Geddy Lee Questions & History?

[Bruins29]

He was using the Fender live for the Presto tour...I remember being really far back from the stage, but still being able to make out the blocks on the fingerboard and the white pickguard.

He used the Wal when I saw Presto plus video of the Presto tour shows the Wal. He never made any mention of the J Bass until he started recording Counterparts.

 

[derJackal]

Yup, I was giddy as a school girl because they skipped Seattle on the HYF tour and he used the 'berger on the Power Windows tour so Presto was the first tour I got to see the Wal live.

But he did switch between that and the Jazz for some stuff on the Presto tour (at least he did in Vancouver, Portland and Seattle). RTB it was all Wal and they skipped Seattle again for Counterparts so by the time T4E came around, he was pretty much all Jazz live.

 

[Bruins29]

Cool. I never knew that. He did switch basses before on tours so its no surprise. Probable explains why he used the J in the Show Dont Tell video.

 

[factorplayer]

My favorite was the Wal personally, love that tight punchy tone. The jazz he uses for this decade's tours sounds all sloppy and gnarly.

 

[WonderHorse]

Limelight is the Jazz I believe.

At least, that's what this video would suggest

Can anyone direct me to the thread where Russ ventured on here and got bombarded with questions about Geddy. I can't find it anywhere.

 

[Hamrhed]

The jazz he uses for this decade's tours sounds all sloppy and gnarly.

By design- Geddy wants the 'rattiness' as it knits the overall sound together better. I agree that the Wal sound was a purer sound but he was also using a much different rig as well...

 

[churchplayer]

Remember that "Exit Stage Left" DVD doesn't include the whole gig.
I recall reading that he used the Jazz live for "YYZ" (which isn't properly featured on the DVD).

I saw the MP tour in Philly and he definitely used the Jazz on "YYZ". Don't remember if he used it on anything else - perhaps "Limelight".

I'm going to have to dig back into my old Guitar Players because I could swear reading that Geddy bought the Jazz while touring to support Permanent Waves, which means it would be impossible for him to have used it on that album. Could have that mixed up, but I worshipped the ground Geddy walked on back in the day and was a died in the wool Jazz Bass guy (couldn't get with Ricks) so I remember going nuts when I saw the photo of him with the Jazz inside Moving Pictures. If I come across the old mag when I'm back home this weekend I'll transcribe anything that gives insight to this.

 

[PhR]

I'm going to have to dig back into my old Guitar Players because I could swear reading that Geddy bought the Jazz while touring to support Permanent Waves, which means it would be impossible for him to have used it on that album.

The Jazz Bass is mentioned on the "Permanent Waves" tourbook which means he had to get it before the tour.
http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/rush/tourbook-permanentwaves.php

Guitar Player issue from June 1980 has the Alex & Geddy interview, Alex' interview is here:
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Couldn't find the Geddy interview 'though.

 

[Mofo-Kang]

He used the Wal when I saw Presto plus video of the Presto tour shows the Wal. He never made any mention of the J Bass until he started recording Counterparts.

Dunno what to say. I saw them play at the Oakland Coliseum (now the "Oracle Arena"), and he had a black bass with white pickguard and black blocks on the neck. I'm pretty sure that was his famous Jazz Bass...

 

[churchplayer]

The Jazz Bass is mentioned on the "Permanent Waves" tourbook which means he had to get it before the tour.
http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/rush/tourbook-permanentwaves.php

Guitar Player issue from June 1980 has the Alex & Geddy interview, Alex' interview is here:
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Couldn't find the Geddy interview 'though.

So it is - and I have that book sitting in a drawer. Thanks.

Never got to dig up the article last weekend, but I've written myself a reminder to do it tomorrow. I found the Alex interview as well and thought it odd that they didn't bother to transcribe them both given all the other stuff they've got there. I do remember reading something about it in there. But that was a LONG time ago.

 

[john turner]

He was using the Fender live for the Presto tour...I remember being really far back from the stage, but still being able to make out the blocks on the fingerboard and the white pickguard.

He used the Wal when I saw Presto plus video of the Presto tour shows the Wal. He never made any mention of the J Bass until he started recording Counterparts.

what he ---^ said. i had front row for presto in atlanta and was up against the stage barrier in greenville for the show too - he was most definitely using the wal the whole of both shows.

 

[john turner]

Dunno what to say. I saw them play at the Oakland Coliseum (now the "Oracle Arena"), and he had a black bass with white pickguard and black blocks on the neck. I'm pretty sure that was his famous Jazz Bass...

he may have brought it out to give it a spin - he could, after all, play whatever bass he wants on his tours. it wasn't around in atlanta, greenville, and pretty sure it wasn't at lakeland either.

here's some shots from the presto tour (albeit not very good ones, but you can clearly see the 2+2 headstock on the two pictures that have geddy.). not saying he might not have brought out the fender, but he most certainly did use the wal that tour. dig those big rabbits.

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interestingly enough, on that same site, they have pictures from the roll the bones tour that show him playing both his various wals (the red one and the black one) and his jazz bass, at the same concert. i don't believe the jazz bass pics were at that show, though, since he's wearing different clothes and his hair is shorter. roll the bones was not yet "an evening with rush" type show, so there was no intermission for him to change his clothes - i think a few counterparts or t4e shots got mixed into the wrong set.

 

[MovingPitchers]

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.

He definitely used the Ricky on Limelight. Video: can't remember if it's part I or Part II.

And yeah PW was mostly the Ricky. It's definitely audible in Freewill and Spirit of Radio. And in MP, it's audible on Red Barchetta and Limelight. It has that definitive Ricky sound. I know a Fender when I hear one.