RallyCat909 Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I always thought these were great guitars, and I was wondering if Alex held onto them, or sold them off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignatureAurora75 Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) I've read interviews here and there with Alex, and he has stated that he usually doesn't get rid of his guitars. Although, he did say he gave a few to charity. I'm sure he has held on to that old Great White that he used around HYF time. The neck on it broke during a hand off to his guitar tech but I know he got a new neck for it. Shortly afterwards he switched over to PRS. I miss the Great White! I really wish he would bring that out again in the future. A lot of people say they don't like the guitar sound of that time (HYF, Presto). Those are my favorite guitar sounding albums. They blame the Signature Guitars solely for that unique sound, but most of them don't realize it's not just the guitars that created that sound, but added effects. The sound is mostly generated by the Gallien Krueger amps. I own two Signature guitars, one is an Aurora that is active and just like Alex's, (however mine is the curved top second generation). I love the pearl white color. The other is an earlier flat top Oracle. They both sound and play just lovely. Edited May 26, 2009 by SignatureAurora75 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PW_Guitarist Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 QUOTE (SignatureAurora75 @ May 26 2009, 02:06 AM) I own two Signature guitars, one is an Aurora that is active and just like Alex's, (however mine is the curved top second generation). I love the pearl white color. The other is an earlier flat top Oracle. They both sound and play just lovely. I agree! I collect them as well and they are great guitars that never got their just recognition. Top of the line quality and fantastic, clear sound. They sound nice clean, and if you want to fatten them up, get one with a double coil pickup. I have an Oracle which I used to record our demo of Time Stand Still (link in sig). I used the single-coil tap switch and had to crank the highs to maximum on both the amp and the guitar track EQ to get that unnaturally trebly sound. However, as they are, they sound much better without any tweaking. I think it was just a phase Lifeson was going through at the time to cut through all the layered synths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Sphinc-Tor Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 You guys NEED to post pics of the guitars!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soni Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 yeah!! Give us pics!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CygnusX-1Bk2 Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdouglas Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 (edited) QUOTE (PW_Guitarist @ May 26 2009, 07:19 AM) QUOTE (SignatureAurora75 @ May 26 2009, 02:06 AM) I own two Signature guitars, one is an Aurora that is active and just like Alex's, (however mine is the curved top second generation). I love the pearl white color. The other is an earlier flat top Oracle. They both sound and play just lovely. I think it was just a phase Lifeson was going through at the time to cut through all the layered synths. Thats what I always thought too. He was never involved in the edit/mixing process (heck they even pieced solos together for him from his series of improvs after he was long gone). He probably heard Signals for the first time as was like WTF? I know he has commented that Emotion Detector when completed ended up sounding nothing like he thought it was going to sound. I remember the press releases before every album after signals would say "this album has more guitar than the last"....yet they really didn't. Edited May 27, 2009 by jdouglas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignatureAurora75 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww289/shepwhite2112/DSC00400.jpg http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww289/shepwhite2112/DSC00401.jpg http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww289/shepwhite2112/DSC00403.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-0-0-1-0-0-1 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 QUOTE (SignatureAurora75 @ May 27 2009, 02:28 AM) http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww289/shepwhite2112/DSC00400.jpg Alex's white one didn't have that deep beveled edge, did it? In pics it looks like a flat top with only slightly rounded edges. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/1001001/Guitars/rollthebones-28.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/1001001/Guitars/2869769980046864695sEJweF_ph.jpg Other than that it has that familiar ASOH look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignatureAurora75 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 The word on the street is that Alex's Great White is serial# 925, which is actually the first production model. Yes, his is the first generation flat top like you have shown, while mine pictured is a curved top second generation. Also, his has passive evans pickups that were wired to a pre-amp. Mine came with active Fernandes pickups that sound great. But, you gotta love those Evans pickups which help give the Signatures their wonderful sound. Like the other guy I normally like to play with the push-pull pot out on the Oracle which deactivates one pickup on the Evans bridge humbucker, which leaves you with a single coil and a bright, cheerful, glowing, fabulous tone. http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww289/shepwhite2112/NewImage.jpg http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww289/shepwhite2112/alex901.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Sphinc-Tor Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 QUOTE (jdouglas @ May 26 2009, 09:10 PM) QUOTE (PW_Guitarist @ May 26 2009, 07:19 AM) QUOTE (SignatureAurora75 @ May 26 2009, 02:06 AM) I own two Signature guitars, one is an Aurora that is active and just like Alex's, (however mine is the curved top second generation). I love the pearl white color. The other is an earlier flat top Oracle. They both sound and play just lovely. I think it was just a phase Lifeson was going through at the time to cut through all the layered synths. Thats what I always thought too. He was never involved in the edit/mixing process (heck they even pieced solos together for him from his series of improvs after he was long gone). He probably heard Signals for the first time as was like WTF? I know he has commented that Emotion Detector when completed ended up sounding nothing like he thought it was going to sound. I remember the press releases before every album after signals would say "this album has more guitar than the last"....yet they really didn't. He played Strats (or Hentor if you wanna be REALLY silly) on PW and Sigs. I agree with the "more guitar" comment though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Sphinc-Tor Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 QUOTE (SignatureAurora75 @ May 27 2009, 02:28 AM) http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww289/shepwhite2112/DSC00400.jpg http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww289/shepwhite2112/DSC00401.jpg http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww289/shepwhite2112/DSC00403.jpg Were'd you find the guitars? I've been looking for about 20 years and never so much as seen one (except for Lerxst on stage). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crockettsonny84 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 QUOTE (SignatureAurora75 @ May 26 2009, 02:06 AM) I've read interviews here and there with Alex, and he has stated that he usually doesn't get rid of his guitars. Although, he did say he gave a few to charity. I'm sure he has held on to that old Great White that he used around HYF time. The neck on it broke during a hand off to his guitar tech but I know he got a new neck for it. Shortly afterwards he switched over to PRS. I miss the Great White! I really wish he would bring that out again in the future. A lot of people say they don't like the guitar sound of that time (HYF, Presto). Those are my favorite guitar sounding albums. They blame the Signature Guitars solely for that unique sound, but most of them don't realize it's not just the guitars that created that sound, but added effects. The sound is mostly generated by the Gallien Krueger amps. I own two Signature guitars, one is an Aurora that is active and just like Alex's, (however mine is the curved top second generation). I love the pearl white color. The other is an earlier flat top Oracle. They both sound and play just lovely. I read in an interview that Alex used his black Hentor for the rhythm on the album, plus during sound checks. He saved the signature for the direct work and solos as well as dabbling a little bit of Tele here and there. He wanted to create a response with the three using the Hentor for the low end, the tele for the high end, and the signature for the stuff in the middle. Its kinda cool how he got the idea though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbarlint Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo157/mrbarlint/mygear074-1.jpg[/img] http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo157/mrbarlint/mygear072.jpg[/img] http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo157/mrbarlint/mygear076.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignatureAurora75 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 That Odyssey is beautiful! Truly stunning, great pictures. I want a VISIONARY!! That to me is like hitting the lottery. Love my Gallien Krueger 2000CPL, I have been searching hard for the RFG5 foot switch for it with no luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdouglas Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 QUOTE (SignatureAurora75 @ May 27 2009, 09:46 PM) That Odyssey is beautiful!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-0-0-1-0-0-1 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 QUOTE (jdouglas @ May 27 2009, 11:20 PM) QUOTE (SignatureAurora75 @ May 27 2009, 09:46 PM) That Odyssey is beautiful!. Well, HE thinks it is. I think it is too, even though I'm not crazy about that extreme beveled edge. I always liked the shape of those guitars, and the wood and coloring on that one is pretty nice. As far as how they sound, I've only heard Alex play them through solid state GK amps, and as a tube junkie, that is my least favorite Alex guitar tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Sphinc-Tor Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ May 28 2009, 12:40 AM) QUOTE (jdouglas @ May 27 2009, 11:20 PM) QUOTE (SignatureAurora75 @ May 27 2009, 09:46 PM) That Odyssey is beautiful!. Well, HE thinks it is. I think it is too, even though I'm not crazy about that extreme beveled edge. I always liked the shape of those guitars, and the wood and coloring on that one is pretty nice. As far as how they sound, I've only heard Alex play them through solid state GK amps, and as a tube junkie, that is my least favorite Alex guitar tone. That is anice guitar although i too am not too crazy about the bevelling as well, or the tone on records....but I'd take one. I ask once more...where did you guys find them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PW_Guitarist Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 That Odyssey is indeed gorgeous. I love to see different colors from the ones originally offered, especially the lacquered ones that show the wood grain. That is a nice birdseye maple. A lot of the last bolt-ons that came out of the Godin factory had some interesting features and shades. I have a green Pegasus with carved top, "binding" and 3-way switch (see below). The Evans pickups are no longer available. 2 years ago, there was a local guy selling a mint Visionary in red for $1500. I was out of work at the time so I hesitated and it was gone. I am still kicking myself, but I'm happy with my neck-through Odyssey. I bought that from the luthier who knew Russ Heinl and bought the last of the unfinished Signature assembly line guitars. He also didn't like the carve, finding it too sharp, and thought the tremolo cavity looked like an "ashtray" . Still, as a luthier, he really admired their quality. Signature guitars used to be fairly common sight in used music shops out here in eastern Canada, but they are gettign harder to find. http://pages.videotron.ca/rushtnb/Signatures.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbarlint Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 that truly is a super "sexy" collection of Signatures PW Guitarist!!! I do remember you posting some pics a while back in the Guitar section. Nice job. i have seen a few on Ebay over the last few weeks, though the prices were pretty pretty high. SignatureAurora75....love that Aurora!!! Thank you for the comments guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Sphinc-Tor Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 QUOTE (PW_Guitarist @ May 28 2009, 08:09 AM) That Odyssey is indeed gorgeous. I love to see different colors from the ones originally offered, especially the lacquered ones that show the wood grain. That is a nice birdseye maple. A lot of the last bolt-ons that came out of the Godin factory had some interesting features and shades. I have a green Pegasus with carved top, "binding" and 3-way switch (see below). The Evans pickups are no longer available. 2 years ago, there was a local guy selling a mint Visionary in red for $1500. I was out of work at the time so I hesitated and it was gone. I am still kicking myself, but I'm happy with my neck-through Odyssey. I bought that from the luthier who knew Russ Heinl and bought the last of the unfinished Signature assembly line guitars. He also didn't like the carve, finding it too sharp, and thought the tremolo cavity looked like an "ashtray" . Still, as a luthier, he really admired their quality. Signature guitars used to be fairly common sight in used music shops out here in eastern Canada, but they are gettign harder to find. http://pages.videotron.ca/rushtnb/Signatures.jpg Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CygnusX-1Bk2 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 (edited) QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ May 27 2009, 08:40 PM) QUOTE (jdouglas @ May 27 2009, 11:20 PM) QUOTE (SignatureAurora75 @ May 27 2009, 09:46 PM) That Odyssey is beautiful!. Well, HE thinks it is. I think it is too, even though I'm not crazy about that extreme beveled edge. I always liked the shape of those guitars, and the wood and coloring on that one is pretty nice. As far as how they sound, I've only heard Alex play them through solid state GK amps, and as a tube junkie, that is my least favorite Alex guitar tone. To me these guitars are derivatives of derivatives. There is nothing original about them. They are strat types with Kramer/Jackson/Charvel/Explorer headstocks and active pickups. You might as well buy a Fender and modify it. I have always referred to these as "no-tone" guitars because they have no actual tone themselves, it is a manufactured tone, not organic like the guitars these are modeled after. I used to feel that way about Parker Flies (Fly's?); no-tone. But a friend of mine has one that sounds pretty good. Why do you think Alex has gone back to Gibsons, Fenders, and even Paul Reed Smiths? Same reason other manufacturers have "borrowed" designs. Because those guitars have flavor and originality. These things are niche, which is fine for guys who are into that. But the only real appeal for these is to Alex Lifeson fans. But that's me. The burst one is pretty, though. Edited May 28, 2009 by CygnusX-1Bk2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignatureAurora75 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 To be honest I was quite sceptical at first like you. True that they don't really have an original design, except for the routed tops which I think make it look like an original. But the actually WERE designed by Alex Lifeson himself, which kicks ass! A friend of mine has the fifth serial Signature which I have played. I have never felt an electric guitar vibrate and sound so brilliant unplugged in my life. On top of that, it's a bolt on. You can really feel these vibrate through the necks. The bolt on Signatures actually sound better than the neck thru's. They sound better than my neck thru PRS custom 24. Alex probably loved his Great White more than any other Signature because it had its own flavor and originality. I wouldn't doubt he will bring that back out again sometime. Everyone has different tastes. I get so sick and tired of hearing the standard Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster tones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CygnusX-1Bk2 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Rick Turner Model 1 Brian May Guitars Here are two original sounding guitars that are not Strat, Les Paul or Tele... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdouglas Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 (edited) Sorry, I don't know if it's the paint, gold hardware, odd pickup covers, or strange buttons, .....actually It's all of them together I think. I'm sure it plays well / sounds good...just alot going on there for me. I'm also sure the topic was the quality and availablity of these, not colors.... Anyone got sound clips of one dry straight into the board maybe?? btw, thanks Cyg. I never knew what Lindsey's guitar was..love his tone with that thing. Edited May 30, 2009 by jdouglas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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