Aria Pro II 2013 NOS Limited Cliff Burton Signature Bass Guitar With Case & Certificate

Aria Pro II Limited Edition Cliff Burton Signature Series Bass

Truetone Music is excited to present an exclusive opportunity to obtain a bass  that holds a special status - this is literally the only new one out there.  A decade ago, Aria Guitars of Japan was proud to introduce the Aria Pro II Cliff Burton Signature Bass, which has become in high demand ever since, and incredibly hard to find.  This bass was well over a year in the making, and was done with the authorization of the Burton family and Metallica.

All of them sold, but one was held back by the distributor in New Zealand.  It recently made it's way to Aria's distributor here in the U.S., who offered it to us - and of course we said yes, immediately.  It's literally the last remaining new Cliff Burton signature model on the planet.   Used ones do pop up and fetch high amounts, but this is truly the only new, never previously-owned one in existence.

Cliff Burton was the bassist for Metallica for their first three albums, Kill 'Em All, Ride The Lightning and Master of Puppets.  He was one of the most legendary and influential bassists of all time, and likely number one in the world of heavy metal.  

The Aria Pro II Cliff Burton Signature Bass is a replica of the Black 'n Gold I bass that Cliff played. Painstaking attention to detail was taken to build a tribute bass. It has a 7-ply maple/walnut neck with a neck-through, heel-less neck design. It has the same headstock with the patent statement on the front and Cliff Burton's authorized signature on the back of the headstock. The neck has a 34 inch scale with 24 frets. The fretboard is made of rosewood with cat eye and mother of pearl inlays.  The body is the original SB shape and made of alder.

The Aria Pro II Cliff Burton Signature Bass is loaded with an Aria MB-V passive pickup. It has a single tone and volume control with a dual sound mini-toggle switch. The bridge is solid brass with gold plated saddles. Each of the tuners are handcrafted out of brass and gold-plated and the 40mm nut is made of brass.   

The bass will ship inside of a deluxe ostrich hardshell case, and come with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Ray Burton. Both players and collectors alike will desire this unique bass guitar.

When the new Aria Pro II Cliff Burton Signature Bass was presented to Cliff's father, Ray Burton, he stated "What a beautiful instrument and a wonderful tribute to Cliff. The first year Cliff was with Metallica he played a Rickenbacker guitar that he purchased in 1982. He loved his guitar, but he did not feel it was a strong enough instrument to withstand the rugged treatment of the daily rigors of heavy metal touring. Early in 1984 Cliff was treated to an Aria Pro II bass guitar. He really liked it and therefore did not seek any other bass to play. He told me it was strong and ideal to play. I never heard a discouraging word about his Aria bass guitars. To give testament to his preference, he had several of them at the time of his death."

 This is the only new one in existence.   It's a truly special collectors piece, which of course plays and sounds amazing.  As big Cliff Burton and Metallica fans, we are excited to be able to offer this bass. 

Highlights:

• Made in Japan
• SB-Blackn' Gold
• Body : Alder, Super Balanced Body
• Neck : Maple / Walnut 7ply, Neck Thru Body, Heel-less Cutaway
• Fingerboard :  Rosewood, 240R, MOP Cat-eye Inlays
• Scale Length : 864mm
• Pickup : Aria Original MB-V
• Controls : Volume, Tone, Dual Sound Switch
• Machine Heads : solid brass, 24K Gold Plated Saddle, Black plated Body
• Finish : Black
• Specialities : w/Certified of Authenticity, w/Hard shell case

Specifications:

• Headstock: Original SB Design
• Neck Shape: Standard, Medium
• Neck: 7 Ply Maple/Walnut
• Neck Joint: Neck-through, Heel-less Cutaway
• Tuners: Handmade Solid Brass Tuner Buttons, 24 K Gold Plated
• Nut: 40mm Width Solid Brass
• Truss rod Cover: Solid Brass
• Headstock Front Inlays: Patent Statement
• Headstock Back Inlay: Cliff Burton Authorized Signature
• Fretboard Scale: 34" or 864mm
• Frets: 24 Frets
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Fretboard Inlays: Cat Eye, Mother of Pearl Inlays
• Body Shape: Original SB Shape, Super Balanced Body
• Body Material: Alder
• Pickup: Aria MB-V Passive Pickup
• Controls: 1xVolume, 1xTone, 1-Dual Sound Mini-Toggle Switch
• Knobs: Black SB Knobs
• Tailpiece: Solid Brass With 24K Gold Plated Saddles and Black Plated Body
• Strap Pins: 18K Gold Plated Solid Brass
• Strings: Rotosound RS66LB (35, 55, 70, 90)
• Certificate: Certificate of Authenticity Signed by Ray Burton and Toshi Matsumura
• Case: Deluxe Ostrich Hardshell Case With Gold Hardware