REX BROWN's 1988 PANTERA Bass Being Sold

Grinning Elk has "been honored" with the task of offering some of the bass guitars from the private collection of Rex Brown, bassist for PANTERA and DOWN. According to the company, this latest piece a "circa 1988 Charvel bass and is the one that started it all for Rex and PANTERA. This bass was played on the first two PANTERA albums and on the first two tours, exclusively. Rex received it as a Jackson endorser early on in his career and it was the main bass during the meteoric, early days of PANTERA. This bass is documented in the videos 'Cowboys From Hell', 'Domination' (live),'Psycho Holiday' and the 'Art of Shredding', all on YouTube. It is in the exact condition as when we received it from Mr. Brown with the exception of new strings and detail job. The original case has long since disintegrated, so the bass has been put in a period-correct, Charvel chainsaw case and includes a signed certificate of authenticity."

This is your chance to own a personal piece from one of heavy metal's premier bassists.

The asking price is $5,500.

For more information, click here.

DOWN is scheduled to return to the studio soon to begin writing what will eventually become the band's fourth album, tentatively due in late 2010. The group's long-awaited rockumentary, "Down – Diary of a Mad Band", is expected this spring.

Rex Brown sat out DOWN's recent North American tour because he had his gallbladder and polyps on his pancreas removed in September in a surgical procedure.

Rex is suffering from acute pancreatitis, a sudden inflammation of the pancreas which can have severe complications and high mortality despite treatment.

DOWN tapped Danny Theriot of Metairie, Louisiana to fill in on bass for the group's North American trek, which kicked off on August 3, 2009 at Beaumont Club in Kansas City, Kansas.

(Thanks: The Metal Den)