Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted is set to sell more than 60 electric guitars, basses, and oddball rarities on his official Reverb page.
The sale launches on July 24 and line-up includes a wealth of rare and unusual bass guitars, many of which were used to record and tour with Metallica and beyond. Now, though, Newsted says he is eager to see these instruments receive a new loving home.
“Over the last 30 or 40 years as I've traveled around playing music for people, I've gathered some cool shit,” he say. “[But] I can't play all of them. I'd like to get them in the hands of some people. They deserve to be enjoyed!”
Two key highlights come from two serious purveyors of low-end might: A 1992 Alembic Europa Custom 10-string bass used on the Black Album tour, and a five-string fretless Zon bass, used to record Until It Sleeps.
“This thing is an absolute beast,” Newsted says of the 10-string. “The weight alone you'll have to be a straight badass just to carry it let alone play it. I was never able to give it enough time. I was able to take it out on tour – the Black Album tour, that kind of thing – but I want to see what someone can do with it. It’s a really special piece of metal history.”
Of the Zon, he says everything is “left [as is] from the recording of Until It Sleeps. This is a piece of metal lore right here. You have the song in your collection [and] that’s the bass that played it.”
It's worth noting too that Newsted puts a little herb leaf mark on the headstocks of the instruments he has recorded with, so if you want to own an instrument with recording history, that's something to look out for.
Other listings include a mint condition 1966 Gibson Barney Kessel, and a '68 Hofner six-string with a built-in fuzz.
There’s also a 1970 Rickenbacker Fireglo 12-string, with a switch to make it a six-string, an Ampeg AUB-1 Scroll bass, which Newsted calls “a unique sounding beast” that has seen a lot of love, and a “pretty rare” PRS sunburst bass that featured on Metallica’s …And Justice For All tour.
[That record is remembered by many for its lack of bass guitar, and the record’s producer has recently revealed his theory as to why that is - Ed]
Representing Newsted's love for prog, there's also a custom 3-string Music Man bass inspired by Tony Levin’s design and a 1980 Rickenbacker 4080 double-neck split between a four-string bass and six-string guitar – a purchase inspired by seeing Alex Lifeson play double-necks with Rush.
As mentioned, the shop will launch on July 24 with all items listed at fixed prices, meaning there will be no bidding war on any item. So, be quick or be dead...
Head to Reverb to check out the listing preview.
