Geddy lee distortion

[Limelight]

In the exit stage left era, did geddy use any distortion on his bass, if not how did he get that tone, when I use distortion on my bass, it sounds too much like a guitar, should I lower it? please help

 

[Mark Wilson]

No.
IIRC he's never used distortion.
He always has new strings (Rotosound Roundwounds), and his high mids are WAY up there.
Also, his fingers are like bloody hammers on those strings.

 

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

No.
IIRC he's never used distortion.

Hey Mark! Sorry to contradict you, but...

From Bass Player Magazine, August 2007:

What are some of the lessons you've learned after playing so many live shows?

A clean bass sound sometimes doesn't knit in the mix with the guitar -if you listen to my bass on its own, it sounds really ratty and nasty. The right kind of distortion helps knit the overall sound together. Using distortion live is the key for me. Also, I always want my bass louder in the mix. You bassists who think that your bass isn't loud enough, you're right!

And, according to Russ Ryan, his bass tech...

From Bass Player Magazine, August 2007:

"Geddy sends his bass to the house via three channels: An Avalon U5 DI, a Tech 21 SansAmp RPM preamp, and a Palmer PDI-05 Speaker Simulator.

"Geddy uses the RPM for his dirtier, distorted sound", says Ryan. For years Lee had used the SansAmp RBI; he switched to the newer RPM model after auditioning it in his home studio. "The RPM's sound has a little more detail than the RBI, and the distortion is a little more controllable", says Geddy.

The most esoteric piece of gear in Geddy's rack is the Palmer Speaker Simulator. "These are older models, from the '90s", Russ points out. "They're very hard to find, because most musicians won't give them up". "The old Palmers have a really warm bottom -they add a nice low-end distortion", adds Geddy.

I'm pretty sure that Mr. Ryan also mentioned it in the "Geddy's bass tone" thread.

 

[Mark Wilson]

Ah!
I stand corrected!
Thank you Alvaro!

 

[onlyclave]

Wait wait wait, the OPs question was how was he getting his distorted tone back in 1982 during the Exit Stage Left era. Now if he's using Palmer speaker emulators from the early 90's then I detect a rift in the space time continuum.

Thanks for quoting an article from less than 1 year ago which would explain the tone he's using live now, but what was he doing 25 years ago?

 

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

what was he doing 25 years ago?

For years Lee had used the SansAmp RBI; he switched to the newer RPM model after auditioning it in his home studio. "The RPM's sound has a little more detail than the RBI, and the distortion is a little more controllable", says Geddy.

I think that's the answer. I'll try to find more on that.

 

[73jbass]

He's used a lot of different stuff over the years.In that era,I think he was using an Ashly BP-41 preamp,and BGW poweramps live. There is a site on the net somewhere that lists all his recording and live gear over his career.

 

[theanalogkid63]

In the exit stage left era (more appropriately '81-'83 years), I believe Geddy was using MULTIPLE Ashly SC-40 (not BP-41, those came out in '85) preamps, Ashly SC-66(a???) stereo parametric equalizers, and BGW 750c power amplifiers driving various 2 x 15 speaker cabinets. Geddy may have also incorperated into his live rig Ashly SC-50 compressor/limiters (which would smooth out his sound and give excellent sustain). Now about his "distortion". Geddy's tone is a combition of clean bass-heavy tones and OVERDRIVEN mid-high tones. An overdriven tone is much smoother and warmer and practical for bass than a distorted tone which is more harsh. So how did he get that particular tone during that era? First he took advantage of his Rickenbacker 4001s' (my guess the one in the video is a '75 Ric) stereo bass output. He ran the stereo signal out to a "Y" splitter sending the outputs of the neck and bridge to seperate rigs. The neck pickup signal went to "System A" for the bass-heavy tone, and the bridge pickup went to "System B" which was set for a high-gain overdriven midrange/treble tone. Now, here's the secret of the overdriven tone: The Ashly SC-40 has an effects loop - simple in/out 1/4" phone jacks. Smooth distortion can be obtained by wiring two 1N914 diodes paralleled in opposite directions between the ring and tip connections of a standard 1/4' phone jack and inserting into the effects loop SEND. All this added to his unique playing technique gave him that mysterious mammoth bass sound. Added note: watch the ESL video and you'll see Geddy constantly tweaking the controls on the Rickenbacker rolling on and off the volume controls to give him the amount drive needed for a given part of a song.

 

[Pacman]

moved to effects

 

[Rickett Customs]

I think that's the answer. I'll try to find more on that.

Alvaro,He had to have been using something other than a Sansamp back then. B Andrew Barta didn't start Tech 21 until '89.

WIKI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geddy_Lee
Lee's amps in the early days were arena-ready Sunn and/or Ampeg models. By the late seventies, his backline had evolved into a unique configuration of Ashly preamps and BGW power amps, which were run in stereo with his 4001 bass. The neck pickup was sent to one amp and set for a clean, bass-heavy tone, while the bridge pickup was sent to the other amp which was set with an exaggerated treble boost, and extra gain in the preamp. This defined Lee's bass sound from 1977 to 1982. Though he would change basses, the amplifier setup remained constant through 1991. For the Roll the Bones tour (1991-1992), Lee switched to Gallien-Krueger amps, and later to Trace Elliots.

 

[Cristo]

In the exit stage left era (more appropriately '81-'83 years), I believe Geddy was using MULTIPLE Ashly SC-40 (not BP-41, those came out in '85) preamps, Ashly SC-66(a???) stereo parametric equalizers, and BGW 750c power amplifiers driving various 2 x 15 speaker cabinets. Geddy may have also incorperated into his live rig Ashly SC-50 compressor/limiters (which would smooth out his sound and give excellent sustain). Now about his "distortion". Geddy's tone is a combition of clean bass-heavy tones and OVERDRIVEN mid-high tones. An overdriven tone is much smoother and warmer and practical for bass than a distorted tone which is more harsh. So how did he get that particular tone during that era? First he took advantage of his Rickenbacker 4001s' (my guess the one in the video is a '75 Ric) stereo bass output. He ran the stereo signal out to a "Y" splitter sending the outputs of the neck and bridge to seperate rigs. The neck pickup signal went to "System A" for the bass-heavy tone, and the bridge pickup went to "System B" which was set for a high-gain overdriven midrange/treble tone. Now, here's the secret of the overdriven tone: The Ashly SC-40 has an effects loop - simple in/out 1/4" phone jacks. Smooth distortion can be obtained by wiring two 1N914 diodes paralleled in opposite directions between the ring and tip connections of a standard 1/4' phone jack and inserting into the effects loop SEND. All this added to his unique playing technique gave him that mysterious mammoth bass sound. Added note: watch the ESL video and you'll see Geddy constantly tweaking the controls on the Rickenbacker rolling on and off the volume controls to give him the amount drive needed for a given part of a song.

PHEW!

Where'd you get all that business about the diodes? Not saying it is false, just wondering where it came from. That's the first I've ever heard of that method...

 

[theanalogkid63]

PHEW!

Where'd you get all that business about the diodes? Not saying it is false, just wondering where it came from. That's the first I've ever heard of that method...

The "diodes" trick came from the owners manual for the SC-40 (circa 1982).

 

[cardinalcorr]

In the exit stage left era, did geddy use any distortion on his bass, if not how did he get that tone, when I use distortion on my bass, it sounds too much like a guitar, should I lower it? please help

You can hear a world on difference on the studio isolated bass tracks from 2112 album compared to AFTK. AFTK he recorded his bass in stereo vs Mono on the 1st 4 albums. AFTK through Signals albums are his best tone in my opinion. I think all his overdive was his Ampeg "earlier" and Ashley preamps Later". I do not think he even used compression either back then. I am only talking about his sound up to Signals album. The sansamp he used after that period of time is not my favorite tone, too computerized for lack of a better term. His Jazz Bass sounded great on MP but again, that was through his old rig setup. His Jazz bass with the sanamp now just doesn't do it for me. This isolated bass track from 1980 live, you can really tell he is running his Ric in stereo . When he plays closer to the neck pickup you can tell its going through the PA, when he digs in next to the bridge pickup you hear that familiar Geddy tone through his rig. This again, is just my opinion, some people prefer his sound of the late 90's till today. His low string action as well as fret buzz also gives his Ric/Jazz a 'distorted" tone. How he hits the strings and fret buzz is a huge component of that overdrive sound.

 

[geddeeee]

Geddy was using Rickosound on Caress of Steel.
Every bass track has a slightly different tone, song to song. This was a deliberate decision.

Can't remember the interview, but he says they ran the bridge pickup into an amp (SVT or Sunn, who knows...) and then the neck pickup went straight to the desk, no amp.

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

I think his overdrive tone came from running direct into some Sears Kenmore's...

 

[FaithNoMan]

The guy has no less than 4 overdrive preamps from Tech21 now.
I think that one was put to rest