What Strings Did Cliff Burton Use?

[monkeylover009]

Hi,
Ive searched the web all over and all i could find was that cliff used thick strings!
Can Anyone Help Me?

Thanks!!

 

[monkeylover009]

*bump*

 

[pelvicfury]

I am not 100% but I heard that he used heavy ass Rotosounds. It really does not matter anyway. Nobody will ever play like cliff again, regardless of their strings.

 

[Benjamin Strange]

But lots of people will play differently than Cliff, and that's a good thing too.

 

[floydbass]

heavy? like a heavy gauge? what gauge did he use?

 

[Al3x]

I heard that he used light gauge strings. I think he used Rotosound Swing bass 66LB 35-90 light gauge strings and Rotosound Funkmasters.
It makes sense, since he would bend the strings really far up. Look at the '85 For Whom the Bells Toll video for proof. I imagine it would be pretty hard to bend the strings when you have heavy-ass strings.

 

[TripleDouble]

Cliff used the best strings for metal.

Sorry, couldn't resist. I have no idea, probably rotos, but Cliff Ruled and still does.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

He was a fan of the aggressive click and bends, so I'd guess that he was a fan of lighter strings.

 

[jkkkjkhk]

I heard that he used light gauge strings. I think he used Rotosound Swing bass 66LB 35-90 light gauge strings and Rotosound Funkmasters.
It makes sense, since he would bend the strings really far up. Look at the '85 For Whom the Bells Toll video for proof. I imagine it would be pretty hard to bend the strings when you have heavy-ass strings.

I thought that forever and while it makes sense it's not true. Cliff was a big guy and he had some damn powerful fingers. Another member on here asked Cliff's tech (?? someone who knew) the gauge and I guess he used Rotosound SS 45-105's. Damn strong hands. He also owns the low E from one of Cliff's basses. I won't say who because I don't want any bombardment towards him on proof or authenticity or any of that.

 

[Depth_Charge]

I don't know how strong his hands were, didn't he have problems with at least his right hand which is why his pinky stuck out the way it did?

(I learned bass by watching Cliff Em All and have the same pinky habit, without the need )

Anyway, with all the fuzz and wah effects he used I never considered strings would make much difference to his overall tone.

 

[darkstorm]

jkkkjkhk. Rotosound swing 66 45-105 is std medium gauge. Isnt a gauge set that would be concidered heavy gauge. They are also medium tension range imo.

 

[Jamie_Funk]

I don't know how strong his hands were, didn't he have problems with at least his right hand which is why his pinky stuck out the way it did?

(I learned bass by watching Cliff Em All and have the same pinky habit, without the need )

Anyway, with all the fuzz and wah effects he used I never considered strings would make much difference to his overall tone.

+1 million - after his signal went through his signal chain...ANY roundwound would do.

J

 

[jkkkjkhk]

jkkkjkhk. Rotosound swing 66 45-105 is std medium gauge. Isnt a gauge set that would be concidered heavy gauge. They are also medium tension range imo.

Right, they're not heavy or super tight but for the stuff he did that's pretty big strings IMO. I don't know anyone who can play like that, or even close, without being super low tuned or insanely light gauged. Even then they still don't compare.


As for the pinky, I think it was just a habit for him. I don't think it was a problem he had or anything but I could be wrong. Many guitarists do that with their fret hands naturally but it's normally frowned upon in teaching. I sometimes have my plucking pinky out like that too but not like Cliff. It's only sometimes for certain reasons that I'm still not sure of. I also noticed that he keeps his ring finger tucked back a bit. He played a lot of stuff with his index finger only and used his middle finger only when faster parts came up of he had to skip strings.
The ring finger thing might have been something he taught himself. Just a theory but when having your ring finger out I tend to move it along with my middle finger unintentionally. It normally doesn't get in the way but if I'm not warmed up enough I can stumble on it or it can bump a string or something. Maybe Cliff did that so it was out of the way as well as maybe it helped him play as fast. Having to move only one finger instead of two, in theory could help speed. Makes sense but I wouldn't really know how to test it (beyond just trying it).

 

[the-last-cliff's]

He used very light gauge the E was a 90

 

[Haji]

He used ultra heavy core mega light strings. his E string was a .30...but it was like a board it was so heavy cored. He actually cracked the cores bending strings.

 

[the-last-cliff's]

He used ultra heavy core mega light strings. his E string was a .30...but it was like a board it was so heavy cored. He actually cracked the cores bending strings.

We're those rotos???

 

[Haji]

Yeah, Rotosounds By D'Addario Roundwound Flats Signature Edition.

 

[the-last-cliff's]

What? I was always though he used light rotosound swing bass strings

 

[Haji]

The closest thing to an authoritative source I can find is here: Metallica.com | News | Cliff Burton Signature Bass
That's a post on Metallica's site regarding his signature model that Aria released in 2013. Since that was allegedly done with the help of the family and the techs that worked for the band when Cliff was there, it's as close to a real source as there is. The spec sheet listed says "Strings: Rotosound RS66LB (35, 55, 70, 90)". I guess that'll have to do.

 

[David McKay]

I don't know how strong his hands were, didn't he have problems with at least his right hand which is why his pinky stuck out the way it did?

(I learned bass by watching Cliff Em All and have the same pinky habit, without the need )

Anyway, with all the fuzz and wah effects he used I never considered strings would make much difference to his overall tone.

Supposedly he sustained and injury to his right hand which caused the "pinky habbit".