Adam Clayton: Stage and Studio
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BASS GUITARS

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Epiphone - Rivoli - 19xx - natural finish

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Fender - Precision - Xxxx - custom purple sparkle finish

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Gibson - Triumph - 197x - white finish

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Warwick - Stryker - Xxxx - natural finish

ADAM CLAYTON | 360 TOUR | BASS GUITARS
 
While Adam has used some bass guitars for the same song each night, he has also varied which bass was used on some songs. In other cases, a bass may have been used on a song earlier in the tour and then traded out for another later in the tour.
 
- EPIPHONE | RIVOLI | natural finish | Use: "Get On Your Boots" during the 2009 dates.
 
- FENDER | JAZZ | candy apple red finish | Use: "Bad" (earlier in the tour)
- FENDER | JAZZ | gold sparkle finish | Use: Walk On, Beautiful Day 2009 dates.
- FENDER | PRECISION | gold sparkle finish | Use: Walk On, Beautiful Day 2009 dates.
- FENDER | PRECISION | lilac purple sparkle finish | Use: Breathe (on SNL), No Line On the Horizon, I'll Go Crazy [Remix]
- FENDER | PRECISION | white w/tortooise pkgrd | Use: With Or Without You, Moment of Surrender, I Still Haven't Found... 2009 tour dates
 
- GIBSON | LES PAUL SIGNATURE | gold finish | Use: "Mysterious Ways"
- GIBSON | RD ARTIST | Natural finish | Use: "Magnificent"
- GIBSON | TRIUMPH RECORDING BASS | white  finish | Use: "One" on some 2009 dates.
 
- WARWICK | STREAMER STAGE ONE | Antique Tobacco finish | Use: "Electrical Storm" (Barcelona)
- WARWICK | STREAMER STAGE TWO | Natural Birdseye Maple finish | Use: "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (Amsterdam)
- WARWICK | REVERSO | Natural finish | Use:
- WARWICK | REVERSO | Gold finish | Use:
- WARWICK | REVERSO | Gold finish/Reversed headstock | Use:
- WARWICK | REVERSO | Candy Apple Red finish | Use: Even Better Than The Real Thing, Magnificent 2011 dates
- WARWICK | STAR BASS II | Gold finish | Use: "Get On Your Boots"

* A Bit About Adam's Bass Guitars *

* Adam Clayton Visit to Lakland bass guitars 2005 *

BASS GUITAR | SPOTLIGHT

FENDER | ADAM CLAYTON LIMITED EDTION SIGNATURE | PRECISION | 2011 | Gold sparkle finish

FENDER | PRECISION | * vintage uncertain * | white*

GIBSON | LES PAUL SIGNATURE | 197x | gold finish

GIBSON | TRIUMPH RECORDING BASS | 197X | White finish

LAKLAND | DARRYL JONES | 2005 | NATURAL

LAKLAND | model uncertain | 2009 | GOLD SPARKLE

WARWICK | REVERSO | 2009 | Natural finish

WARWICK | REVERSO | 2011 | Candy Apple Red finish - [Cust Shop # 431]

WARWICK | STAR BASS II | 2010 | Gold | Cust Shop # 365

WARWICK | STAR BASS II | Cust Shop # 409

WARWICK | STREAMER STAGE ONE | 2009 | Antique Tobacco finish

FENDER | Bass Guitars

  • FENDER // Precision Bass // 19xx // black finish w/white pickguard // (Seen in picture of Boy and Pre-Boy era)
  • FENDER // Precision Bass // 19xx // dark purple finish // (Seen in video footage from The Culture Show, of Adam playing this during "No Line On The Horizon".)
  • FENDER // Precision Bass // 19xx // gold metallic finish w/red tortoise pickguard // (Seen in "I Believe In Father Christmas" video and used for "Get On Your  Boots" at the 2009 Echo Awards in Germany)
  • FENDER // Precision Bass // 19xx // burgundy mist finish // (Seen in U2.com videos of NLOTH sessions)
  • FENDER // AdamPrecision Bass // 19xx // gold sparkle finish // (Used during U2:360 tour)
  • FENDER // Precision Bass // 19xx // purple sparkle finish (Used during U2:360 tour)
  • FENDER // Precision Bass // 196x // Sherwood Green finish [Rosewood fretboard.] // (Seen in 'No Line On the Horizon' session video footage - http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/15/u2-no-line-on-the-horizon )
  • FENDER // Precision Bass // 1972 // white finish w. tortoise pick guard.
  • FENDER // Precision Bass // 1972/1973 or 1976 [In various articles, I have seen this bass referred to as being a 1972, in another article as a 1973 and in yet another as a 1976]b "I have a ’73 Precision Bass that I’ve used since day one. I used to think, This is the old work horse—old faithful. I loved it. I still love it, and I play it all the time, but I try to branch out and play different instruments. I’m not so attached to any of the others - It was also referred to as a 1976 in the Jan 1996 The Guitar Magazine feature article]
  • FENDER CUSTOM SHOP // Adam Clayton Limited Edition Precision Bass // 2011 // gold sparkle finish.

GIBSON| Bass Guitars
 
  • GIBSON // RD Artist // 1977 - 1981 (Exact vintage TBD) // natural finish - Used in the studio. First pictured in Hansa Studios/Achtung Baby sessions. Adam used it for 'Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World. It was first used on stage in 2009-2011 during U2:360 tour for Magnificent.
  • GIBSON // Thunderbird II (1-pickup) // 1963 - 1965 (Exact vintage TBD)  // tobacco finish - Used in the studio. Used live during "Smile Jamaica show in 1988 for 'When Love Comes To Town' & 'Angel Of Harlem'.
  • GIBSON // Thunderbird II (1-pickup) // 1966 - 1969 (Exact vintage TBD) // tobacco finish - Seen in 'The Fly' promo video and "Achtung Baby" promo pictures.
  • GIBSON // Les Paul Signature // 1973 - 1979 (Exact vintage TBD) // gold finish - Used for "Mysterious Ways" during the U2: 360 tour.
  • GIBSON // Triumph Les Paul Recording Bass // 1975 - 1979 (Exact vintage TBD) // white finish - Used in the studio - Seen in Hansa Studios/Achtung Baby sessions photos. Also used for "A Man And A Woman" on (2004) HTDAAB. Used for "One" during the U2: 360 tour. - As the White was only produced between 1975 - 1979, that shows that this bass guitar is of that era.

IBANEZ | Bass Guitars
  • IBANEZ // Musician Bass // 198x // brown finish (could be the same as listed below)
  • IBANEZ // Musician Bass // 198x // brown finish w/active preamp
  • IBANEZ // Roadstar Bass // 19xx // white
  • IBANEZ // Roadstar II Bass // 19xx // black // [seen in Guardian/Observer.com video (link below) 2:00 & 2:23 into the video] - http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/video/2009/feb/15/u2-no-line-horizon

LAKLAND | Bass Guitars
  • LAKLAND // Bob Glaub signature // pre-2001 // natural finish
  • LAKLAND // Daryl Jones signature // 2005 // metallic green finish
  • LAKLAND // Daryl Jones signature // 2005 // gold finish
  • LAKLAND // Daryl Jones signature // 2005 // natural finish (2)
  • LAKLAND // Joe Osborn signature // pre-2001  // natural finish w/ black pickguard
  • LAKLAND // Joe Osborn signature // pre-2001  // natural finish w/ white pickguard
  • LAKLAND // Joe Osborn signature // pre-2001 // tobacco sunburst finish

MUSICMAN | Bass Guitars
  • MUSICMAN // Stingray 4-string Bass // 19xx // white finish
  • MUSICMAN // Stingray 4-string Bass // 19xx // [finish uncertain]

RICKENBACKER | Bass Guitars
  • RICKENBACKER // [model uncertain] // 19xx // firglo finish
  • RICKENBACKER // [model uncertain] // 19xx // black finish - 8-string bass. [seen on page 14 of Propaganda Issue 14]

SADOWSKY | Bass Guitars

  • SADOWSKY // Precision-style bass // 199x // finish uncertain // (Adam mentioned this bass in the "Adam and the Amps" article -- The Guitar Magazine -- January 1996)

WARWICK | Bass Guitars
  • WARWICK // Buzzard Bass // 200x // black finish [seen in U2.com video (link below)] - http://media.u2.com/flash/highlights/buzzard.swf
  • WARWICK // Adam Clayton Custom Star Bass II // 2010 // Triumph Gold 3-layered High Polish finish. More info at: http://www.warwick.de/modules/custom_shop/NewsCustomShop.php?newsID=2754&modell=Tennessee&page=0&cl=EN
  • WARWICK // Stryker Bass // 200x // Ziricote finish [seen in Guardian/Observer.com video (link below) 2:32 into the video] - http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/video/2009/feb/15/u2-no-line-horizon
  • WARWICK // Reverso  (prototype) (# 1) // 200x // natural maple finish. [(2) sets of mirror/split pickups] - 3-way electronics w/passive mode. both pickups working.
  • WARWICK // Reverso  (prototype) (# 2) // 200x // natural maple finish. [(2) sets of mirror/split pickups] - 3-gold knobs in succession. 1-gold knob near neck. 3-way electronics w/passive treble/bass control.
  • WARWICK // Reverso  (prototype) (# 3) // 200x // natural maple finish. [(2) sets of mirror/split pickups] - Passive electronics, only. Volume knob. (2) chickenhead/peghead knobs for changing capacitors. Stacked trebel/bass knob. Only the neck pickup is working.
  • WARWICK // Reverso (Production Model) (# 4) // 2009 // natural maple finish. [(1) set of mirror/split pickups] - Completely passive. With volume and stacked treble/bass knob. [First seen during U2's appearance at the Nov 5th show at Berlin Brandenberg Gates.] (More information forthcoming).
  • WARWICK // Reverso  (# 5) // 2010 // `Triumph Gold 3-layered' finish. [(1) set of mirror/split pickups] - Completely passive. With volume and stacked treble/bass knob. [First seen during U2's appearance during U2: 360 2010 European dates.] (More information forthcoming).
  • WARWICK // Reverso  (# 6) // 2010 // `Triumph Gold 3-layered' finish. [(1) passive Seymour Duncan P-Pickup Quarter Pound] - W/Reversed headstock. [First seen during U2's U2: 360 2010 shows in Auckland, NZ. (Nov 24/25, 2010)] (More information forthcoming).
    WARWICK // Streamer Stage I // 200x // Antique Tobacco burst in colored oil finish with mirrored pickups [seen during early U2:360 shows] - (More information forthcoming).
  • WARWICK // Custom Streamer Stage II (heavily customized w/bigger body - 6-string body with 4-string neck) // 200x // birdeye maple[seen during 2009-07-20 Amsterdam U2:360 show; used for "Sunday Bloody Sunday"] - (More information forthcoming).
  • WARWICK // Custom Streamer $$  //  2009 // custom gold sparkle finish w/Seymour Duncan Vintage pickups (Wound personally by Seymour Duncan!) [First seen during U2's appearance at the Nov 5th show at Berlin Brandenberg Gates.] - (Per Warwick: "It is actually a custom Streamer $$, with maple fb wood, black block inlays, maple neck, swamp ash body, custom wired Seymour Duncan pickups, full passive electronics, but with a custom wiring. And a nice special Gold Flake finish).

WASHBURN | Bass Guitars
  • WASHBURN // [model uncertain] // 19xx // natural finish

ZON | Bass Guitars

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"So there I was, fifteen years old, with a dark brown Ibanez-copy bass guitar and no amp. I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it. Absolutely none. Not a clue. It just sounded good to me." - Adam Clayton