Remember, Jason Newsted had his own model through Spector. I think it led a short life though.

I would say an SX

His faithful Ricky still!!

I think he would be playing a Rickenbacker. He sort of reminds of Lemmy in Motorhead. Also, Metallica would be a lot heavier. Only sad part is, we wouldn't have the Justice 4 All album, which kick ass.

Metallica might not have been the disappointment if he were still around. He mighta kicked the crap out of a certain googly-eyed drummer or quit. They couldn't kick Cliff out like Jason; he's like the version of Lemmy that the Other World couldn't wait any longer for.

I agree he mighta done blues though. There's a lotta blues in his riffs. That and I used to look like him and thought maybe I should find a pre-Justice tribute band.

But those days are gone. The hair is gone. It all fell out and landed on my back, and to counter the added weight, my ab muscles have grown to obscene size.

HAHHAA I just said that!

If he were alive today he would probably be scratching at the inside of his coffin. :hiding:

If he were alive you probably wouldnt be talking about him....dying is the best thing you can do for your career :eek:

Metallica's music wouldn't be as bluesy if Cliff was still around.

From what I've read..Cliff was pretty much calling the shots in that band. He didn't start Metallica, but they moved across state for his approval.

We would have had it, only with the bass high enough in the mix so we could hear it!!

I could see him playin' a Warwick.