Geddy Lee's Basses On Record Pre '84

[spongebob]

I was reading recently about Geddy Lee, and the basses he's used on record.

What interested me was that someone had written that some of the recordings that are commonly thought of as being on the Ric, actually were not.

....and then failed to specify which ones!

Have we got any Geddy experts here on BC? I'd like to qualify a few facts!

First LP was all Precision?

'Lakeside Park' was on the Precision?

Then all Ric....until 'Spirit Of Radio' and 'Different Strings' (Jazz?)

Moving Pictures mixture of Jazz and Ric

Lastly, 2 tracks on 'Signals' were on the Jazz?

I've just read some of this over time - not quite sure about some of it - especially like SOR (sounds Ric to me).

Love to hear your perspectives!

[Conan]

I think he was using a Steinberger on Signals and maybe on P/G too?

I personally have stopped caring which instrument he used and just started to enjoy his playing. Too much hearsay and guesswork!

Actually, I'd never really noticed before just how much grit/grind/distortion he has used over the years. And the fact that even our practiced ears can't tell whether he is playing a Rick, J, P, Steinberger or Wal (well, actually the Wal is the easiest one to pick out) says a lot about the mantra of the tone being in the fingers!

Edited June 10, 2011 by Conan

[Bobby K]

[quote name='Conan' post='1264187' date='Jun 10 2011, 05:42 PM']I think he was using a Steinberger on Signals and maybe on P/G too?

I personally have stopped caring which instrument he used and just started to enjoy his playing. Too much hearsay and guesswork!

Actually, I'd never really noticed before just how much grit/grind/distortion he has used over the years. And the fact that even our practiced ears can't tell whether he is playing a Rick, J, P, Steinberger or Wal (well, actually the Wal is the easiest one to pick out) says a lot about the mantra of the tone being in the fingers![/quote]

Check this out, Geddy discussing the basses he's used over the years. posted it in another thread but here it is again. enjoy, very interesting

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wma2NtQ1CIE"]Geddy talks about his basses[/url]

[Cosmo Valdemar]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



All I know is that Snakes and Ladders was mainly recorded with a Wishbass.

Seriously, the only Rush record where there could be any confusion over which basses were used is Moving Pictures, as the bass tracks had all manner of distortion and effects added after recording.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='Conan' post='1264187' date='Jun 10 2011, 05:42 PM']I think he was using a Steinberger on Signals and maybe on P/G too?

I personally have stopped caring which instrument he used and just started to enjoy his playing. Too much hearsay and guesswork!

Actually, I'd never really noticed before just how much grit/grind/distortion he has used over the years. And the fact that even our practiced ears can't tell whether he is playing a Rick, J, P, Steinberger or Wal (well, actually the Wal is the easiest one to pick out) says a lot about the mantra of the tone being in the fingers![/quote]

Signals was recorded on a Ric and a Jazz IIRC. The jazz was used on a couple of tracks like New World Man, the Ric was notable in other tunes like The Analogue Kid.

[spongebob]

I really like his tone of the Jazz he's got now, on the studio and live albums.

[jonsmith]

Ignoring the 4080 & 4080/12 doublenecks, up to and Including Signals, it pretty much is all 4001, with the exception of the first album.

First LP was indeed Precision. It was supposedly also used as 'By-Tor' on Fly By Night, but not on any 'proper' bass parts. I wasn't aware that it was used on Lakeside Park, but it was used by Geddy live later on (converted to the 'teardrop' bass).

Spirit of Radio apparently was the Jazz, as was Entre Nous.

Moving Pictures was all Jazz except Red Barchetta (4001 confirmed) and (subject to speculation, but I think it's right) The Camera Eye (4001). In one interview, Geddy unconvincingly confirms the 4001 was used on Limelight, but he sounds like he's not sure and I think he's wrong.

Signals is 4001 except Digital Man and New World Man (Jazz). I've read that Losing it is 4002, but seen nothing to back that up.

I believe that Grace Under Pressure is mainly Steinberger, then on the Power Windows sessions, Geddy fell in love with Peter Collins's Wal and went on to use Wals until Counterparts, when he got the Jazz back out.

REASON FOR EDIT to include whole post, instead of half of it.

REASON FOR ANORAKNESS was in a Rush tribute

Edited June 11, 2011 by jonsmith

[4000]

Good stuff Jon! Sounds pretty much the same as I understood it. I believe the P was only used on the "solo" part (if you can call it that) on By-Tor.

[wateroftyne]

The truth is, no-one knows for sure. Probably not even Geddy. All we can do is speculate.

[Chris2112]

Yes, the Camera Eye does have that Ric sound to it, a little thinner sounding and breaks up a little more in the top end with less of a midrange punch. Still doesn't sound as good as the Wal!

[prowla]

Old thread but I was just listening to Spirit Of Radio and thought “that’s not a Ric, must be a Jazz” (or they’ve killed the eq.). 

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

One thing i did gather from Geddy is that he really hated the steinberger .

[prowla]

13 hours ago, RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE said:

One thing i did gather from Geddy is that he really hated the steinberger .

My Geddy tribute - the Rickenberger.

 

[Bilbo]

That's the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowing what basses Geddy used vs. knowing that, if you went out and got those instruments, and even if you used the EXACT SAME BASSES, you would still sound nothing like Geddy Lee.

 

There is a lovely story out there where Ted Nugent spoke of having Van Halen as a support band. Nugent loved EVH's sound and asked to try his guitar. Nugent didn't touch any of the controls on the guitar or amp and, upon playing the instrument, was disappointed to find that he sounded exactly like Ted Nugent.

[prowla]

1 hour ago, Bilbo said:

That's the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowing what basses Geddy used vs. knowing that, if you went out and got those instruments, and even if you used the EXACT SAME BASSES, you would still sound nothing like Geddy Lee.

 

There is a lovely story out there where Ted Nugent spoke of having Van Halen as a support band. Nugent loved EVH's sound and asked to try his guitar. Nugent didn't touch any of the controls on the guitar or amp and, upon playing the instrument, was disappointed to find that he sounded exactly like Ted Nugent.

 

That's a take on Geddy's comment from when he bought his first Ric.

 

Quote

When we signed our first record deal in 1974, I got my share of our small advance and the first thing I did was buy a Rickenbacker. I think I paid about $400 for it. Much to my dismay, when I plugged it in, it didn't sound like Chris Squire, ha ha!

 

Edited Saturday at 11:27 by prowla

[paul_5]

3 hours ago, Bilbo said:

upon playing the instrument, was disappointed to find that he sounded exactly like Ted Nugent.

Disappointed? I'd be mortified!

[prowla]

2 hours ago, paul_5 said:

Disappointed? I'd be mortified!

Wang dang!