Robert Trujillo
Roberto Agustín Miguel Santiago Samuel Trujillo Veracruz (/truːˈhiːjoʊ/; born October 23, 1964)[1] is an American musician who has been the bassist for heavy metal band Metallica since 2003. He first rose to prominence as the bassist of crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies from 1989 to 1995, while also collaborating with Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir for funk metal supergroup Infectious Grooves. After leaving Suicidal Tendencies, he performed with Ozzy Osbourne, Jerry Cantrell, and heavy metal band Black Label Society. Trujillo joined Metallica in 2003 and is the band's longest-serving bassist. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Metallica in 2009.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Trujillo and the second or maternal family name is Veracruz.
Robert Trujillo
Roberto Agustín Miguel Santiago Samuel Trujillo Veracruz
October 23, 1964
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Musician
Bass
1978–present
Life and career
Early life
Roberto Agustín Miguel Santiago Samuel Trujillo Veracruz[2][3] was born in Santa Monica, California, on October 23, 1964. He is of Mexican and Native American descent.[4][5] He grew up in Culver City, California,[6] where his father was a teacher at Culver City High School. Trujillo gained an interest in music during his childhood; his mother was a huge fan of soul music, particularly musicians like Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and Sly and the Family Stone.[6] Trujillo stated that "Jaco [Pastorius] was my hero growing up", and that the iconic jazz bassist changed his view of what the instrument could play: "Hearing him was like hearing Eddie Van Halen doing "Eruption" for the first time: You thought, 'What instrument is that?' I loved jazz fusion and branched out from there. But Jaco had an edge that far exceeded his jazz persona. He was funk, he was rock, he was soul. And his whole attitude was punk."[7] He began playing in "a lot of backyard party bands", playing music by Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Rush, and Led Zeppelin.[6] He went to jazz school when he was 19 with the intention of becoming a studio musician, but he maintained his passion for rock and metal.[6]
Equipment
Bass guitars
With Metallica, Trujillo has primarily been playing Warwick Streamer bass guitars, both 5- and 4-strings. His signature model Streamer bass was released in March 2010.[22] He often plays Fernandes Gravity 5-string basses, particularly a model with a silver finish, blue flame decals, and EMG pickups.[23] In addition to his signature Warwick basses, Zon Guitars produce a signature bass model, the Sonus RT.[24] Prior to Metallica, he was most often seen playing Tobias, ESP and MusicMan basses (all 5-strings), as well as a Fender Precision Bass with Black Label Society[25] and Ozzy Osbourne. Trujillo has been seen in concert playing a Yamaha TRB5-P2 5-string bass, a customized green Rickenbacker 4001/4003 4-string bass modified with EMG pickups, various Nash P-Bass Copy guitars,[26][27] and both a classic Fender Precision Bass[28] and Fender Jazz Bass. Trujillo is the custodian of Jaco Pastorius' legendary "Bass Of Doom" (the sunburst fretless 1962 Jazz Bass used by Pastorius on most of his recordings and live appearances).[29] He has performed onstage with Metallica with the instrument.
For amplification, he uses Ampeg amplifiers and cabinets.[30] In 2010, Trujillo collaborated with Jim Dunlop to create his new Icon signature bass strings – these strings are taper-core stainless steel, with a non-tapered B string in gauges 45–130 (5-string).[31]
Effects
Trujillo's pedal board consists of an Electro Harmonix Q-Tron, a Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI, a Tech 21 XXL, an MXR m-135 SmartGate, a Morley Mark Tremonti wah pedal, and a Boss OC-2 Octave Pedal; all powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power.[32]
Video game appearances
Trujillo appears in Guitar Hero: Metallica.
He is a playable character in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD when the Pro Skater 3 HD Revert Pack downloadable content is installed.[33]