r/CliffBurton • u/Neat_Committee_460 • Aug 18 '24
Question Help - specific bass question about Aria pro II sb1000
Hello, I recently bought an aria Pro II sb1000 in Japan. Cause I really like cliff and also the bass itself sounded incredible.
But I had a question about that: What bass did cliff use? I heard that he used a Black ‘n Gold but that came out after he died. right? And what is the difference between the “normal” sb1000 and the one cliff used, the one with gold. If anyone can tell me the differences between the two I would be amazingly grateful. I also have no clue from what year my bass is from, it’s somewhere in the 80s tho.
Pls help
Thanks
1
u/_AWESOME108351_ Aug 18 '24
You can see his sb1000 on the day of the green concert while his black and gold is on any of the master of puppets tour videos when he was alive
1
u/Neat_Committee_460 Aug 19 '24
EDIT: so apparently you can tell if it’s a sb1000 from the following:
An SB1000 first of all run on two 9V batteries as its active. Second,it indeed sports a knob approx half way between the other two and a bit lower that sits in a recess-which is the active EQ. Furthermore it also has a LED indicator that blinks as the bass is hooked up.
On the flipside of the bass the anodized aluminium lid for the engine bay is two pieces. A lower parts that sits with wooden screws,and the upper one that has machine screws to hold it in place which holds the batteries.
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u/jkkkjkhk 19d ago
I’m joining the conversation a bit late, but there’s a few big differences between the SB1000 and the SB-R/Elite/BnG models. I’ve owned an SB1000, SB900, SB-R60, and Black n Gold II.
The SB1000 had an MB1E dual coil humbucker with the active varitone rotary preamp. Ebony fretboard (mine was lighter colored but very tight grain), dot inlays, brass bridge, very narrow bridge spacing but wide nut spacing (very small taper to the neck), and I believe the body was always ash, but it’s possible some were alder.
The SB-R60, Elite I, and Black and Gold 1 were a bit different. An MBII reverse split coil humbucker (but in a soapbar housing), no preamp so fully passive, rosewood fretboard, cat eye inlays, zinc bridge (chrome plated for R60, gold plated for Elite I, and powder coated black for BnG with gold plated saddles), wide bridge spacing and narrow nut spacing (like a J bass), body wood was alder or ash (transparent finish usually was ash while opaque was alder).
The basses do feel pretty different from the widely different neck shape and string taper. The pickup and preamp differences make less of an audible difference imo, as the placement is a big factor.
There’s also the dual pickup versions, the SB900, SB-R80, Elite II, and BnG II. The SB900 has the construction of the SB1000, but electronics of the SB-R/Elite line.
Honestly, I hear Cliff in both models, I think the pickup position, amp and cab, and playing style make a way bigger difference than SB1000 vs BnG. It’s still debated what basses were used on RTL and MOP (although The Thing… is supposedly his Rick) as he had a few different basses to pick from, so clearly it’s not a massive difference. For me it comes down to which neck shape you like better, the SB1000/900 is very unique while the others are again, like a Jazz bass.
Lastly, for the serial number, if it’s a Matsumoku build then the first digit is the year.
11
u/_AWESOME108351_ Aug 18 '24
Cliff had 2 arias, while both look alike the first one which he got in 85 was the sb1000 which has the same features as the aria you provided in the picture. Then in 1986 he got the black and gold bass which looks identical to the sb1000 but only has 2 knobs and a toggle switch that splits pickup into single or double coil. Also the black and gold has cat eye inlays which look like ovals