Geddy Lee's Sound

zackthompson · #1 08-30-2011, 06:53 PM

Does anyone know how to get that signature Geddy "grindy" sound that he has without buying a Ric or a Geddy Lee Jazz?

Spectrum · #2 08-30-2011, 07:00 PM

Geddy used a Precision on the first album, apparently, and it still has that clanky sound. Set your tone knobs all the way up for max brightness, and pluck over the neck pickup. Add a little fingernail to get the metal grindy sound. If you have effects, add some compression or a little fuzz. Experiment with it and you'll get something close enough. Not exactly, of course.

Forget all the folks who say to get your own sound, etc. You'll get that naturally as you play for a while, and there's nothing wrong with using Geddy's sound (or Chris Squire or any other awesome bassist) as a baseline to start with. While you're at it, pick another bassist with a more mellow sound, maybe Paul McCartney, and see if you can't get close to that with the same gear. Just changing the way you pluck the strings makes a huge difference. It's good to figure out how to use your equipment and control your tone with your fingers.

maxgrant · #3 08-30-2011, 07:19 PM

There is actually a fair amount of mid in Geddy's sound too. And there is a different sound depending on the era. I still haven't figured out how he got the Moving Pictures sound, which is probably the most interesting one and one he never revisited. I've tried various combos, and I have both a 1973 Rick, and the '70's Jazz from Squier which I a/b'd with the Geddy Lee model and found identical. If you are going for the GL sound and you are on a budget, that maple '70's VMJ with the block inlays, is easy to find under $300. I compared it side-by side with the more expensive GL model and took home the budget one, because they sounded and felt exactly the same.

John Wentzien · #4 08-30-2011, 07:22 PM

ROTOS...will get you half-way!

John Wentzien · #5 08-30-2011, 07:27 PM

How to Get a Geddy Lee Style Sound - wikiHow

jgroh · #6 08-30-2011, 07:35 PM

Dont forget a Sansamp!

jgroh · #7 08-30-2011, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxgrant

There is actually a fair amount of mid in Geddy's sound too. And there is a different sound depending on the era. I still haven't figured out how he got the Moving Pictures sound, which is probably the most interesting one and one he never revisited. I've tried various combos, and I have both a 1973 Rick, and the '70's Jazz from Squier which I a/b'd with the Geddy Lee model and found identical. If you are going for the GL sound and you are on a budget, that maple '70's VMJ with the block inlays, is easy to find under $300. I compared it side-by side with the more expensive GL model and took home the budget one, because they sounded and felt exactly the same.

Yes, the high quality isolated bass tracks from Moving Pictures are incredible. The tone he gets is the perfect snarly rock tone IMHO. But how they recorded it probably was a big factor too. I wish he could make the Jazz sound like that again.

Cristo · #8 08-31-2011, 02:16 PM

Depends a lot on which Geddy sound you are after - there are many different ones. And also, you have to recognize that you never will nail it perfectly.

For me, the pinnacle of Geddy tones are the ones on Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves. The isolated bass tracks from Moving Pictures reveal a lot about the raw bass tones, although these tracks and the mixes got processing additionally.

I discovered there is not as much treble in the bass tone as people seem to think. Also, there is quite a bit of dirt in the sound. Some from strings, some from his attacks, and some from distortion coming from somewhere (amps, compressors, mixing boards?)

Even if/when you get the geddy tone you are looking for, you still sound like you, cause you are not him.

I don't think there is a simple answer bec ause it depends on where you are starting from. Amp, bass, strings, fingers, room all come in to play.

Sleeping Giant · #9 09-01-2011, 08:05 AM

Check these interviews with Geddy,

Geddy Lee Interview part 1 of 2 - YouTube

Geddy Lee Interview part 2 of2 - YouTube

bl2112 · #10 09-04-2011, 11:20 PM

[quote=maxgrant;11414272] I still haven't figured out how he got the Moving Pictures sound, which is probably the most interesting one and one he never revisited.[/QUOTE
Get a good distortion on your amp with good balanced EQ across the board with the low mid boosted. Thats pretty much Geddy's tone through out his career. One thing people dont know is his bridge pickup on his Jazz is somewhat busted. He has his bass all open but the pickup mix is more like 60/40 or 70/30 neck/bridge instead of 50/50. That is important because it has a HUGE effect on his tone. I've seen alot of guys who play rush songs get the song dead on but it loses it because they dont play like Geddy, with that aggressive style and tone. I could match his moving pictures tone really well with my old Ampeg BA115 with a digitech stompbox, dont remember any on of the setting but that i boosted the mids. Then I read an article about his jazz and said that his bridge pickup doesnt work compelety. I then turned the bridge back a bit and their it was that sound.

**steddy2112** · #11 09-04-2011, 11:26 PM

Tubes of some sort help

Aggressive right hand

A particularly bright stainless round like hi beams or Roto swings

Geddy recorded with some very different sounding basses and managed to sound like him no matter what.

On the opposite end of the Rush stringed spectrum...Alex uses like, a different guitar for each part of a song lmao...still sounds like Alex.

Don't be afraid to whack that thing a little, add some sincere and controllable grind...and whatever you do for the love of bass don't scoop your mids.

HillBillyWannaB · #12 09-28-2011, 08:50 PM

Neck almost flat, LOW action (so the strings clank on the frets when you play it). Roto 66s or High beams light gauge strings, I use 35-90s (I know I know he uses 105s). Neck pup full on, bridge pup @ 3/4. Run a sansamp RBI or BDDI box and eq to taste.

Most importantly, you need to play like him. You need to attack the strings, I mean beat the hell out of them. That will give you the tone you're looking for. If you're a light player, you'll have lots of blisters and pain in your immediate future, but it will be worth it. Watch his videos and watch how he plays, that's just as important as all the other stuff.

Catbuster · #13 09-29-2011, 07:56 PM

A slightly overdriven tube amp, bright SS strings, playing over the neck pickup with a very, very agressive right hand and a set up for the strings to hit the frets.

Bob C · #14 09-30-2011, 10:37 AM

Sleeping Giant,

Thanks for posting those interview links. They were (pardon the cliche') informative and entertaining. Geddy (Alex and Neil, too) seems like such a nice guy!