If Cliff Burton were alive today..

[mr.black]

Funkytoe, your obviously "in the know" somewhat, and I agree with you on the modulus or zon (that would be cool) Ibanez Soundgear fits the bill but it got too mainstream as you say. Also all the spectors and warwicks that everyone is guessing have the wrong neck profiles for Cliff, so if it where from one of those manuf it would be completely custom and unlike anything they currently offer. I LOVE the idea that he would still/go back to playing Ric's though. Kirk IS an awesome dude, just met him last year for the first time and he blew away my expectations! I do still feel that Lars was on the way out (not by conspiracy with Cliff) just James, and Cliff was not so apposed to it to say NO Lars MUST stay.

[Troph]

Originally Posted by SoVeryTired

Sunburst P, tort guard, flats.

/thread

Bravo!

[Handyman]

Originally Posted by abngourmet

He's dead. Who cares?

Zombie bass player?

[inthevelvet]

ESP I'm sure

[Southside Pip]

Maybe Lars was on his way out. Dave Mustain said so a few years back.

[jet_king]

ooo..ohhh i wanna play!!! HE"D BE PLAYING A RIC!

[funkytoe]

Originally Posted by mr.black

I do still feel that Lars was on the way out (not by conspiracy with Cliff) just James, and Cliff was not so apposed to it to say NO Lars MUST stay.

That I agree with. Lars has always been the most irritating of the band members (except Mustaine when he was drunk). I do not think that Cliff would have stuck his neck out to protect him if James had really wanted to give Lars the boot. I just don't see it. As irritating as Lars is, he did all the PR stuff that James did not want to do back then. James was a reluctant front man. He only started doing interviews to prevent Lars from saying all the stupid s**t he was prone to say. In the end, the nucleus of the band was always a close partnership between James and Lars. Not certain either would presume they had the ability to boot the other out of the band. I really believe this just something that Mustaine has floated around for his own reasons.

[mr.black]

It prob all started with a stupid james/lars fight, and the fact that james playing improved so much thanks to cliffs instruction, while lars had no such guideance. the truth my never come out now that they have been the nucleus for so long. Lars does just fine behind the kit, for a very short time they were in danger of out growing his ability, but they just evoled in a dif direction and changed thir style. Lars is a lot cooler these days, Anyhow I thought the story/rumor came from ellefson not mustaine.

[LiquidMidnight]

I remember Mustaine saying in an interview that there was apparently a plan to boot Lars after the Master of Puppets Tour; but then a bus crash happened and of course the rest is history.

I don't know how true that is, but you have to consider the source. Mustaine has still been in state of perpetual bitterness for years due to getting kicked out of Metallica. Even with the recent gigs that the two bands have done together, I still get the impression that not all wounds are healed. Even in a relatively recent interview, he was bragging about how he apparently banged Kirk's girlfriend years ago.

[Skygonzo]

LOL. Nonsense.

[Sartori]

Mustaine says a lot of things, many of which I am quite skeptical about.

Then again, Ulrich's most demanding drum work was on ...And Justice For All, so hmm.

Still, all hearsay. Myself, I don't think it's likely.

[calypsocoral302]

Originally Posted by funkytoe

Based on my own experiences with Cliff, I would suggest the following...

In all honesty, thanks for chiming in on this topic. I thought your post was insightful and intriguing.

[funkytoe]

Thanks I guess. I'm always a little reluctant to post in these "Cliff" threads, because I don't want to come off as some Cliff know-it-all. But, I do sometimes feel compelled to post when I see Cliff being painted in a false light. Cliff had his share of blow ups with Lars, and he had some pretty cutting nicknames for him. But Cliff would never assume he had the power to kick Lars from the band Lars started. If Cliff was really fed up with Lars playing or his attitude or anything, he would have said it to Lars face. Cliff was brutally honest. And if things really got messy, I suspect it would have been Cliff who left. Being a rock star meant nothing to Cliff. He just like jamming out on his bass and whipping his head to the heaviest stuff he could create.

In the words of Forrest Gump "that's all I have to say about that."

[mr.black]

THANKS Funktoe! good info bro, Keep rockin out. - chris

[grendle]

Originally Posted by husky123

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.

amen.

[BassSurfer]

I think he would be playing the kazoo in a Metallica tribute band called "The Four Chickenman"

[NeckthruTony]

I think Cliff would probably be wearing a neck brace by now. Bang the head that doesn't bang.