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I want Geddy lee's tone...
- Thread starter Josh Emmons
- Start date
So, I think most of us can agree...In order to get Geddy's sound, you need one or more of three things:
1) Play REALLY hard.
2) Own all the same gear as him.
3) Be Geddy.
Frankly, I find #1 is the most important.
1) Play REALLY hard.
2) Own all the same gear as him.
3) Be Geddy.
Frankly, I find #1 is the most important.
So, I think most of us can agree...In order to get Geddy's sound, you need one or more of three things:
1) Play REALLY hard.
2) Own all the same gear as him.
3) Be Geddy.
Frankly, I find #1 is the most important.
Yep, hard. At the same time you need to learn to play fast!
I get Geddy's tone (close to it at least) by combining a Geddy Jazz bass and Sansamp BDDI. I don't have to play hard, but this is due to the fact that I play with a pick. Dunlop 0.75-0.8mm Nylon is not so hard as other picks and is not so far away form finger nails in feel. By the way Chris Squire use a Nylon 0.75mm pick (Herco) and his tone have some similarities to Geddy's.
Find the period of time you best liked the tone. Maybe early 90s. Also find out what records rush made during that time period. Then search like hell on the internet.
Which Geddy tone do you want?
I'm going to disagree with some others that seem to be saying Geddy's tone has been more or less consistent over the course of his career. His tone has changed pretty dramatically over the years based on combination of different basses, equipment, recording technology etc. At the same time he has always sounded like Geddy if that makes sense. I just have trouble saying his tone with the Wal or Steinberger is the same or even close to what he has nowadays. Not even close.
Oh and I agree with others. Use Geddy as a model of sorts but get your own tone.
I'm going to disagree with some others that seem to be saying Geddy's tone has been more or less consistent over the course of his career. His tone has changed pretty dramatically over the years based on combination of different basses, equipment, recording technology etc. At the same time he has always sounded like Geddy if that makes sense. I just have trouble saying his tone with the Wal or Steinberger is the same or even close to what he has nowadays. Not even close.
Oh and I agree with others. Use Geddy as a model of sorts but get your own tone.
Geddy is one of my favorite bassist. I would love to be able to play and sound like him, so please don't anyone take offense at this thought.
I wonder whose tone Geddy was after, before he found his?
I wonder whose tone Geddy was after, before he found his?
Geddy is one of my favorite bassist. I would love to be able to play and sound like him, so please don't anyone take offense at this thought.
I wonder whose tone Geddy was after, before he found his?
My guess: John Entwistle, but that was long time ago. There are traces of his style/tone here and there. Maybe some Jack Bruce stuff, too.
Geddy is one of my favorite bassist. I would love to be able to play and sound like him, so please don't anyone take offense at this thought.
I wonder whose tone Geddy was after, before he found his?
Entwistle and Bruce. He has said as much in many interviews.
FWIW: Geddy got me into The Who. I remember hearing him talk about Entwistle and Moon in an interview when I was in Jr. High (1980 something). I have been a WHO fan since.
IMO low action and a well set up bass is half the battle for that type of sound. You need to hear the string windings against the frets. The strings need to bounce off the frets in an aggressive but controlled manner.
If I remember rightly cutting the mids at about 300hz or just below gets in the ballpark for that sort of sound.
If I remember rightly cutting the mids at about 300hz or just below gets in the ballpark for that sort of sound.
The secret of Geddy's tone was actually put up on the Rush website a couple of years ago.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
(Is it weird that this URL was already in my clipboard before seeing this thread?)
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
(Is it weird that this URL was already in my clipboard before seeing this thread?)
That's funny! I think I am a little more partial to the clean tones he got from the washing machine.
Whoever said letting your nails grow a little on the fingers you pluck with picked up a key point.
I heard that long ago and decided to try it an it really makes a difference.
A lot of Geddy's most well-known playing is aggressive, which as others have said, is an important element. He mellowed out at certain points, like Hold Your Fire through Roll the Bones, with the Wal basses. He can play crude when he wants and be utterly smooth when he wants, depending on the song.
But yes the best way is to just buy all the equipment he's ever owned and play in stereo with multiple amps and such.
I heard that long ago and decided to try it an it really makes a difference.
A lot of Geddy's most well-known playing is aggressive, which as others have said, is an important element. He mellowed out at certain points, like Hold Your Fire through Roll the Bones, with the Wal basses. He can play crude when he wants and be utterly smooth when he wants, depending on the song.
But yes the best way is to just buy all the equipment he's ever owned and play in stereo with multiple amps and such.
Oh one other thing...
Take note of WHERE Geddy plays the notes he plays.
I think that's another element of his tone, if you're trying to emulate certain songs or whatever.
When I first started playing, I ended up transcribing a lot of Rush songs from sheet music books into tab. I could read music at only a snail's pace, so I would just take time and tab it all out. Being a novice, I just tabbed it out in the 'easiest' way possible, using open strings and notes in the 1st through 4th fret range.
This cause me to have some really odd tab patterns. You should have seen how I play "Vital Signs" using open strings !
Geddy plays almost everything he can mid neck, in the 5th through 7th fret area. Just being aware of where he's playing those notes makes a difference if you're trying to nail the tone on a given song. This may sound like common sense but honestly it took me a long time to even think about that aspect of his playing.
Take note of WHERE Geddy plays the notes he plays.
I think that's another element of his tone, if you're trying to emulate certain songs or whatever.
When I first started playing, I ended up transcribing a lot of Rush songs from sheet music books into tab. I could read music at only a snail's pace, so I would just take time and tab it all out. Being a novice, I just tabbed it out in the 'easiest' way possible, using open strings and notes in the 1st through 4th fret range.
This cause me to have some really odd tab patterns. You should have seen how I play "Vital Signs" using open strings !
Geddy plays almost everything he can mid neck, in the 5th through 7th fret area. Just being aware of where he's playing those notes makes a difference if you're trying to nail the tone on a given song. This may sound like common sense but honestly it took me a long time to even think about that aspect of his playing.
I have found this to be true. I can sound more like Geddy playing a jazz bass through a sansamp and using a pick. And you are right about Chris Squire's tone being similar. Out of all the bass players out there, his and Geddy's seem to be the most similar. I also think the guy from audioslave comes close in some situations.
The sansamp or behringer clone,grey dunlop-73 pick,30-90 or 35-95 string set.
The bit about neck position playing I forgot about but it does influence the tone ie stayin in the middle of the first 12 frets or octave in the 5-7 fret range.
Instead of shelling out on a sansamp try a s/h behringer clone if you like what it does then you can keep it or get a sansamp.
A jetglo Ricky,hipshot bridge,30-90 stainless strings,neck relief totally flat,neck and bridge pups balanced,you know when there to high as they start distorting and there,s more than enough output to allow for a bit of lowering as well as using a lot of gain it restores the signal level.
Hope this makes sense,it,s a good start for Rush ,the Jam,Who and any good decent up front bass sounds also works great with a p-bass with high output pups
The bit about neck position playing I forgot about but it does influence the tone ie stayin in the middle of the first 12 frets or octave in the 5-7 fret range.
Instead of shelling out on a sansamp try a s/h behringer clone if you like what it does then you can keep it or get a sansamp.
A jetglo Ricky,hipshot bridge,30-90 stainless strings,neck relief totally flat,neck and bridge pups balanced,you know when there to high as they start distorting and there,s more than enough output to allow for a bit of lowering as well as using a lot of gain it restores the signal level.
Hope this makes sense,it,s a good start for Rush ,the Jam,Who and any good decent up front bass sounds also works great with a p-bass with high output pups
