I roll back the bridge pickup to 75% on my Jazz and that does it for me.
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Geddy Lee's Sound
- Thread starter zackthompson
- Start date
I roll back the bridge pickup to 75% on my Jazz and that does it for me.
Agreed that there are so many different Geddy sounds.
His flamenco style wasn't always the case. Although I'm not positive when it first appeared, the song Animate on Counterparts is the first time it is actually required (IMO) to achieve a similar performance.
Also, while he started using Sansamp around the Vapor Trails (and My Favorite Headache) time period, he didn't use it previously as far as I can tell.
What he used live versus what he used in the studio back in the day takes a lot of digging and guesswork.
It seems the Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves (along with Signals IMO) is considered the pinnacle of Geddy's sound. For that sound to my ear it is almost better to go with something like a Sansamp VT Bass.
Right hand attack is very important as has been noted. He really thwacks the strings downward at times. Your action needs to be low, but not paper thin. Otherwise you'll choke out all possible sustain. He also moves his right hand around a lot searching for the sound he wants. It is usually over or in front of the neck pickup, but not always. Also, from what I recall, all of Permanent Waves and I suspect most of Signals was the Ric, whereas Moving Picture was about 50/50 Ric and Jazz.
Also, if you are playing Rush songs and learning from tabs, most of the time they get the majority of notes right but many of the positions wrong. If something can either be played on the G string second fret or D string 7th fret, it's a good bet that he actually plays it on the D string. Your starting position might be middle finger on low G, but his starting position is generally A string fifth fret.
This may not be accurate or useful, but it's all I got.
His flamenco style wasn't always the case. Although I'm not positive when it first appeared, the song Animate on Counterparts is the first time it is actually required (IMO) to achieve a similar performance.
Also, while he started using Sansamp around the Vapor Trails (and My Favorite Headache) time period, he didn't use it previously as far as I can tell.
What he used live versus what he used in the studio back in the day takes a lot of digging and guesswork.
It seems the Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves (along with Signals IMO) is considered the pinnacle of Geddy's sound. For that sound to my ear it is almost better to go with something like a Sansamp VT Bass.
Right hand attack is very important as has been noted. He really thwacks the strings downward at times. Your action needs to be low, but not paper thin. Otherwise you'll choke out all possible sustain. He also moves his right hand around a lot searching for the sound he wants. It is usually over or in front of the neck pickup, but not always. Also, from what I recall, all of Permanent Waves and I suspect most of Signals was the Ric, whereas Moving Picture was about 50/50 Ric and Jazz.
Also, if you are playing Rush songs and learning from tabs, most of the time they get the majority of notes right but many of the positions wrong. If something can either be played on the G string second fret or D string 7th fret, it's a good bet that he actually plays it on the D string. Your starting position might be middle finger on low G, but his starting position is generally A string fifth fret.
This may not be accurate or useful, but it's all I got.
A lot of great information here but I keep finding contradicting information. Half of the internet says turn down the bridge PU and turn up the neck PU the other half says exactly the opposite, I have a Geddy Sig and an Ampeg BA210, have only been playing with this ampeg for a few hours though.
Does anyone know of any interviews where Geddy talks about his volume and tone knob settings? or at least a true split ratio that he uses?
thanks,
Does anyone know of any interviews where Geddy talks about his volume and tone knob settings? or at least a true split ratio that he uses?
thanks,
Geddy uses both pickups fully open. Any advice to the contrary is based on what the individual giving the advice has found works for themselves.
I'm with DigitalMan on this. Most of the pictures I've seen of him playing his main Jazz bass live show both pickups and tone wide open. Here's one:
He's changed his tone throughout the years, from the neck-pickupy sound on Moving Pictures to the ultra-quacky Wal tone.
I'm not a Geddy expert, but I've certainly heard him enough and played enough basses to have an idea.
Those thay ask "which Geddy tone?" have a point. He has gone through a few different configs over the years before settling on the jazz tone we know today.
If there is one consistent thing its his attack. He has always dug in and had a very present tone with, I think, solid amount of high mids to get his punch. Round wound strings played with aggressive plucking on any jazz bass with decent pickups will get you most of the way there. I don't think he is much for pedals and doesn't use cabs on stage anymore, so those aren't factors. However, for us mere mortals, a light dirt pedal or amp that gets a little dirty would help. Just make sure the break up in the highs, not mids or lows. His tone is never honky or muddy.
Those thay ask "which Geddy tone?" have a point. He has gone through a few different configs over the years before settling on the jazz tone we know today.
If there is one consistent thing its his attack. He has always dug in and had a very present tone with, I think, solid amount of high mids to get his punch. Round wound strings played with aggressive plucking on any jazz bass with decent pickups will get you most of the way there. I don't think he is much for pedals and doesn't use cabs on stage anymore, so those aren't factors. However, for us mere mortals, a light dirt pedal or amp that gets a little dirty would help. Just make sure the break up in the highs, not mids or lows. His tone is never honky or muddy.
My point is "whatever works for you." Attack, pickups on, off or 75%, type of strings, low action, BadAss Bridge, parallel, series or whatever. Find what sounds right for you. I think that's why there are so many different options. I get my best Geddy sound from a Yamaha BB300 with an added Jazz bridge pickup.
I really don't believe that Moving Pictures was recorded with the Jazz with only the neck pickup. No way. It has a distinct "burp" tone to it that I can definitely pinpoint, especially in Tom Sawyer.
I've never seen him mess around with the pickup combos; he just has everything on full and rocks out.
I've never seen him mess around with the pickup combos; he just has everything on full and rocks out.
I don't believe this...I remain a skeptic. How do you know?
1. I noticed this a lot too. On his Jazz, he plays the E-string near the neck pickup for a more fatter sound but when he plays the other three strings, he moves towards between the pickups or ever so slightly close to the bridge pickup for a cutting sound.
2. I hate tabs. Especially with Rush. However, Songsterr has some pretty accurate tabs. I learned most of their tunes by watching Geddy Lee perform and bass covers by TJH3113.
I've said this often before, but it's worthwhile mentioning again, as others have hinted at.
His Kalamazoo pawn shop Jazz that he got in the early 70s (for $200!) was his main Jazz for Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures and a little bit of Signals.
It had a wiring issue in the guts that gave it a unique sound. His techs desperately wanted to pull it apart to take a look but Geddy would never let them under fear they would try to "fix" it.
It was only when Fender wanted to do his sig model, and under a blanket promise not to fiddle with anything, that he allowed that Jazz to be opened up. And that's how we got the GL Signature.
I don't have anything else after what everyone else has mentioned, but will say that he gets a killer tone on Exit...Stage Left.
His Kalamazoo pawn shop Jazz that he got in the early 70s (for $200!) was his main Jazz for Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures and a little bit of Signals.
It had a wiring issue in the guts that gave it a unique sound. His techs desperately wanted to pull it apart to take a look but Geddy would never let them under fear they would try to "fix" it.
It was only when Fender wanted to do his sig model, and under a blanket promise not to fiddle with anything, that he allowed that Jazz to be opened up. And that's how we got the GL Signature.
I don't have anything else after what everyone else has mentioned, but will say that he gets a killer tone on Exit...Stage Left.
His favorite tone of mine happens to be his Steinberger tone (Grace Under Pressure tour). I'm already partial to the basses themselves, but I also love what he got out of the instrument. It sat in the mix slightly forward but not overpowering. Not very twangy (being a reggae player I'm not a huge fan of twang anyways), lots of mids, mild lows, and the highs are there of course.
A jazz bass is best. Highly suggest. D'addario superbrights and a tech21 vt bass pedal.
Check out this video:
Check out this video:
Never messes with his tone or volume knobs when he's playing?
Check out at about 1:04.
Honestly, for some reason, I always had a sense that this sort of knob twiddling by Geddy was less about tone and volume adjustment than it was just a fidget.
As a die hard Geddy devotee for over 30 years, this has always been my take on his "habit."
