By _pete_, November 22, 2009 in Electric Guitars. alex lifeson hentor hentor sportscaster rush sportscaster strat modification stratocaster 1; 2; Next. What is giving Ronnie Wood his tone in this song? Welcome to the all-new home of Alex Lifeson on the web. While most Gibson Axcess models include chambering (hollowing out parts of the body) for weight reduction, Lifesons model has no chambering. Early FR bridge? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Lifeson said it had a really nice balance when he played it, and it had everything he looks for in a guitar. JavaScript is disabled. Im a fan of Alex Lifeson and Rush. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. * A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster played by Lifeson on most Rush albums since "Moving Pictures, . Fax: 310-742-0155, A 1976 custom-built Gibson ES-355TD, aka Whitey, played by Lifeson throughout most of his career with Rush. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar," said the 68-year-old guitarist in a statement. By clicking Subscribe, I agree to receive exclusive offers & promotions, news & reviews, and personalized tips for buying and selling on Reverb. 70s style strat body finished in nitro lacquer. He uses this amp to add a little extra to his regular tone. He also has another early 90s PRS in Tobacco Sunburst that has a signature pickup in the bridge positionfrom his old Signature Aurora days. It is this performance which critics point to when asked to define the sound of Rush. I actually cut two templates and stacked them together to give the template some more heighth. Other guitars featured in the Property from the Archives of Alex Lifeson auction include a 1976 Gibson J-55 acoustic used by Lifeson to compose Rush's 1976 platinum-selling album 2112; a 1990 Fender Strat which appears on the majority of latter-day Rush albums; and a 2015 limited run Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck guitar created specifically for Rush's 40th Anniversary R40 tour. In addition to the Hiwatt 100s, Lifeson also used a Fender J.B.L. In 2007, the company was bought by Gibson and eventually closed in 2010. This would have been in the early 80s. What would a lead guitarist be without an awesome wah pedal!? All his Strats were 1977 models and I believe all had alder bodies. But this is all for today. Lifeson also brought the guitar on the road extensively during the band's career. 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. If you arent confident with wiring 920D and plenty of others can provide you with a good quality wiring harness for ~$80. Well from that pic it s a slab board with a bullet truss rod so most likely a custom built something. I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. 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. Unfortunately, at a show in 1977, the band was opening for Blue yster Cult and one of the horns fell off the PA system. #1. These two upgrades as well as others are listed in my OPTIONS category. In the rock and roll world, theres hardly anything cooler than a double-necked guitar. I'm 99% sure he used his Hentor Sportscaster for that and for the hyper-clean arpeggios during the choruses. Alex Lifeson's equipment in the chronological order he acquired them. For more information, head to Julien's Auctions (opens in new tab). By clicking Subscribe, I agree to receive exclusive offers & promotions, news & reviews, and personalized tips for buying and selling on Reverb. "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. California LOL. Commencing May 20, the sale dubbed Property from the Archives of Alex Lifeson will take place Sunday, May 22 at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York and online at the company's website (opens in new tab). (I was gonna sell the black one but I'm leaning towards selling the white Hentor Sportscaster now.) To make sure everything matched onstage, Lifeson had his Hughes & Kettner cabinets built to look like steampunk machines, complete with copper piping, gauges, and even a small television screen. 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! My name is Chris and Ive had a passion for music and guitars for as long as I can remember. This was my main '90s-era Paul Reed Smith guitar, Lifeson says. ), https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/394/lot/177456?url=%2Fauctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F394%3Fpage%3D1%26view%3Dlist%26catm%3Dany%26order%3Dorder_num%26xclosed%3Dno%26featured%3Dno%26key%3Drush, First Warmoth Build - Hentor Sportscaster, My 2nd Warmoth Build: Diamondback SG Style, Warmoth CBS neck, modern construction, ebony fretboard, mother of pearl dot inlays, black binding, Warmoth custom pickguard in black-n-white tuxedo, Original Floyd Rose bridge with locking nut, Bill Lawrence L500 humbucker with chrome housing - bridge, Gibson style 3-way 3 pickup toggle switch, Fender tweed case with red poodle lining, complete with case candy. Lifesons main EDS-1275 is white and features humbuckers on both sides of the guitar. Fender PA 100. Vintage 80s Rush - Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson On Stage - Pin / Button / Badge. With my engineering experience, Ive developed as a designer of guitar amplifiers and effects. Of course, a legendary rocker like Alex Lifeson cant go on tour without an awesome double-necked guitar, so he replaced it with a Gibson Signature Alex Lifeson EDS-1275 Doubleneck prototype, which he nicknamed Heavy Bastard, for obvious reasons. Alex Lifeson has given me permission to backwards engineer and meticulously blueprint his iconic Hentor Sportscaster so that I may make and sell accurate replicas. He started playing a Gibson ES-335 at the start of his musical career, then moved on to a Gibson Les Paul. Here are a couple of shots of the final product. The second output jack on his guitar is just for the piezo pickup. It only came with a white finish (of course) and featured gold hardware. That does it for this overview of the Alex Lifeson Guitar collection. He would also use it in live shows, pushing a Marshall 412 cabinet. It was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. Another notable guitar going under the hammer is Lifeson's 1980 Hentor Sportscaster, the custom electric guitar which Lifeson played on albums such as 1981's Moving Pictures and 1984's Grace Under Pressure. It has the same pickups, bridge, and hardware that youd find on any 52 reissue. Let us know if you have any questions or comments below! Signature is the brand not to be confused with a fender signature strat. Specifically, he used three Hiwatt 100s pushing four 412 Hiwatt cabinets. Lifeson has several of these Les Paul Axcess in his arsenal, most notably in Black, Royal Crimson, and Viceroy Brown. Hello my fellow Rush fans! They recruited bassist and vocalist Jeff Jones and became The Projection, which eventually became Rush in 1968. Hey! He did, however, modify his 1958 Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Reissue to include a Piezo pickup in the bridge along with dual outputsa configuration he later incorporated into his own Gibson signature model. Used - Mint. Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments. It smashed right into his prized ES-335 (and his double-neck EDS-1275, which well get to later), cracking the headstock. The auction will also play host to a 1976 Gibson Dove acoustic guitar which was used to write several songs from 1977's A Farewell to Kings, including Closer to the Heart and a 1970 Gibson Les Paul acquired by Lifeson during Rush's inaugural tour in 1974. each Greenback speaker says RUSH RH3 and Brigette Bardot 007 (spelled wrong I know). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. Ive seen pictures of the original with white pickups and a non fine tuner Floyd also. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar." . Best regards! Months after Alex Lifeson detailed his post-Rush project Envy of None, it's been revealed that friend and bandmate Geddy Lee is at work with the Barenaked Ladies on a "secret" new project. From 1980 to 1986, Lifeson used four identically modified Stratocasters, all of them equipped with the Floyd Rose bridge. You can see this model in action on Far Cry from the Snakes & Arrows tour. Some reference if you can stand the 80'sness of the videos. "I used a white modified Fender Strat that I called the 'Hentor Sportscaster'. 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.. So I have a few builds going on, but with some spare alder, tomorrow I will embark on a Hentor Sportcaster inspired strat. Alex Lifeson is often regarded as one of the most underrated electric guitar players of all time, . Once Rush started hitting it big, Alex Lifeson went out and bought a Fender Super Reverb amp. A video diary of a handmade replica of Alex Lifeson's Hentor Sportscaster. That's some impressive knowledge John C. Didn't he use a white one like that during the recording and touring of Moving Pictures? No, that's not the Signature guitar; those had active single coils and no pickguard, and those were circa 1987 or so (Hold Your Fire). It may not display this or other websites correctly. The Gear Page is the leading online community and marketplace for guitars, amps, pedals, effects and associated gear. Bath From what I've researched, there were numerous versions until he arrived at what most people consider the final "official" Sportscaster, the white one with the rosewood fretboard. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar.. The 1210 is a spatial expander and chorus flanger that helps Lifeson create his unique Rush sound. Hello my fellow Rush fans! For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I'm just gonna go ahead and share my work. 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. Handmade by luthier Freddy Gabrsek in Ontario, Canada, this guitar was made for me that took nearly 10 months to complete. Always interesting to see these builds - Alex definitely had a bunch of different "looks" for his Strats over the years before evolving to that somewhat "final" white Hentor. To power his arsenal of guitars, Alex Lifeson needs quite a few amps to project his sound to a stadium filled with thousands of people. Since its creation in 2011, this guitar has become one of Lifesons primary players. In addition to his arsenal of Les Pauls and ES-355s, Lifeson also carried a 1952 Reissue Fender Telecaster with him on the road. Julien's Auctions announces the "Property From the Archives of Alex Lifeson" auction on May 22nd at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York and online. You can see it rocking on Working Man during this early Rush performance. ", 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.. Keith. Part of our Music Icons auction happening on May 20th, 21st and 22nd, 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. Lifeson picked up one of their mandolins to use for a handful of songs, and sometimes, for only part of a song. Lifeson also regularly used the guitar on tour and in music videos over the years. This is an awesome guitar. My background is in Electrical Engineering, earning a Bachelors degree from Youngstown State University. You can see these cabinets in action on the Time Machines tour. On ESL, the white Strat had a Gibson humbucker and the stock Fender bridge. As a subscriber enjoy big savings off the shop price! He bought a 1968 Gibson ES-335 for Rushs first tour. Gibson is selling some of the most valuable vintage guitars in its vault direct to customers as part of new Certified Vintage program, Insomnium's Markus Vanhala unleashes fretboard fury in The Witch Hunter playthrough, Fender teams up with Mastodon's Troy Sanders for well-spec'd Silverburst signature P-Bass, Sophie Burrell: I dont care too much about speed Id rather sound more like David Gilmour and play with feel, Bernth recreates everybodys childhood music experiment by using rubber bands as guitar strings but somehow manages to make them sound decent. You could probably do it with a drill and then rout a couple of channels by just lining up a couple of strips of wood to act as a template. It can be heard on 16 of the band's studio albums from their 1974 self-titled debut to 1996's Test for Echo and seen in several music videos. Its essentially an oversized hollow-body Les Paul. After a year strumming the Kent acoustic, Lifeson started begging his parents for an electric guitar. PILOT. Your passion for many of the same things is obvious. Figure this was the bass cabinet (bottom) of the 3rd stack, I believe Alex used 4 stacks at the time. I updated the permissions on the media folder so hopefully that fixes the issue. The guitar is reportedly Lifeson's favorite guitar for soloing, and was used to record the solo for Rush's 1981 hit, Limelight (from Moving Pictures, released the same year). The Sportscaster's heavy yet versatile sound embodies Rush's bold sonic . The guitar is reportedly Lifeson's favorite guitar for soloing, and was used to record the solo for Rush's 1981 hit, Limelight . Watch this gear and we'll notify you if it becomes available again. For a limited time, save in the Gibson European Demo Shop. Even though its technically a hollow body, the Gibson HRF has a maple spur that runs through the middle of the body, which gives it some weight. Nov 4, 2017 #1 AnalogKid68 TDPRI Member. Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care. The body is from a 2014 Fender Japan ST62-FR. See the full list of notable Alex Lifeson Guitars below. I still use it a lot because of the 24 frets. I don't know if helps that one is emulating tape the other emulating . It also had a Tune-O-Matic bridge and a Maestro Long Vibrola tailpiece. Alex Lifeson plays a Gibson Les Paul Axcess guitar. JavaScript is disabled. Learn More. Ive been playing guitar since I was 13 years old and am an avid collector. Lifeson controls which amp he wants to use with a foot pedal switcher. The Strat above is the famous "Hentor Sportscaster" used during the Grace Under Pressure era. Success! Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. LIFESON. While in my possession over the last few months I made suggestions to Alex on upgrading the guitar. Bill Lawrence L500 humbucker, Dimarzio single coils, bone nut, non-fine tuner Floyd Rose, Schaller tuners, Northern Ash body, Rock Maple neck and Gaboon ebony fingerboard with medium jumbo stainless steel frets, nitro lacquer, hipshot locking tuners, three way switch, large brass sustain block, Hentor Sportscaster logo on peghead face, Freddy Gabrsek logo and serial number on peghead back. and volume and tone? For the Hemispheres tour, Lifeson swapped from his standard Fender Super Reverb to Hiwatt amps. The amp setup was a couple of Dean Markley 2x12 combos, two Marshall 2x12 combos, two . Nice job. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. It was a real workhorse and I loved it.. Joined . It was Lifeson's favorite guitar for soloing and can be heard on the solo for "Limelight." I never noticed the inverted jack on that thing. Despite the rough playability, Lifeson loved that guitar, and it started him on a musical journey that would last for the rest of his life. In 2011, Alex Lifeson got to team up with his friends at Gibson once again to create another unique signature guitar. For a limited time, save in the Gibson European Demo ShopUp to 25% off select Gibson guitarsShop now, View similar gear from other sellers on Reverb. After he picked it up around 1980, the HRF became one of his primary players for the next few tours and albums. I held them together with double stick tape, and then I stuck the template on the guitar with the same double-stick tape. The black one is exclusive to Alex, you wont be able to find a signature model of that one in stores! I do prefer the look with the white pickups. Regular price $ . A portion of the proceeds will go to the Grapes Under Pressure charity. Over the years, Lifeson has used almost countless Gibson Les Pauls on stage and in the studio. Finally, Lifeson would get his own signature Gibson Les Paul! Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, who is gearing up to release a debut album with new project Envy of None, is giving his . Rush drummer Neil Peart tragically died yesterday from cancer, and his final public words to Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson came during a 2017 Classic Rock Magazine interview where he discussed a new . The Myth of Creation Legend has it that Russ Heinl, an old buddy of Alex's, approached him in 1986 with a prototype of a new MIDI pickup. * 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 . There have been various discussions over the years, for those looking to build their own replicas of Alex's customized Strats, and not only do I want . EUR Anyone know the details of that white strat with the black pickguard he used for a while? The Signature brand guitars were equal in quality to Schecters or Perfomance at that time, and they are even rarer. I just goes to show how great Rush fans and Alex Lifeson fans are. After playing it Alex wasn't to impressed with the pickup but thought the Guitar the pickup was installed in was great! A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. Alex Lifeson is always looking for new sounds to add to the Rush repertoire. 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. Regular price $59.99 Geddy Lee Vintage Tour Edition Mini Fender Jazz Bass Model Officially Licensed. Learn More. I've read he used Floyd Rose tremolos with and without the fine tuners, and there are versions with the cream-colored humbucker and some with the black and chrome humbucker.

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