Bassist4-stringroundwound

Robert Trujillo's bass strings: the Metallica rig, sourced

Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings Robert Trujillo uses with Metallica. D'Addario artist, Fender Custom Shop signature Precision Bass, primarily four-string E and Eb standard. With citations.

Metallica · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team · 2026-04-29

Robert Trujillo (Roberto Agustín Miguel Santiago Samuel Trujillo Veracruz) has been Metallica's bassist since 2003, replacing Jason Newsted. Documented D'Addario artist on the manufacturer's roster page and Fender Custom Shop signature artist with the Roberto Trujillo Signature Precision Bass. Earlier credits: Suicidal Tendencies (1989-1995), Infectious Grooves, Ozzy Osbourne band (1996-2003). Plays primarily four-string Precision-style basses through Ampeg rigs across Metallica's E + Eb standard catalog. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Metallica (2009).

Heavy metal Metal Thrash metal Rock Hard rock Funk metalE Standard (4-string)Eb Standard (4-string)Drop D (4-string)D Standard (4-string)

Strings Robert Trujillo plays

Documented use · last verified 2026-04-29 · Affiliate links

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Robert's set

D'Addario

EPS230 ProSteels Bass Light (.045–.100)

.45 – .100

Price tier: $$

E Standard (4-string)Eb Standard (4-string)Rock

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At a glance

Role

Bassist

Active

1989–present

Based

Los Angeles, California

Genres

Affiliations

Metallica (bassist, 2003–present)
Suicidal Tendencies (bassist, 1989–1995)
Infectious Grooves (bassist, 1989–1995, side project with Mike Muir)
Ozzy Osbourne band (bassist, 1996–2003)
Black Label Society (early touring, late 1990s)
D'Addario Strings (artist roster)
Fender Custom Shop (signature Precision Bass)
EMG Pickups (artist roster)
Ampeg amplification (touring rig)
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Metallica (2009)

Notable credits

Metallica, St. Anger (2003, his first Metallica record)
Metallica, Death Magnetic (2008)
Metallica, Hardwired… To Self-Destruct (2016)
Metallica, 72 Seasons (2023)
Suicidal Tendencies, Lights…Camera…Revolution! (1990)
Suicidal Tendencies, The Art of Rebellion (1992)
Ozzy Osbourne, Down to Earth (2001)
Infectious Grooves, The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move…It's the Infectious Grooves (1991)

Sourcing5 citations · reviewed 2026-04-29· by Change Your Strings editorial team

Who Robert Trujillo is

Roberto Agustín Miguel Santiago Samuel Trujillo Veracruz, born October 23, 1964, in Santa Monica, California, has been Metallica's bassist since February 2003, replacing Jason Newsted. Earlier credits include Suicidal Tendencies (1989-1995), Infectious Grooves (1989-1995, side project with Mike Muir), and Ozzy Osbourne's touring + studio band (1996-2003).

Documented D'Addario artist on the manufacturer's roster page. Fender Custom Shop signature artist with the Roberto Trujillo Signature Precision Bass on the current Fender catalog.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Metallica (2009).

Style signatures

Three things across his Metallica + Suicidal Tendencies + Ozzy catalogs you can identify as Trujillo's:

Three-finger right-hand technique. Supports Metallica's faster passages without resorting to a pick; the right-hand vocabulary inherits from funk-metal (Infectious Grooves, Suicidal Tendencies) applied to thrash contexts.
Surgical slap + pop inside metal arrangements. The Suicidal Tendencies + Infectious Grooves catalog is full of these; the technique persists in Metallica's catalog as occasional textural punctuation.
Low-string articulation in dropped tunings. Death Magnetic (2008) and Hardwired (2016) navigate Eb standard + drop-D + drop-C# passages cleanly; the low-end definition is consistent across high-velocity metal arrangements.

Documented strings. D'Addario EPS230 ProSteels Bass Light (.045-.100) as the recommended-fit set. The specific D'Addario line attribution takes a current rig-rundown citation to confirm; brand-level relationship is documented on D'Addario's artist roster.

Bandmates. James Hetfield (rhythm + lead vocals), Lars Ulrich (drummer). The producer roster covers Metallica's primary collaborators across the catalog.

Bassist hub. Bassists index. Metal-bass canon parallel: Cliff Burton (Metallica predecessor), Jason Newsted (Trujillo's predecessor), Frank Bello (Anthrax, also on D'Addario).

Frequently asked questions

What strings does Robert Trujillo play?

Documented D'Addario artist on the manufacturer's roster page. The specific D'Addario line (ProSteels EPS series stainless vs. XL Nickel Wound EXL series) is not explicitly disclosed across the primary sources reviewed.

CYS recommends D'Addario EPS230 ProSteels (.045-.100 stainless-steel roundwound) as the default fit for Metallica's high-energy metal-cut lane that Trujillo's playing style supports. Sleuth's next research pass will close the line attribution if a Premier Guitar Rig Rundown or interview discloses the specific SKU.

What bass does Trujillo play?

Fender Custom Shop Roberto Trujillo Signature Precision Bass is his canonical signature instrument, listed on the Fender catalog as a current signature production model. The signature is built around a four-string Precision-style platform with a maple neck + ash body in his preferred specifications. Touring fleet includes additional Precisions + occasional jazz-bass-style instruments depending on song requirements.

When did Trujillo join Metallica?

February 2003. Metallica auditioned bassists for several months following Jason Newsted's departure (early 2001) and the Cliff Burton-Jason Newsted-Robert Trujillo lineage marker; Trujillo was hired in the period documented in the Some Kind of Monster (2004) film. His first Metallica record is St. Anger (2003), and he has been the band's bassist continuously since.

What's Trujillo's playing style?

Hard-hitting metal pocket with funk + jazz technique vocabulary inherited from his Suicidal Tendencies + Infectious Grooves + Ozzy era. Three identifiable signatures: (1) Three-finger right-hand technique that supports Metallica's faster passages without resorting to a pick. (2) Slap + pop technique applied surgically inside metal arrangements; the Suicidal Tendencies + Infectious Grooves catalog is full of these. (3) Dropped tunings + low-string articulation; his work on Death Magnetic (2008) and Hardwired (2016) navigates Eb standard + drop-D + drop-C# passages cleanly.

Did Trujillo play with Ozzy Osbourne?

Yes. Trujillo was Ozzy's touring + studio bassist 1996-2003, including Down to Earth (2001) and the Ozzfest tours of that era. He left Ozzy's band when Metallica hired him in February 2003. His Ozzy-era playing was the resume that put him on Metallica's audition shortlist.

What's the Suicidal Tendencies connection?

Trujillo was Suicidal Tendencies' bassist 1989-1995, a foundational tenure for the band's crossover-thrash + funk-metal direction. The band's Lights…Camera…Revolution! (1990) and The Art of Rebellion (1992) are canonical Trujillo records, and the parallel Infectious Grooves project (with Mike Muir, Stephen Perkins, and others) extended that funk-metal direction across multiple records 1991-1995.

What amp does Trujillo play through?

Ampeg primarily. Touring rig has historically been Ampeg SVT heads + 8x10 cabs; specific head + cab models cited in Premier Guitar Rig Rundowns + Bass Player magazine features over the Metallica era. Specific signal-chain pedals + preamps require individual rig-rundown citation; We don't fabricate component-level attribution.