Ultimate Geddy Lee Equipment List!

[Cygnusx2112]

I dont know if this is the right place to put this...but I know that you guys should enjoy it!

Guitars:
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Rickenbacker 4002
Rickenbacker 4001 (2)
Rickenbacker 3001
Rickenbacker double-neck guitar-bass (4001/standard 12-string Rick with humbucking pickups)
Rickenbacker double-neck guitar-bass (4001/6-string Ovation acoustic guitar)

Fender Precision (/w Treble pickup, wired in stereo) (tear drop shape)
Fender Jazz Bass (1 is circa '72, 4 others are circa '96)
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(all of those above bases have BadAss bridges)



Gibson ES-335

Martin Nylon string acoustic

Gibson Dove Acoustic

Steinberger GL2


21-fret 4-string with black finish and gold hardware.
24-fret 4-string with birdseye maple facings stained red and gold hardware.
24-fret 5-string with black finish and gold hardware.
21-fret 4-string with black finish, natural neck, and gold hardware.

Synths/Special Effects:
(2) Moog Taurus pedals~
Mini Moog~
Oberheim eight-voice polyphonic
OB-1
OB-X
OB-8
OBXA with a DSX Digital Sequencer
Oberheim digital sequencer
Roland Space Echo
Roland Digital Sequencer
Roland JP8 Synth
Roland TR 8o8 Compu-Rythm working in conjunction
Roland Super Jupiter
Roland D-50
Roland D-550
Roland S-770 samplers
Roland XV-5080
Yamaha E1010 Delay
Yamaha DX 7
(2) Yamaha QX-1 sequencer
(2) Yamaha KX 76 Remote Midi Controller
Yamaha PF-80
(a bunch) Emulator 2 Computerized synths
PPG Wave 2.2
PPG Wave 2.3
Akai S900 samplers
(2) Prophet VS synths
(2) MIDI Mappers
Korg MIDI pedals
Korg Wavestation


~ = interfaced with Oberheim polyphonic

Equipment:
Ampeg SVT
twin fifteen Sunn Cabinets
S.R.O speakers
two V4B ampeg Cabinets (with JBL speakers)
Furman Sound PQ3's (used as pre-amps)
API 550A equalizers
(how many?) Special Brother Russell mystery (Oooh!) speaker cabs (/w 2 15" speakers in each)
J.B. Lansing speakers (2)
Fender Twin Reverb
Nady wireless unit with "BZZZ thing"
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two BGW 750-B's
two Ashley pre-amps
two Ampeg V4B 2x15 cabs
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(all of those in that section are fitted with JBL K140 speakers)

two 2x15 Teal (Thiele?) design cabs (with EVM speakers)
Roland Chorus for guitar (not bass guitar)
Yamaha solid state guitar amp
Trace Elliot Quatra 4VR amps
Trace Elliot GP12 SMX preamps
Trace Elliot 1 x18" cab
(2) single 10" speaker cabs
(2) 4x10 speaker cabs
Palmer PDI-03 speaker simulator
Palmer PDI-05 speaker simulator
SansAmp PSA-1
SansAmp R.B.I. preamp
Avalon U5 Tube Direct box
Electrovoice DS-35 microphone

[superbassman2000]

what about the washing machines? I hear they are pretty essential to Geddy's clean tone

just kidding, nice list

[musicman5string]

a five string Wal bass?

as far as I know, he's got 2 four string Wals: a black mach I and a red mach II.


the rest of the list is nice.

[SamJ]

Originally Posted by musicman5string

a five string Wal bass?

as far as I know, he's got 2 four string Wals: a black mach I and a red mach II.


the rest of the list is nice.

Yeah, I was going to say the same.. you left off the Wal, and the Steinberger..

[Peter Squire]

He said in a Guitar World interview after the release of Hold Your Fire that he was the owner of a 4 and a 5 string Wal. Apparently he only used the 5 string on Power Windows.

[musicman5string]

Originally Posted by Peter Squire

He said in a Guitar World interview after the release of Hold Your Fire that he was the owner of a 4 and a 5 string Wal. Apparently he only used the 5 string on Power Windows.

Actually, I remember that interview. If I'm not mistaken, he used producer Peter Collins' Wal (4 string) on Power Windows. For Hold You Fire, he used his own black 4 string Wal, but for one song, I think it was "Lock and Key", he used a 5 string.

[Baryonyx]

Yes, he had black and red Wal basses, but also had a five string made, I'm pretty sure of that. And he strung them with Rotosound Funkmaster lights, which are now no longer made

[jonsmith]

Here's a link to a list of Geddy's (and other people's) Wals:

http://walbasses.homestead.com/FamousWalOwners.html


From this list, Geddy had:

1 21-fret 4-string with black finish and gold hardware.

1 24-fret 4-string with birdseye maple facings stained red and gold hardware.

1 24-fret 5-string with black finish and gold hardware.

1 21-fret 4-string with black finish, natural neck, and gold hardware.



Not sure about the 'Ovation' part of the 4080 - looks like a standard six string on all the pictures I've seen...if you got that from the Moving Pictures tourbook, the Ovation is listed separately to the 4080.

...on the whole though, great list.

[dunamis]

ummm... the Avalon u5 is solid state not tube...

[Cygnusx2112]

No, its tube direct.

[dunamis]

OK, if you say so-- but there aren't any tubes in it.

[senrats]

When did Geddy start using the 72 Jazz Bass? I'm guessing sometime around Permanent Waves and it is in full "Limelight" (pun intended) on Moving Pictures.

Still, I think I hear the 'Rick' on certain Movign Pictures Tracks:


Ric': Most of Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta?, Camera Eye

72' Jazz: YYZ, Limelight, 7/4 section of Tom Sawyer.. Witch Hunt and Vital Signs


Is that close to a correct ID on the bass used?

[musicman5string]

It could be, although in the videos from "Moving Pictures" it shows them in the studio, presumably recording the album, and Geddy always uses the Jazz.
Not that that means anything; it could just be for the videos.

I'm gonna go listen to it now.

[musicman5string]

I think you're right; a good way to compare the tones is the solo in vital signs vs. the solo in red barchetta.

[musicman5string]

LOL! I'm listening to the way this album is mixed; the bass is SO up front!

[Petary791]

Sweet list!

He has Badasses on his Rics?

[senrats]

Originally Posted by musicman5string

I think you're right; a good way to compare the tones is the solo in vital signs vs. the solo in red barchetta.

I don't remember the Vital Signs solo part now... well the bouncy reggae-on-speed passage of lead bass?

Red B sounds mostly like the Ric we hear in the older recordings. Each tone is a laser beam; unwavering twang sustain.... truly more a "bass guitar" than "bass".
The Jazz Bass, most noticeable on YYZ and Limelight, speaks with a warbly growl sound which can sometimes be played as gristly as the Ric (JB on "Vital Signs")


Tom Sawyer: Sounds like it starts with the Ric, but then the jazz bass is used on the guitar solo 7/4 section; sounds less crunchy.

[musicman5string]

Very interesting.

[keb]

The Avalon is a solid state device. I know on Rush's own website it says "Avalon U5 Tube Direct boxes" under Geddy's gearlist, but it's wrong.

Also, concerning the Rickenbacker doublenecks... they're both 4080 models, one has the 12-string guitar neck, and the other doubleneck has a standard 6-string guitar neck. They're both 100% Rickenbacker-made (besides aftermarket mods), no Rickenbacker/Ovation frankensteins.

He puts Badass bridges on most of his basses, except for the Wals and what appears to be an old P-bass in the little pic below. The Rick doublenecks have Badasses on the bass side of things (and aftermarket humbuckers in place of the stock guitar pickups.) Even his 4002 (a very rare, holy grail of Rick basses, it's the one hanging on the wall to the far left) has a Badass on it. That one is almost painful!

Re: the Jazz: In a Guitar Player interview from June 1980, he said he had just gotten his now-famous Jazz bass and used it on "about half" (his words) of Permanent Waves.

[keb]

More Geddy gear porn.