Now youll have to play some Rush tunes. While his 76 ES-355 might not be his primary player anymore, its still one of Lifesons favorite guitars and frequently goes on tour with him. Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*, US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year, UK pricing 2.99 per month or 29.00 per year, Europe pricing 3.49 per month or 34.00 per year, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. The Signature brand guitars were equal in quality to Schecters or Perfomance at that time, and they are even rarer. The only difference is that the finish was taken off the neck to help with playability. As part of Julien's Auctions' "Music Icons" auction, happening on May 20, 21 and 22, "Property From The Archives Of Alex Lifeson" will feature over 60 vintage guitars and other career memorabilia from the personal collection Alex Lifeson, the legendary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame guitarist and co-founder of Rush, One of the greatest rock groups of all time, selling more than 40 million . For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I think it cost $10. He recalled the string height was very high off the neck, making it difficult to playas most beginner acoustics are. Hentor Sportscaster - Freddy's Frets Hey! The guitar is expected to sell at auction for between $100,000 and $200,000. Twin Reverb, but it was mostly used for PA miking. When Moving Pictures came out and the Exit . It smashed right into his prized ES-335 (and his double-neck EDS-1275, which well get to later), cracking the headstock. Rare '85 RUSH Moving Pictures Mercury Records Vintage US Early Vinyl Repress Lp Near MINT!! In addition to the Hiwatt 100s, Lifeson also used a Fender J.B.L. It also had only two knobsone tone and one volumeunlike the three that you usually find on Strats. . This would have been in the early 80s. When he was 12, he was given his very first guitar as a Christmas present and renounced the viola forever in favor of shredding the guitar. Germany, Hello my fellow Rush fans! Strat Talk is the leading online community and marketplace for Stratocaster guitars. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. Custom built to match the specs of Alex's 80's Sportscaster Strat! The Gear Page is the leading online community and marketplace for guitars, amps, pedals, effects and associated gear. I updated the permissions on the media folder so hopefully that fixes the issue. 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! The interaction between 2 light choruses was an a-ha moment. I've found someone who's willing to lend me their router and bits, and I'll be spending part of my weekend prepping the body for surgery, taking measurements and drawing stencils and such. Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear. What era is this meant to follow? This topic is being created to be the ultimate collection of information and discussion for my fellow "Hentor Sportscaster" enthusiasts out there. Well, it sounds like youve got the idea well thought out so it should work out well in the end. On ESL, the white Strat had a Gibson humbucker and the stock Fender bridge. Add to Cart. The Whitey Gibson ES-355TD is expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000. Oct 8, 2022. Since its creation in 2011, this guitar has become one of Lifesons primary players. Malcolm Young more influential than EVH or Clapton? Specifically, he used three Hiwatt 100s pushing four 412 Hiwatt cabinets. So I took the occasion to level, re-crown and polish all the frets. 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. 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 . The signature was a Canadian guitar manufacturer located in Toronto. LOL. In Rushs early years, Lifeson didnt even own an amp. . After a year strumming the Kent acoustic, Lifeson started begging his parents for an electric guitar. Historic dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday to You to President Kennedy. alex lifeson gibson for sale | eBay Aleksandar ivojinovi, OC (born 27 August 1953), known professionally as Alex Lifeson (/ l a f s n /), is a Canadian musician who is the guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Rush.In 1968, Lifeson co-founded a band that would later become Rush, with drummer John Rutsey and bassist and lead vocalist Jeff Jones.Jones was replaced by Geddy Lee a month later, and Rutsey was . #1. His bandmates even call him The Musical Scientist because of his sound experimentation. You must log in or register to reply here. Keith. You can hear Lifeson rock the wah pedal on songs like Cygnus X1 and countless other riffs throughout the Rush repertoire. That looks great and well worth all of the setup. The amp setup was a couple of Dean Markley 2x12 combos, two Marshall 2x12 combos, two . While most Gibson Axcess models include chambering (hollowing out parts of the body) for weight reduction, Lifesons model has no chambering. The wiring is neck, neck/middle, bridge. Hard to imagine he was 27 at the time. Hentor Sportscaster - Alex Lifeson - Rush | Reverb 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 . It is this performance which critics point to when asked to define the sound of Rush. If you plug in the second output jack, it splits the magnetic pickups and the piezo pickup, so Lifeson can send the two signals to separate amp configurations! hennemusic A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster played by Lifeson on most Rush albums since Moving Pictures, and was the main guitar used on the recording of the album Grace Under Pressure. This guitar was favored by Lifeson as his primary instrument for soloing in particular the solo for the bands hit single Limelight, and can be seen in the music videos for Vital Signs, Countdown, and Enemy Within. The Sportscasters heavy yet versatile sound embodies Rushs bold sonic explorations of the 1980s and Lifesons growth as a soloist during this time. Bath I updated the permissions on the media album so hopefully you can see the photos now. He wanted to be able to get a cleaner sound out of the 12-string, so he put the guitar under the soldering iron and chainsaw, as he said in an interview with Gibson. just odd never seen that one before Ok got a lot done today since I have 2 other guitars drying up after clear coating them. View Auction Results For a limited time, save in the Gibson European Demo Shop. Phone: 310-836-1818 | By continuing to use Reverb, you agree to these updates, and to our cookie policy. Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster replica - Harmony Central The guitar is reportedly Lifeson's favorite guitar for soloing, and was used to record the solo for Rush's 1981 hit, Limelight . 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. Wtf? You can see this model in action on Far Cry from the Snakes & Arrows tour. It is this performance that critics point to when asked to define the sound of Rush. RUSH Guitarist ALEX LIFESON's Iconic Guitars To Be Auctioned Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster replicas now available. three way switch, large brass sustain block, Hentor Sportscaster logo on peghead face, Freddy Gabrsek logo and serial number on peghead back. Neil Peart 'Last Words' Dying To Geddy Lee Revealed This . (I was gonna sell the black one but I'm leaning towards selling the white Hentor Sportscaster now.) Alex Lifeson - Etsy Alex Lifeson loves to have piezo pickups and dual outputs built into his guitars. It requires routing a pocket for the switch and two channels for the new wiring location. Special exhibitions will be held in Los Angeles and New York for the public to view highlighted items from the auction the week commencing April 11. ", A 1970 Gibson Les Paul acquired by Lifeson during Rushs inaugural tour and played extensively on all Rush albums and tours from Fly By Night and 2112 to Hemispheres., A 1971 Jose Ramirez acoustic guitar used by Lifeson to record all classical-style tracks on the album Hemispheres, including The Trees and La Villa Strangiato., A 1976 Gibson Dove acoustic guitar played on numerous tours and used by Lifeson to write Closer to the Heart and other songs from the 1977 Rush album A Farewell to Kings., A 1976 Gibson J-55 acoustic guitar used by Lifeson to compose Rushs platinum-selling album 2112 as well as A Farewell to Kings and served as the main acoustic guitar on Natural Science and Camera Eye from Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures.. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. 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! This guitar made tons of appearances throughout the 70s. In an interview with Vintage Guitar magazine, Lifeson joked that Hendrix absolutely blew his mind, but there was no thinking about ever reaching his level. He found Claptons solos much more approachable, so thats how he learned to play. Cool video Alex Lifeson is a great guitar player for sure, here's a link of some of his gear over the years https: . A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster played by Lifeson on most Rush albums since "Moving Pictures," and was the main guitar used on the recording of the album "Grace Under Pressure." This guitar was favored by . Amps, pedals, guitars, bass, drums, microphones, studio, and recording gear, I love it all. The Lifeson Signature model also had a fine-tuning Floyd Rose-type bridge. Btw, to answer your other question, to route an American standard 2 pole or a vintage routed body for a Floyd, you will need to fill the cavities and drill new holes then refinish. The keys are elongated so Lifeson can press them with his feet while still playing guitar. Wow, what an excellent rundown of Alexs gear and the videos were super entertaining! Opens in a new window or tab. There's also a 1992 PRS CE bolt-on neck guitar which was heavily used on Rush's 1993 album, Counterparts, and its accompanying tour which is expected to fetch between $50,000 and $70,000. 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. The 1210 is a spatial expander and chorus flanger that helps Lifeson create his unique Rush sound. Later, Lifeson admitted that he loved the sound of the Signatures, but he wasnt a fan of how they felt. BA1 1UA. They went out to the store and picked up a $59 Canora the following Christmas. This video is a few years old and was never published publicly, but people have be. "Freddy's Frets", a custom guitar shop from the Niagara on the Lake area on Ontario, has received permission direct from Alex Lifeson to create and sell replicas of his "Hentor Sportscaster" customized Fender Strat guitar. Thats how a three-piece rock band can produce sounds that even five-piece bands would struggle with! It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar," said the 68-year-old guitarist in a statement. It may not display this or other websites correctly. This isn't normally my thing, but I wanted to find out what made the mid 80's Alex Lifeson so distinct. For the Power Windows tour in 1985, Lifeson swapped out his chorus foot pedal for a rack-mounted TC Electronics 1210. Seymour Duncan released another AWESOME signature set! Up next, I'll be shielding the cavity, drilling the hole in the pickguard for the new switch location and then wiring it up. To craft his signature sound, he uses a myriad of effects pedals. The cheapest option is to buy an old body with the right routing for the pickups and start there, though you will have to compromise on something whether its having a Floyd recess, the color, etc. Alex Lifeson auctioning 60+ vintage guitars - The Music Universe He missed the sound of his old signatures and asked Paul Reed Smith to build him a PRS with one of the old pickups, so he did! The Strat above is the famous "Hentor Sportscaster" used during the Grace Under Pressure era. To do that, he has used a Morely Volume Pedal for almost his entire career. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. GUITARIST. I still use it a lot because of the 24 frets. Alex Lifesons very first guitar was a Kent steel-string acoustic his parents got him for Christmas when he was about 12 years old. It is indeed a Signature strat. In 2008, Alex Lifeson teamed up with his favorite guitar-makers to create a signature Gibson ES-355 thats (almost) as good as his original 1976 model. Im along for the ride. For a good chunk of the 1980s, Alex Lifeson used a mysterious guitar called a Hentor Sportscaster. The addition of all the pictures and videos just awesome. So I have a few builds going on, but with some spare alder, tomorrow I will embark on a Hentor Sportcaster inspired strat. beatbopboom. To reflect our commitment, we updated our terms and conditions. Of course, to craft his iconic sound, Lifeson has amassed quite the arsenal of gear. Im a fan of Alex Lifeson and Rush. Hi folks, New member to the forum here and wanted to share some pics from my first Warmoth build - a replica Hentor Sportcaster, based on the Fender Stratocaster that was the predecessor to the actual Hentor. The Bridgette Bardot reference? When Jeff Jones left the band, he was replaced by Lifesons high school friend Geddy Lee. Regular price $59.99 Geddy Lee Vintage Tour Edition Mini Fender Jazz Bass Model Officially Licensed. and volume and tone? JavaScript is disabled. What would a lead guitarist be without an awesome wah pedal!? PRODUCER. The Property from the Archives of Alex Lifeson auction will be split into two sessions, occurring at 10 a.m. Another guitar up for bids, Lifeson's 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar. Please call 877-687-4277 for assistance with placing . If you listen to any Rush songs written after 1982, theres a decent chance the guitar part was originally written on Lifesons 1952 Reissue Tele. Anyone know the details of that white strat with the black pickguard he used for a while? You can see this guitar in action throughout most of Rushs history, all the way from the 1970s in The Trees music video, through more recent tours, like on Working Man from the Time Machines Tour in 2011 (Lifeson really shreds on this one!). Lifeson loves playing heavy guitars, so being able to get that clean hollow-body sound out of a heavy guitar was like a dream come true. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The pickups were Alnico II replicas of the legendary 1950s PAF humbuckers that made Lifesons original 355 sound so good. So first things first, I needed do some neck and bridge work while I waited for the parts I ordered (we'll get to all that in a later post). ET on May 22. The Moog Taurus Bass Pedal looks like a small keyboard that fits on Lifesons pedalboard. Barenaked Ladies and Rush's Geddy Lee Are Working on a - Exclaim! https://images.reverb.com/image/upl,t_large/v1581972430/h0nfvf6whdarq19a1o7i.jpg, Fender "Squier Series" Floyd Rose Standard Stratocaster 1992 - 1996 | Reverb, https://reranchstore.stores.yahoo.net/vintagecream.html, https://www.tdpri.com/media/hentor-sportscaster-wiring-diagram.32741/full?d=1427069188, 2023: The Year Epiphone Became Unaffordable, Don't store picks in zip bags for too long. Lifeson played a Signature Aurora almost exclusively for the Power Windows Tour and kept it in rotation for a few shows after that. Alex Lifeson has announced plans to sell off his most iconic guitars for charity with Julien's Auctions.. Great gift for Rush fans! I do prefer the look with the white pickups. There will be a HB in the bridge and I need to make a trace for the 3 way toggle on the horn. All these amazing Lifeson-inspired features are finished off by an incredible figured maple top. That turned out just great! Sure thats the 4th one and not just some start they had around for the shoot? England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Although I do like a lot of their music, Im just not into a lot of the electronic/synth type stuff, but I do love guitars and amps and learning about them, especially when they are custom, modified (frankensteined sometimes), how theyre utilized, and just the history in general. That does it for this overview of the Alex Lifeson Guitar collection. All rights reserved. each Greenback speaker says RUSH RH3 and Brigette Bardot 007 (spelled wrong I know). RUSH Mini Guitars and Bass: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Replica