Jason Newsted to Sell Bass From Metallica’s ‘Black Album’ Tour: ‘A Piece of Metal Lore’

Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted has teamed with Reverb to sell instruments from his personal collection, including some integral items from the heavy metal band’s history.

Among the instruments for sale at the Official Jason Newsted Reverb Shop, opening on July 24, are basses used on the band’s tour in support of LPs …And Justice for All and the “Black Album,” as well as ones used in the recording of Metallica’s music.

“I’m teaming up with Reverb to sell some pieces from my collection for the very first time. The last 30 or 40 years as I’ve traveled around playing music for people, I’ve gathered some cool shit,” Newsted said in a statement. 

“I traveled the world to collect these pieces and many of these pieces have traveled the world with me. I’d like to get them into the hands of other players because I can only play so many at once, and wonderful guitars such as these should not live in cases forever…they deserve to be enjoyed!”

Perhaps the most notable item in the Reverb sale is Newsted’s 1992 Alembic Europa Custom 10-string bass that he played onstage when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band toured in support of their 1991 self-titled LP dubbed the “Black Album.”

“This is a very special piece of metal history and it’s one of one,” Newsted added of that instrument. “This thing is a beast…you have to be a straight badass to carry it, let alone play it.”

One of Newsted’s first Alembic basses — a 1989 20th anniversary model with the serial number six of just 200 that also appeared in the A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica documentary — will also feature in the Reverb sale, as well as a rare cherry sunburst-finished PRS bass that was used on the …And Justice for All tour.

Another marquee instrument is Newsted’s 5-string fretless Zon bass that he played when Metallica recorded “Until It Sleeps,” with the settings markings from the studio still taped on the bass. “This is a piece of metal lore right here,” Newsted said. “You have the song in your collection [and] that’s the bass that played it.”

Metallica fans can preview Newsted’s collection now before his Reverb shop opens on July 24. Prefer alt-country to heavy metal? Might we recommend perusing Wilco’s Reverb shop of rare and vintage guitars instead.

From Rolling Stone US.