Geddy Lee's bass tone on Power Windows

[endorka]

Just getting into "Power Windows", and I love the bass tone on it!

It has the typical Lee clankiness, but with a rich, fat bass end as well. Wonderful stuff.

Does anyone know which bass / strings / gear etc. he was using for this?

Jennifer

[waynepunkdude]

Encore P copy through a Carlsbro Stingray.

[endorka]

Hahaha! I should be just fine with my Westfield P copy then :-)

Jennifer

[wateroftyne]

Peter Collins' Wal with light gauge strings, DI'd.

SPRAAAANG!

[yorick]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1329307861' post='1540302']
Peter Collins' Wal with light gauge strings, DI'd.

SPRAAAANG!
[/quote]

Cough *geek* cough

[Blademan_98]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1329307041' post='1540273']
Encore P copy through a Carlsbro Stingray.
[/quote]
He copied my rig then

[RhysP]

A Wal with (I think) very light guage Superwound Funkmaster strings (30-90 if I remember correctly from when I used them on my Jaydee).

A very similar sound can be obtained by stretching four thin elastic bands across an old shoe box - bloody awful!
(IMO of course ).

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1329307041' post='1540273']
Encore P copy through a Carlsbro Stingray.
[/quote]

That set up probably would have sounded a lot better (see comments above).

Edited February 15, 2012 by RhysP

[endorka]

Nice... although I was kindof hoping it would be the Steinberger headless. I have a live video from I think the Grace Under Pressure tour where he is using that, and the tone is also marvellous.

Also getting into Signals, so what bass is on that? :-)

Jennifer

[endorka]

Different strokes for different folks :-)

[RhysP]

[quote name='endorka' timestamp='1329310168' post='1540370']
Also getting into Signals, so what bass is on that? :-)

Jennifer
[/quote]

That's his Rickenbacker as far as I'm aware - he certainly played a Rick for all the material on the Signals tour when I saw them all those years ago.
"Signals" has got my favourite Geddy tone. I liked the sound of his Steinberger too, not that fussed on the Jazz and (as previously stated) hate his twangy Wal sound.

[BigRedX]

IMO what makes a good bass tone is that it fits with the instruments.

Lusting after someone else's tone is all very well but it will only really work if the rest of your band sound like the rest of their band.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='endorka' timestamp='1329310168' post='1540370']
Nice... although I was kindof hoping it would be the Steinberger headless. I have a live video from I think the Grace Under Pressure tour where he is using that, and the tone is also marvellous.

Also getting into Signals, so what bass is on that? :-)

Jennifer
[/quote]

Yeah - because to Wal wasn't his, I suppose he had to wait a while for his to built... the Steiny was used on most of that tour.

Signals... there's a bit of a debate as to what is Steiny, what is Rick, and what is Jazz on that album. It's one of my favourites.

[4000]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1329310550' post='1540384']
IMO what makes a good bass tone is that it fits with the instruments.

Lusting after someone else's tone is all very well but it will only really work if the rest of your band sound like the rest of their band.
[/quote]

Big +1 to that!

[endorka]

Aye indeed, it's not so much a matter of lust as appreciation though, and a desire to match sound to the stuff that made it, for geekish enlightenment and future reference, should the requirement for such a tone raise it's head, if that makes sense :-)

Right, now I'm off to look for a Rush tribute band

Jennifer

[endorka]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1329310502' post='1540381']
That's his Rickenbacker as far as I'm aware - he certainly played a Rick for all the material on the Signals tour when I saw them all those years ago.
"Signals" has got my favourite Geddy tone. I liked the sound of his Steinberger too, not that fussed on the Jazz and (as previously stated) hate his twangy Wal sound.
[/quote]

Cheers! I enjoy most of his bass tones, where I start to appreciate it slightly less is when the low end disappears just a bit too much, like on some relatively recent live sounds.

Jennifer

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='endorka' timestamp='1329310168' post='1540370']


Also getting into Signals, so what bass is on that? :-)

Jennifer
[/quote]

Signals is almost a 50/50 split between the Rick and the Jazz:

Subdivisions - Rick
The Analog Kid -Rick
Chemistry - Rick
The Digital Man - Jazz
The Weapon - Jazz
New World Man - Jazz
Losing It - Not 100%, it's rumoured to be a different Rick model to his usual.
Countdown - Rick

If you listen carefully the two basses sound very different - The Rick is quite driven and very growly with a lot of mid punch. The Jazz is far cleaner and snappier.

A lot of people comment on how the Rick and the Jazz sound almost the same in Geddy's hands, but listening to this record, the differences are clear. A lot of the confusion stems from Moving Pictures, where again both basses were used but they had so much distortion added in production that even Geddy struggles to recall which track is which.
I think Geddy's Rick tone on this album is the best tone he ever put on record.

[Bilbo]

Is there a bass on Power Windows?

Sorry, J, that LP was the one when they lost me. I loved Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures, loved the back catalogue and then 'coped' with Grace Under Pressure and Signals (I DO like it, I DO like it) and then, when Power Windows hit, I was lost. Haven't bought any Rush since (listened my brother's ). I want to like them again but don't.

[spongebob]

I think somebody posted the isolated bass track from 'Subdivisions' here quite recently....have to agree with many above - 'Signals' has some of his best Ric tones (that and 'Hemispheres').

I really like his Jazz tone on the recent 'Time Machine' live album. Agreed it has been a bright on some records, but it sounds good here.

I've never been to big on the Wal sound, TBH....love the records (actually, love all the records!) but if I'm honest, Ged's best bass sound was the Ric, and one of the reasons I play one myself. I'd just love to hear how the Ric would have blended in on recent albums.....imagine it on 'Workin' Them Angels' and stuff....

[Conan]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1329323167' post='1540666']
Signals is almost a 50/50 split between the Rick and the Jazz:

The Digital Man - Jazz
[/quote]

Really?! I always thought that DM was played on the Steinberger?!?!

[paul_5]

Power Windows was the one where nobody had any bass. All mids and treble for the bass sound, electronic drums and Alex's guitar tones are practically supersonic. I believe that instead of amps he used large tin cans with baby wasps in... Bi-amped of course.

[Rich]

I love Power Windows and everything about it, including the bass sound. Starting to look like I'm very much in the minority.

[wateroftyne]

I really like it. It's 'of the time', but it stands up well.

[Conan]

It's still good on PW, but not so good on Hold your Fire IMO... Shame, as some of his lines on HYF are beautiful.

[arthurhenry]

Great album, disagree about the lack of bass, there's a certain warmth to the overall sound, more so than Grace under pressure for example. Grand designs is one of their best songs and the bass behind the solo is great.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1329331928' post='1540862']
I love Power Windows and everything about it, including the bass sound. Starting to look like I'm very much in the minority.
[/quote]

It's probably my favourite Rush record...after Hold Your Fire!