Looking for that certain tone...

[tk4207]

I recently bought my first rack preamp (a Sansamp RPM), but I'm not really a fan of its overdrive. Then again, I'm pretty picky about my overdrive . I guess that the best way to describe the type of od I'm looking for is that barky, growly sound that Geddy Lee had on the Signals album. I know that he used Ashley preamps in a live setting around that period, and they do pop up from time to time on ebay relatively cheap, but I'm wondering if you guys have come across any other preamps or od's (preferably rackmounted) that have a similar tone.

Thanks in advance!

[tk4207]

Bump?

[tk4207]

I'm guessing no one knows?

[Chrisk-K]

I don't have an answer but I do prefer Geddy's old tone to his Sansamp tone.

[jgroh]

Ok so Im guessing by your sig that you are using a Ric 4003...? I have been doing some recording recently with some other Rush fans from therushforum.com and one of the songs is Analog Kid. I didnt have my Ric at the time of the original recording so I used my G&L L2000 with ACG preamp (very Wal like tone), but I recently decided to re-record my part with my Ric just for fun.

I used Ric-o-sound with a Y cable that runs the bridge PU into a DHA VT1-MK3 tube overdrive pedal. Then that signal and the neck PU go into a Boss LS-2, strictly for mixing purposes (cuz its all I have at the moment) and I mix the neck PU a little louder. I then tweak some EQ and compression to taste. For recording, it gets me pretty close to that tone.

I would say a Ric and some tube overdrive will get you a long way towards that tone.

[tk4207]

Thanks, and yeah, I do use a Ric =D

I had heard somwhere that Ged used the same rig in the studio and live in the 70's and 80's.

I have been able to get pretty close with digital processors set to tube preamp, but they always sound muddy and undefined. I was thinking that the secret might be in those Ashlys he used.

[JimmyM]

actually the secret is geddy himself.

[tk4207]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

actually the secret is geddy himself.

Yeah, I have heard that much of his tone is in his style (hard attack), but I was curious if his equipment added much to it

[JimmyM]

it does in the sense that you have to play through something, and if you're geddy, you're only going to play through stuff you like that gives you the tone you want, but at the end of the day it's still going to sound like geddy lee and not me or you.

[tk4207]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

it does in the sense that you have to play through something, and if you're geddy, you're only going to play through stuff you like that gives you the tone you want, but at the end of the day it's still going to sound like geddy lee and not me or you.

I suppose I should clarify that I'm not trying to sound like Ged (even though I have a Rick ). It's more that I'm really digging his OD around the Signals era (if he's using one at all), and I'd like to apply that to my own style of playing.

[SpectorDetector]

Signals is by far my fave Rush album! Geddy sounds amazing on that album...

[johnk_10]

FWIW, i'm going to be listing my Ashly bass pre in the tb classifieds next week.

[tk4207]

Originally Posted by johnk_10

FWIW, i'm going to be listing my Ashly bass pre in the tb classifieds next week.

That's great!

Unfortunately, I don't have the money to medicate my GAS right now