I just wanted to compliment you for the outstanding job that you did, researching and writing such a detailed, informative, interesting, and enjoyable article. Once Rush started hitting it big, Alex Lifeson went out and bought a Fender Super Reverb amp. Custom built to match the specs of Alex's 80's Sportscaster Strat! Are you thinking of painting/finishing this thing yourself? After playing it Alex wasn't to impressed with the pickup but thought the Guitar the pickup was installed in was great! Hello Chris, great article but Id like to bring some corrections to your information the Signature Guitars section: Alex started using the Signature Aurora Prototype built buy Russ Heinl (a personal friend of Alexs) for the Hold Your Fire and Presto albums almost exclusively (this it the White Aurora, his #1), he had 5 Auroras on tour with him and used mostly his #1, #2 Charcoal grey & his #3 Dark emerald green metallic in the live performances. Malcolm Young more influential than EVH or Clapton? Don't mind the trace lines for 3 single coil pups - that's just habit. All rights reserved. I'm a huge Rush fan and Alex Lifeson was the reason I picked up a guitar. This topic is being created to be the ultimate collection of information and discussion for my fellow "Hentor Sportscaster" enthusiasts out there. Watch this gear and we'll notify you if it becomes available again. A plethora of used guitar gear and other memorabilia belonging to Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson is set to go on sale via Julien's Auctions in May. The pickups were swapped out with DiMarzios for the rhythm and bass positions and a Bill Lawrence L-500 in the back position. Lifesons Fender Super Reverb would stick with him for a few albums, including Fly by Night and Caress of Steel. You can see this model in action on Far Cry from the Snakes & Arrows tour. Well from that pic it s a slab board with a bullet truss rod so most likely a custom built something. The neck also has a rounded Axcess profile to help Lifeson reach the higher frets more easily. Solid Body Electric Guitars. Learn More. The Strat above is the famous "Hentor Sportscaster" used during the Grace Under Pressure era. On ESL, the white Strat had a Gibson humbucker and the stock Fender bridge. "Hello my fellow Rush fans! LOL. Well, it sounds like youve got the idea well thought out so it should work out well in the end. if youd like more information, please contact me, as I own his #1 & #3 Aurora, and his H&K zenTera amp. Lifeson had 3 modded Strats. Unfortunately, at a show in 1977, the band was opening for Blue yster Cult and one of the horns fell off the PA system. Great gift for Rush fans! It may not display this or other websites correctly. Currency: It instantly became his primary player that graced both the stage and the studio for the next few years. Actually I was thinking more about it - while I did have that GFTPM issue I was actually thinking of an even earlier Guitar World that I had (from 1981): Most of the parts are in, so here's a rundown of the essentials. not a floyd on it though odd it has two HBs and not the HSS like the others. Lifeson loved the sound of the TC Electronics 1210 so much that hes had the same exact unit in his rack for over 30 years! I found the answer to my question. Thats how a three-piece rock band can produce sounds that even five-piece bands would struggle with! BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Replica Pat Martino 2015 - Honeyburst . Hey! In the later tours, Lifeson swapped from having a chorus foot pedal to a rack-mounted chorus effect. Then I found where Freddy G. said the wiring is Bridge/Neck + Middle/Neck, and I can't for the life of me figure out how . See the full list of notable Alex Lifeson Guitars below. Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments. and volume and tone? In 2007 for the Snakes & Arrows tour, Lifeson added the Garrison OM-20 octave mandolin to his guitar arsenal. The Sportscaster also appears in the "Vital Signs," "Countdown," and "The Enemy Within" music videos. http://www.80srockphotos.com/fcWebApp/product_images/AlexLifeson2_wtrMrk.jpg, 2023: The Year Epiphone Became Unaffordable, Don't store picks in zip bags for too long. Germany, He has them on many of his Les Pauls, including his signature Axcess Les Paul. Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments. each Greenback speaker says RUSH RH3 and Brigette Bardot 007 (spelled wrong I know). What's your favorite 335 style guitar for under $1000 used. RUSH: Progressive Power Trio RUSH in their early . Wow.and I thought I was a Rush dork!! The primary jack blends the magnetic and the piezo. So his signal always seemed to be hotter. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar." . Its essentially an oversized hollow-body Les Paul. it was awful to play, very uncomfortable, but had a particular sound that I liked. Alex Lifeson in Vintage Guitar Magazine, September 2011, You can see Lifeson rock his black Signature Aurora (and an awesome 80s haircut) in this 1989 live performance of Big Money.. To help him blend the acoustic-sounding piezo and the magnetic pickups, he has a piezo switcher on his pedalboard. I just goes to show how great Rush fans and Alex Lifeson fans are. JavaScript is disabled. This guitar was favored by Lifeson as his primary instrument for soloing - in particular the solo for the band's hit single "Limelight" , and can be seen in the . To do that, he has used a Morely Volume Pedal for almost his entire career. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Alex Lifeson plays a Gibson Les Paul Axcess guitar. Alex is a Canadian musician and songwriter, best known as the guitarist and co-founder of the Hall of Fame rock group Rush. Epiphone Alex Lifeson Signature Les Paul Standard Axcess 2021 - Present - Viceroy Brown. Lifeson loved the way a 12-string sounded for certain songs, but being in a three-piece band, he couldnt give up the ability to play lead on a six-string. Theres no guitar player that sounds exactly like Alex Lifeson. Nice job. PILOT. What era is this meant to follow? Chorus is a big part of Alex Lifesons unique sound. Alex Lifeson: "I purchased this guitar in 1976, it was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. The Morely made its first appearance in 1975 on the Fly By Night tour and has been a consistent part of his pedalboard ever since. northgta@gmail.com. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. The Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess is a very unique guitar. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. Unfortunately, the Alex Lifeson Memphis ES-355 is no longer in production, but if youre lucky, you can still find a few for sale floating around the internet. Home Guitarists Alex Lifeson Guitars and Gear List (2023 Update). I'm a huge Rush fan and Alex Lifeson was the reason I picked up a guitar. EUR To reflect our commitment, we updated our terms and conditions. I mean I know some guys name their guitars, never heard of naming your speakers. Julien's Auctions | Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster Replica Guitars Now Available. They recruited bassist and vocalist Jeff Jones and became The Projection, which eventually became Rush in 1968. Rush's Alex Lifeson is collaborating with Julien's Auctions on an upcoming auction titled "Property From The Archives of Alex Lifeson". Lifeson runs that second output into the piezo switcher on his pedalboard, so he can turn the piezo on and off with the touch of his foot. Toward the end of the 80s, Alex Lifeson switched from playing his Gibson HRF to guitars from a new, relatively unknown brand called Signature Guitar Company. Hello my fellow Rush fans! What's your favorite 335 style guitar for under $1000 used. Of course, whats an Alex Lifeson signature model without his favorite tremolo bridge: the Floyd Rose. All his Strats were 1977 models and I believe all had alder bodies. The interaction between 2 light choruses was an a-ha moment. A few months ago I figured out, thanks to posts on forums like this, that I pretty much had the basic components needed to build my very own Hentor Sportscaster and have it be fairly period-correct. Signature is the brand not to be confused with a fender signature strat. Later, Lifeson admitted that he loved the sound of the Signatures, but he wasnt a fan of how they felt. The Freddy Sportscaster is deadly expensive for sure, its interesting as a benchmark and details Alexs customizations clearly. In 2010, the band wanted to go for a steampunk vibe. His guitar, however, is a Rickenbacker with a brass neck and a 12-string neck. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar." . I found one link on mojocaster's build, but it's a bad link. With his Carnoa in hand, Alex Lifeson started learning solos from his favorite players. Lifesons telecaster doesnt make too many appearances on stage or in the studio, but it is one of his primary writing instruments, so bonus points for intimacy. Historic dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday to You to President Kennedy. This is an awesome guitar. I have no idea if they used the guitars, but Rush and Lifeson were given (IIRC) two custom built stratocasters by Ted Veneman of Veneman Music, probably built by John Warden. After rocking on his Canora for a while and discovering that music was what he really wanted to do, Alex Lifeson decided it was time to buy his first proper guitar to get his new band Rush going. Ive been playing guitar since I was 13 years old and am an avid collector. Of course, seeing such an unknown guitar rocking stages all over the world, guitar players everywhere were trying to figure out what the heck a Hentor Sportscaster was! Another highlight of the auction, Lifeson's 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar. I put a top-bearing bit on the router and after the first two passes i was able to take the template off the guitar to get to the final 1.25" depth. The wiring is neck, neck/middle, bridge. Or why not treat yourself? There is no back plate on the guitar, consistent with the original model. Best regards! He has spent so many years experimenting with different guitars, amps, and effects, that its nearly impossible for anyone to recreate. Lifeson manages to achieve this sound with his hallowed 'Hentor Sportscaster', a Frankenstein guitar a modified Fender Strat with a Floyd Rose vibrato arm to create his archetypal tone. is it the Signature guitar he was using? You must log in or register to reply here. For the Power Windows tour in 1985, Lifeson swapped out his chorus foot pedal for a rack-mounted TC Electronics 1210. His white 1976 custom-built Gibson ES-355TD will go under the hammer in May. As for pickups, the Alex Lifeson Signature Les Paul features 496R and 498T humbuckers with push/pull series and parallel switching thats activated with the standard tone and volume knobs. Figure this was the bass cabinet (bottom) of the 3rd stack, I believe Alex used 4 stacks at the time. List price: Previous Price $49.99 . My name is Chris and Ive had a passion for music and guitars for as long as I can remember. Its an HSS, two knobs (volume / tone) with a Floyd rose non fine tuner trem (no locking nut). All he would do after he got home from school is go to his room and play guitar. You can see the incredible Hentor Sportscaster in action for much of the Grace Under Pressure tour, including this live performance of The Spirit of the Radio.. Please check the fields highlighted in red. Learn More, We understand the importance of online privacy and are committed to complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar." Another notable guitar hitting the auction block is the 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar used on the recording of Rush's albums following Moving Pictures. Looking forward to seeing the finished guitar. In his interview with Vintage Guitar Magazine, he says, Theres nothing like having a low-slung Les Paul over my shoulder! Its nearly impossible to beat the tonality and playability. A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster that's Lifeson loved to solo with, including the solo on the song "Limelight" and has been in the music videos for "Vital," "Countdown," and "Enemy Within" Alex Lifeson - Rush Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster Mini Guitar Replica Collect. Rare '85 RUSH Moving Pictures Mercury Records Vintage US Early Vinyl Repress Lp Near MINT!! To project the awesome sound from the amps out into the audience, Lifeson three Hughes & Kettner 212 cabinets. I posted (http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=24807.msg359089#msg359089) several months back asking for advice on attempting to build a replica of Alex Lifeson's white Hentor Sportscaster, a modified strat he used on the Grace Under Pressure album and tour. In 1976, Lifeson took a tour of the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The body is from a 2014 Fender Japan ST62-FR. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. . You must log in or register to reply here. This program is designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon. As he told Guitarist magazine, It wasnt much of a guitar. Bath I don't know if helps that one is emulating tape the other emulating . Oct 8, 2022. Learn More. Whether he wants to add a clean line under the heavier sound or some added effects, Lifeson can switch the Coreblade on and off to get the effects hes looking for. If you arent confident with wiring 920D and plenty of others can provide you with a good quality wiring harness for ~$80. It also had a Tune-O-Matic bridge and a Maestro Long Vibrola tailpiece.