Cliff Burton

Cliff Burton was the bassist for Metallica from 1982 until his death in 1986, and MusicRadar counts him among the greatest bass players of all time¹. He joined the band in 1982, replacing original bassist Ron McGovney, and recorded three albums with them before dying in a bus crash in Sweden on 27 September 1986, aged 24¹. Premier Guitar writes that he "transformed the instrument and left an incredible legacy"².

For gear-minded players, Burton is the example of a bassist building a sound around effects. His tones on Metallica's first trio of albums were built on Morley pedals, and Morley says his use of a wah pedal for bass solos was revolutionary³⁴.

The wah and fuzz behind his solos

Burton's best-known gear is his Morley wah. Morley's own history says he switched between a Power Wah Boost and a Power Wah Fuzz, and the maker's product page calls the Power Wah Boost "one of the two Morley pedals Cliff used interchangeably to get his killer tones"⁶⁷. The Power Wah Fuzz, meanwhile, "would go on to be famously used by Cliff Burton of Metallica"⁶.

The two pedals did different jobs:

Guitar World reports that Burton used a Morley wah fuzz pedal on Metallica's first trio of albums, and that "the combination of the fuzz and the Wah is what gave Cliff his signature tone, especially when soloing"³⁸. Guitar World also ties the pedal to specific recordings, describing the reissue as "the exact same pedal that Cliff used on his iconic recordings," including the "For Whom the Bell Tolls" intro³.

Morley's product page for the Power Wah Fuzz puts it plainly:

For a player chasing that sound today, the Planet Caravan YouTube channel demoed the Morley 20/20 Power Fuzz Wah and argued it is the one pedal that matters. The presenter says: "I guarantee you if you're wondering how to do all the funky that Cliff Burton does it's this thing I swear to God it's just this one little thing"⁵. He adds that Cliff used something really similar in the 1980s, and that you do not need a Rickenbacker or an Aria Pro 2 to get in the ballpark, demonstrating with a Squier Jazz Bass⁵.

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The rest of his rig

Beyond the Morley pedals, the Planet Caravan presenter says Burton used a compression sustainer as part of his rig, and that he is pretty sure he used a SansAmp Bass BDDI⁵. The same presenter also mentions a Tube Screamer as part of the rig discussion⁵.

His basses

Burton played Rickenbacker and Aria basses¹. The Planet Caravan presenter points to the Aria Pro 2 signature bass with "one big humbucker right there in that position," saying "it's the really only the way that you can get that kind of sound"⁵.

The Morley tribute pedals

Morley has honored Burton with reissues of his pedal. The first, the Cliff Burton Tribute Power Fuzz Wah, was released on 18 February 2015, in collaboration with Ray Burton, Cliff's father, and Metallica⁸⁹. Will of The Bass Channel, who demoed it, notes it is not an exact replica of Cliff's original but carries the same tones with modern updates: a smaller enclosure, a battery option alongside the standard 9-volt AC input, and LED indication⁹. He describes the pedal as combining the classic Morley wah and vintage fuzz tones, usable separately or together, with a level control on the wah and fuzz level, intensity and a vintage/modern toggle on the fuzz⁹.

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Guitar World quoted the design intent at release: "it was originally a guitar pedal that could be used for guitar, bass or keys. We designed this tribute version to do the same so it's not only for bass."⁸

In February 2024 Morley released a second tribute, the Cliff Burton Tribute Power Wah Fuzz, reissued and modernized with the stamp of approval from the Burton family¹⁰¹¹. It carries a Distressed Chrome finish mimicking the battle-worn pedal Cliff used²³. Like the original, it works with guitar, bass or keys²¹, and Guitar Interactive Magazine's reviewer cautioned players not to be misled by the name: "it's not just for bass"¹². A Chrome Cliff Burton PFW-C version is also listed by Perfect Circuit as ideal for keyboards and synthesizers as well as guitar and bass¹³.

Guitar World had reviewed Morley's Cliff Burton Power Wah back in 2015, pointing out the advantages of combining fuzz and wah effects in a single heavy-duty pedal¹⁴.

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