Alex poo-poo's his Signature!

[CRANKMY5150]

I happen to like the three toggle switches. I find I have so many different combinations of tonal choices with this guitar, it's incredible. Not to mention the push / pull volume and tone control, plus I like the ability to turn the pick up off and on with the rear toggle to create some interesting effects. In other words, this guitar kicks serious arse. There is no comparison of a Signature to other mass marketed guitars. The quality and care put into these instruments speaks for itself. Much like Phil's comment, I like having something unusual as this, not something you find hanging in any guitar store. Plus being Canadian it makes me proud knowing it was built in Aurora, Ontario Canada. Not far from where I live.

 

Enough talk. Pictures!

Here is my Signature Odyssey recently autographed by Russ Heinl himself. Also pictured an Alex Lifeson autographed Hold Your Fire cassette, one of the albums Alex used these fine guitars on.

 

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/crankmy5150/DSCF9921.jpg

 

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/crankmy5150/DSCF9920.jpg

 

Here is the use and care manual meticulously duplicated by the late great Steven Ford who was also a fellow Signature guitar nut. May he forever rest in peace :(

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/crankmy5150/DSCF9383.jpg

 

Signature guitar case:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/crankmy5150/DSCF9382-1.jpg

 

And here is our boss playing a Siggy. I dunno, I don't think he looked uncomfortable playing it!

 

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/crankmy5150/AlexwithSig-1.jpg

 

Here is how it would look if one day I was so fortunate to have Alex sign my guitar! This is only a decal but fun none the less.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/crankmy5150/DSCF9098.jpg

 

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/crankmy5150/Overallaft2.jpg

 

Hope you dig it!

Adam

[Babycat]

^Awesome! :ebert:

[TheSpiritOfLerxst]

QUOTE (jdouglas @ Jan 12 2012, 11:43 PM) So they sound bad AND play bad? Yikes.

 

I almost scored a very used one for dirt cheap, but I couldn't get past the licensed Floyd. Not a fan of the Floyd copies in general..they sound too thin. IMO. I'd be happier with an ibanez 540 in that space I think.

 

The oracles were very different from the others. I had the aurora but I really didn't like that one, bolt on neck, basswood body...sounded like meh!

But the oracle with the neck through construction , flame maple cap was a different beast entirely!

 

 

 

I thought the Aurora had an alder body. Did you specifically order yours with a basswood body or did they all have basswood?

[SignatureAurora]

hey all,,,just setting the record straight for SignatureAurora75 (Nice name lol)....uhmm YES indeed Alex did indeed use Evans E-1 Eliminator Hot Lead single coil p/u exclusively on the three records (there were smatterings of it on Counterparts for the atmospheric stuff when he used his GK based rack). Check my old posts, assuming they are still here. i haven't posted in many years i've been on since about 2001 or so, life has just hit hard the past few years..anywho...

 

i go into GRAVE detail on his Great White as well as his equipment for those years, setting too i believe. Rod Evans created an on-board preamp for Alex, which was installed in ALL of Alex' Signatures of the period. it helped increase sustain a bit, offered more clarity and added that "shimmer" so prevelant to his sound back then. He DI'd into the studio board with high compression and reverb and mixed in his '52 tele and black strat with them.THAT is why they are spoken of as "active" even though, technically, the E1's are a passive pickup. a battery is used to power the preamp and the pot values are changed from 250 down to 25. every song on HYF and RTB and parts of Counterparts, where Alex plays a Signature features Alex using EVANS. You can also easily find interviews where Alex SPECIFICALLY states they are Evans. The balance of that sound was the GK 2000cpls and his Dean Markley comobo doing their job. Live, he essentially used a three-way stereo rig, including an offstage set up with a digitech effects processor for additional processing from the sound board operator to be bought in and out throughout the show, most during the finale at the end during La Villa.

 

I own many Signature guitars and am friends with Rod and Russ as well as other's from the Signature days. I own a few of the preamps and had Rod build some of those preamps for mine as well and.they are installed in all of my Signatures. they sound beautiful to me. cranked to Spinal tap high gain setting of "11" they are hum free. Fernandes/EMG made a version of the Evans circuit "active circuit." I own a set of the original Signature/Fernandes, three single coil actives. THEY ARE the sterile sounding ones..lol. That partnership of fernandes/EMG and Signature would essentially create what would be the prototype of the EMG SA pickup, which is still in production today.only later on would Signature begin to use Seymour Duncan p/u's as a third option,

 

blues great Jeff Healy was a GREAT endorser and user of Evans until he died...check out HIS tone with the Evans...

 

Hope this helps...

[GreatWhiteSignature]

Hello, I'm new to the forum, and have some update for this topic! I'm the person who has acquired Alex's Signature Aurora and am resurrecting the Signature Guitar Co. Website, as I've acquired the Domain "Signatureguitarco.com" & "Signatureguitarco.ca". I'm looking to get any photo's of any memorabilia, period photos' from the factory or members stories and photos' of their Signature Guitars, to add to the owner registry and photo gallery. Any help would be appreciated! PS: I have Russ Heinl's permission and input for this. It would be a great way to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the company that was founded in 1987. Cheers!

[TheSpiritOfLerxst]

Hi Lee, good to see you here!

[TFEman]

Hello, I'm new to the forum, and have some update for this topic! I'm the person who has acquired Alex's Signature Aurora and am resurrecting the Signature Guitar Co. Website, as I've acquired the Domain "Signatureguitarco.com" & "Signatureguitarco.ca". I'm looking to get any photo's of any memorabilia, period photos' from the factory or members stories and photos' of their Signature Guitars, to add to the owner registry and photo gallery. Any help would be appreciated! PS: I have Russ Heinl's permission and input for this. It would be a great way to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the company that was founded in 1987. Cheers!

Look in the Signature Guitar Co. Facebook. They always post pictures of owners' guitars and they also post ads of Signatures for sale.

[GreatWhiteSignature]

Thanks TFEman, I've been on the site for a few years now, and am working with Phil (the person who runs it) to gather information and I'll be using his registry....Thanks!