What type of strings does Geddy lee use?

[mmbongo]

No

Does to.

 

[john_g]

I used to use Funkmasters but these days they are just too light for me. I went from Rotosounds to DR HiBeams and couldnt be happier. They dont have a rough texture and last alot longer than the RS's.

And to veer off topic with a couple of others...I dont like his live tone since he went Sansamp and no cabs. Supposedly he is using Orange stuff now but its still probably a mix of DI. I wish he would lose the Sansamp altogether and get his snarl from the tube amps and use real cabs. On the recordings, the Jazz sounds decent, not as great as it sounded on Moving Pictures, but its the live tone I dont like.

 

[kcole4001]

Well, I was playing too hard as stated, but I did not have this problem when I went back to strings which did not have the exposed core. The Funkmasters broke every time and were money down the drain for me at the time. I'd say that the strings WERE a factor, but agree that I was playing too hard around 1986 when I was using them.

OK.
I've never used Funkmasters myself.

All of the brands I tried, regardless of price, broke when I was playing that hard.

I could have bought a case of A strings and been better off.
I still have D and G strings left over from the mid 1990s.

 

[MisterWraith]

I used to use Funkmasters but these days they are just too light for me. I went from Rotosounds to DR HiBeams and couldnt be happier. They dont have a rough texture and last alot longer than the RS's.

And to veer off topic with a couple of others...I dont like his live tone since he went Sansamp and no cabs. Supposedly he is using Orange stuff now but its still probably a mix of DI. I wish he would lose the Sansamp altogether and get his snarl from the tube amps and use real cabs. On the recordings, the Jazz sounds decent, not as great as it sounded on Moving Pictures, but its the live tone I dont like.

+1 on the DR High Beams, I used them for years. I currently like my Fodera Diamonds, but if I couldn't get them, I'd go right back to the High Beams.. Great strings, very consistent and long lasting.

 

[Thomas S Loomis]

Wow, I was just on this thread looking for info on Geddy's string choice on his jazz basses and you guys make for an entertaining read...

I re-created my 70's fender in a 5 string style because my fender sounded so much like Geddy's at the time - mainly that counterparts/echo era - I finished the build and wanted to get that sound back but with the correct rotos and mainly the gauge with a low b opinion or two; although I'm sure I'll get picked on because I said a 70's 5 string.

I am also doing a graphite neck 5 that will fall in line with his twangier steinberger and wal bass sounds that will use the "funkmasters" 30-50-70-90 + the 110 or 115 for low b.

As far as the tone choices and gauge and attack - opinions are always going to be just that. I guess this is why I have so many basses, so I can just switch gears when I need to. There was a while where I was really picky about all that and was playing in rock bands with that annoying banjo bass sound (funkmasters on an ebony fingerboard) and the tone was completely out of place and thin. There was also the fretless only years, and now I'm just 5 string jazz & 5 string mm fretless - flats and/or rounds.

Geddy's tone to me has always been the attack, almost pick-like plucking - and with a lot of treble. This technique has the tendency to be very stressful on strings, even to roundwoundss on a rolling shallar saddle - add exposed core or taper core to the equation and yeah, your gonna break strings. If you doing true Geddy style, your badassing it on the bridge, which depends on your grooved saddle as to how sharp the contact will be - funkmasters I learned always to kinda pull em like a bow string and they'd survive the ordeal. Picks, although useful for some tones and for not developing carpal tunnel while trying to cover Animate, are string killers.

The rest of his tone is just getting in the mid range and not getting muddied up by the guitars.
For this, I strongly recommend the sansamp, and/or trace elliot. Have not road tested ampeg, orange or mark bass (or any other amps since buying trace in '95). Geddy's tone with the RBI is similar to the Signals era, which I really dig, but I would agree that sometimes it seems a little harsh - then there's other times where I think it's burried, so there's that "opinion" thing again. ; )

At R40 he played just about every classic bass there was and they all sounded amazing.
As much as I cant stand P Basses, I kinda want one now. ...
and a thunderbird, and a rick... ... ...

 

[mmbongo]

Yeah it was great to go back and re-visit my thoughts of 5 years ago! Glad I'm no longer that arrogant, know-it-all anymore

I will say that Geddy's tone is better on the R40 tour. Probably due to the different basses.

 

[Thomas S Loomis]

Yeah it was great to go back and re-visit my thoughts of 5 years ago! Glad I'm no longer that arrogant, know-it-all anymore

I will say that Geddy's tone is better on the R40 tour. Probably due to the different basses.

R 40 Favorite Moments... Thunderbird on I think Animate, and that pair of blue/green jazz basses.
My 70's 5 build is a surf green with a maple w/ black block & binding - red-ish brown tortoise shell pick guard - badass bridge, alder body - all the geddy goodies with a b string.

The massive stack of ampegs was also a nice touch, although I'm sure they were not actually plugged in.

 

[BrentSimons]

For what it's worth. Geddy used Ernie Ball Slinky's for the Brazilian part of the Vapor Trails tour. Rush in Rio? His old tech Russ used to be on talkbass but wouldn't give up why Geddy switched for that short period. he said he didn't want to relive it or something. I've always been curious so if somebody knows out there...

 

[Thomas S Loomis]

For what it's worth. Geddy used Ernie Ball Slinky's for the Brazilian part of the Vapor Trails tour. Rush in Rio? His old tech Russ used to be on talkbass but wouldn't give up why Geddy switched for that short period. he said he didn't want to relive it or something. I've always been curious so if somebody knows out there...

- That's interesting... I wonder if that had anything to do with availability, or distribution. - the reason I quit using rotos, around that time, was that each set I bought had a dead string or two and in a couple packs they were all dead. Had something to do with salt water and being stored in shipping containers (I was told by my supplier). Then they just weren't available in Northern MI anymore.

XLs have been my standards lately, but that's just cause I can actually get them regularly - but now my local store owner is going to stock roto's for me - yay. Strings are sort of a factor, most sound and feel great when fresh - steel or nickle, and I usually try to keep em fresh between sets with a little alcohol... but there are a few brands that just go dead and stay dead. I'm kind of excited to be getting rotos again, cause before the issue with dead packs they were my only string.

 

[eriky4003]

For really zingy strings I have found the Dean Markeley Blue Steel are particularly crisp and last a while (for me). Another great string is the DR Fat Beams which have the high-end crispness of the Hi Beams but with more booty. I've found they last quite well with me as well.
Sadly, I purchased a set of Rotos late last year and used them for a gig and about a month later the E string lost its zing while the other strings retained theirs.

 

[BrentSimons]

- That's interesting... I wonder if that had anything to do with availability, or distribution. - the reason I quit using rotos, around that time, was that each set I bought had a dead string or two and in a couple packs they were all dead. Had something to do with salt water and being stored in shipping containers (I was told by my supplier). Then they just weren't available in Northern MI anymore.

I wondered that too. Did they just forget to pack his Rotos? At first I thought maybe he went with a lower tension string because he had to have finger ligament surgery at the time. Russ confirmed that wasn't the case but wouldn't elude to the "mystery". You can definitely hear the tonal difference on the recording though.
Take care,
Brent

 

[bassist4dalord]

I'd like to hear what his Wal basses sound like through his current setup, because I know it wouldn't sound like the 'cheap Schecter through a $150 amp' sound he has with his Jazz now.

Then I've got Geddy's tone!! I have a cheap Schecter (Raiden Special-4) and an Acoustic B15 amp (which cost me $20!). So there it is- Geddy Lee's tone

 

[Thomas S Loomis]

Then I've got Geddy's tone!! I have a cheap Schecter (Raiden Special-4) and an Acoustic B15 amp (which cost me $20!). So there it is- Geddy Lee's tone

I played a Schecter through a bunch of amps at Guitar Center and couldn't get a bad sound out of it - so I went for the five string of the same Schector, but sadly it just didn't have the same mojo as its little brother so I didn't buy it. But it had a real chewy funky mid range that reminded me of the Wal Geddy played. Nice basses.

 

[80jazz]

Yeah it was great to go back and re-visit my thoughts of 5 years ago! Glad I'm no longer that arrogant, know-it-all anymore

I will say that Geddy's tone is better on the R40 tour. Probably due to the different basses.

I am not a downer on his jazz tone, but I will say that he did use some basses on this tour that were not jazz basses that sounded excellent (my vote for best sounding bass probably goes to that '58 P).

 

[raul]

I've always wanted to eat spaghetti with Geddy

 

[CMM042]

From a fan of the Moving Pictures sound, you gotta try LaBella Super Steps. My best kept secret (until now). Progressive windings on every string. Occasionally you get a bad string but they can be had for cheap enough that its not a huge deal. Give them a shot. Let me know what you think.

 

[Thomas S Loomis]

I am not a downer on his jazz tone, but I will say that he did use some basses on this tour that were not jazz basses that sounded excellent (my vote for best sounding bass probably goes to that '58 P).

Totally agree on this - I never wanted to go to a p bass, until I heard that R 40 tour, and now I'm rethinking all my approaches basses and tone. Although I will say his use of sansamp really helps with all those basses. Can't get over the green jazz that made it over from the Clockwork Angels line up though, that has to be my favorite overall.

 

[Les Fret]

I am also doing a graphite neck 5 that will fall in line with his twangier steinberger and wal bass sounds that will use the "funkmasters" 30-50-70-90

I also own a Wal bass and never was able to get that Power Windows/Show of Hands type Geddy Lee tone sound. Now I know why. Never knew he was using such light strings. That explains why he has such a snappy attack and plays 'through' the strings lot of the time. As you can hear in songs like Big Money or Marathon for example.

I think that is one of his best bass sounds. The 80's Rush is my favorite period (Signals-GUP-Power Windows). Stopped listening to them after Show of Hands and none of the albums they made after that appeal to me. They didn't really innovate anymore after that and the songs became a bit predictable and less inspiring. With a few exceptions.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I've read several interviews with Geddy where he says he uses 30-95 strings. Not sure if he's changed recently.

Sure wish he'd get that Wal bass out. His current tone is hideous.

And if I may, I wish he'd break out his Rickenbackers.

 

[mmbongo]

I also own a Wal bass and never was able to get that Power Windows/Show of Hands type Geddy Lee tone sound. Now I know why. Never knew he was using such light strings. That explains why he has such a snappy attack and plays 'through' the strings lot of the time. As you can hear in songs like Big Money or Marathon for example.

I think that is one of his best bass sounds. The 80's Rush is my favorite period (Signals-GUP-Power Windows). Stopped listening to them after Show of Hands and none of the albums they made after that appeal to me. They didn't really innovate anymore after that and the songs became a bit predictable and less inspiring. With a few exceptions.

Somewhat agree. You should really check out Presto though, which came out right after A Show Of Hands. It's quite innovative and powerful, and if you ask me it contains the best song Rush has ever written called The Pass. After that was Roll The Bones which started down the path you mentioned but still contained a handful of gems such as Bravado and Dreamline. He used the Wal basses on both of these albums and the sound is fantastic. After that came the gank of the Jazz bass and I began to lose interest. To me Presto was their peak.