Geddy Lee Questions & History?

[theevilplankton]

Since I bought my GL jazz a few months back, I've been getting back into Rush in quite a big way.

I kind of lost touch with their work in the late 80's. However, I've been picking up the newer stuff, and TBH, I now actually love the 80's stuff as well!

My question is about Geddy's use of the jazz. I've read various things about when he started using it - I though it was first on 'Moving Pictures', but I read the other day about him using it on bits of 'Permanent Waves'.

I thought 'PW' was all Ric? I know I read a discussion on a Ric forum a while back about which tracks on 'MP' were Ric - until I saw this, I'd always assumed it was all Ric anyway!

Any Rush fanatics that can answer this? Any other Geddy info would be good too - why he put down the Ric, and latterly, why he's become a jazz man again....and while I'm asking - why did he return to the Ric for 'Signals' - or is that jazz too????

[lijazz]

I am not so sure that the Jazz was used on any of PW...on MP it was definitely used on Tom Sawyer, probably on YYZ and maybe even Limelight (there are many debates on which bass was used on this track)...On Signals it was the Ric except for Digital Man and The Weapon, which I have heard were the Jazz. He started using the Jazz again full time on Counterparts because he wanted a more beasty bottom end and the Wals that he had been using from 1985-1991 just did not suit the type of music on Counterparts. He has stated that he does not use the Ric anymore live (other than Passage to Bangkok on the S&A tour) because it is just too heavy to have around him for a 3 hour show....greatest thing about Geddy is that he always sounds like Geddy, no matter what bass he plays.

Hope this helps.

[fleabee]

I think PW was exclusively 4 and 5 string Wal's

[lijazz]

Originally Posted by fleabee

I think PW was exclusively 4 and 5 string Wal's

The PW I was referring to is Permanent Waves, not Power Windows...forgot to clarify...thanks.

[fleabee]

oops sorry about that

[73jbass]

IIRC,he used both the Ric and Jazz on Moving Pictures,and went to the Jazz exclusively in Permanent waves.I think there is a picture of him with the Jazz on the inside cover of PW.

[lijazz]

Originally Posted by 73jbass

IIRC,he used both the Ric and Jazz on Moving Pictures,and went to the Jazz exclusively in Permanent waves.I think there is a picture of him with the Jazz on the inside cover of PW.

My ears tell me that PW is the Ric exclusively..anyone else care to opine?

[theevilplankton]

Originally Posted by lijazz

My ears tell me that PW is the Ric exclusively..anyone else care to opine?

I always thought the same!

I was listening to the 'Snakes & Arrows Live' the other day, and it's so true about the sound being with the player. The difference in sound when he used the Ric ('Passage To Bangkok') and the other tracks is minute, at least to these ears!

I think that's why it's so hard to tell the difference on record, especially when buried in the mix!

[Hamrhed]

Originally Posted by 73jbass

I think there is a picture of him with the Jazz on the inside cover of PW.

Thats Moving Pictures that has the multi-exposure shots of the band: Geddy w/ Jazz bass; Inside cover of Permanent Waves features Geddy w/ a Rickenbacker...

I know that he used the Ric on Permanent Waves- played the Fender Jazz on the bulk of Moving Pictures, and used a Steinberger for Signals & Grace under pressure before settling on Wal basses (starting w/ Power windows) until Counterparts- he then went back to the Jazz...

[Bruins29]

Berger was only on Grace.

[Hamrhed]

maybe... I saw the Signals & G/P tours and thats what Geddy played

[jgroh]

Yeah, from what I heard, Permanent Waves was the Ric, Moving Pictures was both, Signals was the Ric, and Grace Under Pressure was the Steinberger. From then on it was the Wal until Counterparts. I could be wrong, although listening to interviews with Geddy himself, I dont think he knows for sure!

[Kevinmach]

maybe... I saw the Signals & G/P tours and thats what Geddy played

Yep. Not sure he ever recorded it with, but on those tours I remember the Steinberger with no headstock... with the mullet in a pony tail, the introduction of his now trademark John Lennnon glasses, the sport coat with the sleeves rolled, and the tennis shoes. Some this stuff I'd think I'd rather forget

[Bruins29]

Originally Posted by Hamrhed

maybe... I saw the Signals & G/P tours and thats what Geddy played

Yeah, he did use it on some Signals Tours. I thought you meant albums..

[Kevinmach]

For what it's worth...

For his first local gigs in the early 1970s and Rush's debut album, Lee used a Fender Precision Bass. From Fly By Night onward, Lee favored Rickenbacker basses, particularly the 4001 model, and a Fender Jazz Bass which is heard on Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals and the supporting tours. In 1981, Lee began using the compact, headless Steinberger bass, which he used occasionally on the supporting tour for Signals and for many tracks on their follow-up, Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows. From 1985 to 1992, Lee used British Wal basses. He switched back to Fender Jazz Basses for the recording of Counterparts in 1993, and has been using them virtually exclusively since, heard on albums Test For Echo, Vapor Trails, Feedback and Snakes & Arrows. However, he used a Fender Jaco Pastorius Tribute fretless replica bass for the song "Malignant Narcissism" on Snakes & Arrows, and a Fender Custom Shop Jazz with an Alder Body and a Flamed Maple top in Transparent Red for songs in an alternate tuning during the last several tours. In 1998, Fender released the Geddy Lee Jazz Bass, available in Black [1] and 3-Colour Sunburst [2] (as of 2009).[21] This signature model is a recreation of Lee's favorite bass, a 1973 Fender Jazz that he bought in a pawn shop in Kalamazoo, Michigan. On all of his basses, Lee uses Rotosound Swing Bass 66 Stainless Steel round-wound strings. Lee once again used his Rickenbacker 4001 for the performance of "A Passage To Bangkok" on the 2007 and 2008 Snakes & Arrows Tour.

[Hamrhed]

Thanks for the info Kev... two inaccuracies though (according to BP mag):

*The Jazz is a '72- not a '73

*Power Windows was recorded w/ Wal basses... just listen to the record if you want proof

[Bruins29]

Correct...In fact he used Peter Collin's Natural Wal on the PW album and had the black one made becasue he fell in love with Wal basses.

[NWB]

Originally Posted by fleabee

I think PW was exclusively 4 and 5 string Wal's

I don't believe that he ever used a 5-string. At least not to the best of my knowledge.

[Bruins29]

Lock and Key was recorded with a 5 string Wal. He took a 5 string black Wal on the road for the HYF tour and used it on that song but not on the video.

[Bruins29]

1990 National Midnight Star

Yes, I think Geddy talks about his experiences with basses other than
the standard fretted 4-stringer in one of the numerous (but more
recent) interviews with him in the various musician-type magazines.
Could have been the 1st Bass Player with him on the cover. Anyway, he
says that he's tried fretless basses but found that its too much work
to get the right intonation all the time. Remember, a good friend of
his is Jeff Berlin, certainly an accomplished fretless player. In
fact, its Geds jamming with Jeff that led to a lot of Geds recent
double-stop techniques, such as in Force Ten. Geddy also talks about
his trying a 5-string Wal during the production of HYF. He says he
really didn't feel very comfortable playing the 5-string, but that he
did find the extended range useful for Lock & Key, which I think is
the only song to find it on. Incidently, the only Wal I've ever
played was a 5-stringer.


http://www.white-barn.com/nms/html/nms_105.htm