Cliff Burtons Rickenbacker

[Thrasher]

Ok guys, heres a topic ive always wondered about: Cliff Burtons legendary Rickenbacker 4001! I heard it was modified and i was just curious if anybody knows what was actually done to the guitar. It also looks like its one color red which i guess they do not make that color anymore or i havent seen it. Or is it burgandyglo??? idk anyways if anybody knows what happened to it thatd be cool too. Ive read interviews about it and he claims the neck went sour, but i wonder if it got stolen in the massachussets gig where metallica got almost all their equipment stolen.... Thanks


http://www.metallicaworld.co.uk/images/lightning/ride26.jpg

 

[GregShadoan]

In that picture, it appears he has installed a big gibson type humbucker (mudbucker) in the neck position, hard to see the bridge, but it looks like a factory one. The treble pickup also looks non factory. Could be the neck went bad from the routing involved in installing the humbucker.

 

[sonic assassin]

from what ive read around here, mudbucker in the neck, jazz in the bridge, played as hard as physically possible.

 

[heinpete]

from what ive read around here, mudbucker in the neck, jazz in the bridge, played as hard as physically possible.

Story was, that as a pick he uses 2" steel washers!!!???
However I doubt, as on the foto he plays with fingers.

 

[theunknowndude]

Story was, that as a pick he uses 2" steel washers!!!???
However I doubt, as on the foto he plays with fingers.

I can't ever recall him using a pick, could be mistaken though,...

all of his solo's were definitely done fingers only though according to all footage I have ever seen

 

[jdieh1]

He must have used a similar pick-up configuration to Lemmy then...

And yeah, Cliff always played with fingers. I have never read nor heard of him EVER playing with a pick

 

[Brian D]

Mudbucker in the neck & a Jazz in the bridge positions.

 

[Thrasher]

hmmm... thats intresting, would that pickup configuration really change the overall tone of the bass??? and what ever happened to it?

 

[Sound Chaser]

Somebody screwed up the original wiring bad, so on advisement from a guitar repairman he had a mudbucker and a dimarzio j installed, wired in mono. The actual color is oxblood if I remember right.

 

[Nicka]

hmmm... thats intresting, would that pickup configuration really change the overall tone of the bass??? and what ever happened to it?

A friend of mine and I got to shoot the bull with Newsted when they were touring after a show and he said that he was given the Aria that Cliff played the night he was killed; even still with the same strings. We got to talking about bass stuff and I completely forgot to ask about Cliff's 4001.

 

[Darkstrike]

Cliffs sister now has the 4001.

 

[sonic assassin]

he was given the Aria that Cliff played the night he was killed; even still with the same strings.

jason newsted is not worthy.

 

[robkphoto]

I had a 1980 4001 in Burgundyglo like his. It was an amazing color and I wish I had never gotten rid of that bass. Let it go for practically nothing in around 1991 or 2. Don't think they make it anymore unfortunately.

 

[Thrasher]

A friend of mine and I got to shoot the bull with Newsted when they were touring after a show and he said that he was given the Aria that Cliff played the night he was killed; even still with the same strings. We got to talking about bass stuff and I completely forgot to ask about Cliff's 4001.

jeez man thats pretty awesome! wow! was he a cool dude?

 

[Bassgrinder77]

Of course he is. He's Jason freakin' Newsted and you're not so show respect.

jason newsted is not worthy.

 

[TheHegemon]

I read somewhere that he considered his dimarzio j in the bridge to be his "secret weapon" Don't know if theres any truth to that though.

 

[sonic assassin]

Of course he is. He's Jason freakin' Newsted and you're not so show respect.

hes a massive tool and is not worthy to wipe cliff's ass. there are a thousand people that deserved that bass more than newsted.

 

[chanson]

I read somewhere once online that he had a strat pickup on it somewhere..

 

[Johnny Alien]

hes a massive tool and is not worthy to wipe cliff's ass. there are a thousand people that deserved that bass more than newsted.

While it's true Metallica took a massive downslide after Cliff died I don't think that Jason was the problem. He is a completely different type of player than Cliff but good in his own way and a massive supporter of great old style metal.

 

[stanger503]

hes a massive tool and is not worthy to wipe cliff's ass. there are a thousand people that deserved that bass more than newsted.

how exactly is he a massive tool???? unless you know him personally i wouldnt say that. any interview i've ever seen of him hes very humble and very respectful to whom he is talking to and talking about. hes also one ******* hell of a player and did cliff proud. all these burton fanatics need to man up, he died, he was an amazing bassist and i love metallica too, but im not gonna **** on the next bassist in line because they arent an exact replica or shadow of the former bassist. thats what makes a band ...a band. new members bring new tastes, new styles, a new direction. jason was never allowed that, he got thrown into a moving train and had zero control over where the train went.