Your favorite Geddy Lee bass

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

I have over 80 basses, but I am partial to Ricks. I'm up to 26 now...here are two of my most recent acquisitions, a walnut 4003w and a 1-of-1 special seagreen 4001C64. But, I also love Fenders as I have 21 Jazz and Precision basses including a 1998 first run Geddy signature model when it was supposed to be a limited edition...but the Ricks are my favorite, even though the company's quality control and customer service are questionable as of late...and no, I don't keep the stupid stickers on the pickguards; the pictures were taken when they were factory fresh.

 

 

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n233/ggoatt/4003wneater.jpg

 

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n233/ggoatt/frysnazhftbkbyj7abto.jpg

 

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n233/ggoatt/SeaGreenSpecial4001C64.jpg

Wow, that's amazing. I am incredibly jealous. IMO the Rick 4001 is the most beautiful instrument ever made

[Lorraine]

I can't tell one from the other. I only know they are different colors. Is this an intelligent response or what?

[WorkingAllTheTime]

I am partial to the Ric. It just has a growl that I appreciate. After that, the Fender.

 

Mostly, though, I am jealous of any of you who can play any sort of instrument well - especially the bass. I have always loved the bass. Alas, it's just not in my DNA. My kids, though, especially my daughter, are quite musical (she is a music major in college, in fact - vocal/opera focus). I am astounded by her ability to pick up an instrument, have no formal training, and within a couple of days play it well.

If I can do it anyone can. Learn to play.

 

Trust me. I am trying. One challenge is that a youth of hockey and football mangled a couple of my fingers. They aren't entirely gnarly, but I have only limited control over my ring finger on the left hand (a problem given I am right handed). A couple of friends have reminded me, though, that Tony Iommi plays without two fingertips on his fret hand.... so, yeah, maybe I can learn to bang my way through it.

[edhunter]

The Wal fit the Power Windows and Hold Your Fire material perfectly.

 

That being said...

 

Everything else sucked with it...ESPECIALLY when he played ANYTHING old with it...it wasn't the bass's fault as much as the tone Geddy was using then which had NO distortion or thickness; it just made anything live that wasn't originally on those two aforementioned albums sound completely thin, empty, and ball-less. Plunky plunky crap.

 

But again...the Wal sounds great on Power Windows and Hold Your Fire material, especially on the original A Show of Hands VHS mix (before Alex raped it and took all the definition away from the bass while accentuating his thin wiry 80's guitar tone).

 

I like PW and HYF quite a bit, but the bass on those records comes more from the pedals. Alex was still using Strats on PW so it sounds much fatter. HYF is somewhat brittle because neither the Wal or those Signatures had any meat on them.

The bass mostly comes from the pedals? Sure, there are times when bass pedals are used, but definitely not MOST of it

 

I know Geddy's playing all over the place on those records, as my hours spent transcribing all those songs will attest, but if you took the pedals out (since they're in every song at some point), the album would sound more like Presto, and to a lesser extent, RTB. And that's not a good thing.

 

I'd love to hear what those records would sound like if Geddy and Alex went back and rerecorded them with their current instruments. Not so much PW, since I really like that one, but definitely the three after it.

[The Analog Cub]

I'd love to hear what those records would sound like if Geddy and Alex went back and rerecorded them with their current instruments. Not so much PW, since I really like that one, but definitely the three after it.

 

Still hoping they'll pull out Prime Mover or Lock And Key for next tour. They were probably the heaviest tracks on Hold Your Fire other than Force Ten and I think they'd sound really good with the Les Paul and the Jazz.

[bluefox4000]

I'd love to hear what those records would sound like if Geddy and Alex went back and rerecorded them with their current instruments. Not so much PW, since I really like that one, but definitely the three after it.

 

Still hoping they'll pull out Prime Mover or Lock And Key for next tour. They were probably the heaviest tracks on Hold Your Fire other than Force Ten and I think they'd sound really good with the Les Paul and the Jazz.

 

I've been hoping for prime mover forever. If i'm not mistaken they only only played it on the tour supporting it's album.

 

I could be wrong though.

 

Mick

[Narps]

I'd love to hear what those records would sound like if Geddy and Alex went back and rerecorded them with their current instruments. Not so much PW, since I really like that one, but definitely the three after it.

 

Still hoping they'll pull out Prime Mover or Lock And Key for next tour. They were probably the heaviest tracks on Hold Your Fire other than Force Ten and I think they'd sound really good with the Les Paul and the Jazz.

"Almost" anything from HYF would be fine with me..... :dweez:

[The Analog Cub]

I'd love to hear what those records would sound like if Geddy and Alex went back and rerecorded them with their current instruments. Not so much PW, since I really like that one, but definitely the three after it.

 

Still hoping they'll pull out Prime Mover or Lock And Key for next tour. They were probably the heaviest tracks on Hold Your Fire other than Force Ten and I think they'd sound really good with the Les Paul and the Jazz.

"Almost" anything from HYF would be fine with me..... :dweez:

 

Bracing for High Water in 2015.

[Narps]

I'd love to hear what those records would sound like if Geddy and Alex went back and rerecorded them with their current instruments. Not so much PW, since I really like that one, but definitely the three after it.

 

Still hoping they'll pull out Prime Mover or Lock And Key for next tour. They were probably the heaviest tracks on Hold Your Fire other than Force Ten and I think they'd sound really good with the Les Paul and the Jazz.

"Almost" anything from HYF would be fine with me..... :dweez:

 

Bracing for High Water in 2015.

I will need to pee at some point I guess.....

[edhunter]

I'd love to hear what those records would sound like if Geddy and Alex went back and rerecorded them with their current instruments. Not so much PW, since I really like that one, but definitely the three after it.

 

Still hoping they'll pull out Prime Mover or Lock And Key for next tour. They were probably the heaviest tracks on Hold Your Fire other than Force Ten and I think they'd sound really good with the Les Paul and the Jazz.

 

I've been hoping for prime mover forever. If i'm not mistaken they only only played it on the tour supporting it's album.

 

I could be wrong though.

 

Mick

 

You're not.

[Spaghetti Lee]

Bracing for High Water in 2015.

 

Oh God I hope the phr*ck not.

 

The sound of a toilet overflowing with high water is more musically redeeming than the bowel-fest that is "High Water."

[Narps]

Bracing for High Water in 2015.

 

Oh God I hope the phr*ck not.

 

The sound of a toilet overflowing with high water is more musically redeeming than the bowel-fest that is "High Water."

The crowd at the restrooms will suck too.....

[PolarizeMe]

The Wal fit the Power Windows and Hold Your Fire material perfectly.

 

That being said...

 

Everything else sucked with it...ESPECIALLY when he played ANYTHING old with it...it wasn't the bass's fault as much as the tone Geddy was using then which had NO distortion or thickness; it just made anything live that wasn't originally on those two aforementioned albums sound completely thin, empty, and ball-less. Plunky plunky crap.

 

But again...the Wal sounds great on Power Windows and Hold Your Fire material, especially on the original A Show of Hands VHS mix (before Alex raped it and took all the definition away from the bass while accentuating his thin wiry 80's guitar tone).

 

Geddy himself seems to agree with you. In one interview he said that the Wal sounded right at times but other times it sounded really wrong to him. In another interview he said that when the band came to do Counterparts, he wanted to rock it out more and that the Wal is not a great "rock bass" in terms of having a beastly bottom end tone.

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

I'd love to hear what those records would sound like if Geddy and Alex went back and rerecorded them with their current instruments. Not so much PW, since I really like that one, but definitely the three after it.

 

Still hoping they'll pull out Prime Mover or Lock And Key for next tour. They were probably the heaviest tracks on Hold Your Fire other than Force Ten and I think they'd sound really good with the Les Paul and the Jazz.

Lock and Key would be awesome! Right at the top of my wish list along with Xanadu, Turn the Page, Cinderella Man, and Emotion Detector

[Mr. JD]

My favorite Geddy bass is his black '72 Jazz Bass. I love it's tone. Another cool thing about that bass is that the bridge pickup was rewound in 2010 by Mojo Tone...the same company that now produces the Lerxst Omega amp that Alex uses.

[Mr. JD]

I have over 80 basses, but I am partial to Ricks. I'm up to 26 now...here are two of my most recent acquisitions, a walnut 4003w and a 1-of-1 special seagreen 4001C64. But, I also love Fenders as I have 21 Jazz and Precision basses including a 1998 first run Geddy signature model when it was supposed to be a limited edition...but the Ricks are my favorite, even though the company's quality control and customer service are questionable as of late...and no, I don't keep the stupid stickers on the pickguards; the pictures were taken when they were factory fresh.

Wow...over 80 basses. I sure wouldn't tell anyone where I lived from fear of being robbed!

[Lorraine]

My favorite Geddy bass is his black '72 Jazz Bass. I love it's tone. Another cool thing about that bass is that the bridge pickup was rewound in 2010 by Mojo Tone...the same company that now produces the Lerxst Omega amp that Alex uses.

 

Geddy said in an interview that I just read earlier today that is his favorite bass.

 

My No. 1 Jazz bass is from ’72, and I used that on the majority of the songs. I have another ’72 that I found recently in a shop in Toronto. We cleaned that up and Skully put a different set of pickups in it, and it has a bit more of a raw sound—a little less deep and a bit more alive—and I used that on “Seven Cities of Gold” and “Wish Them Well.” I really like it—I’m playing it live, as well. It doesn’t quite have the punch in the bottom end that my No. 1 has, but it’s got a nice midrange growl to it.

 

I also have a red Fender Custom Shop Jazz bass that I use that, for some reason, just has a deeper tone and a little less spiky top end—or more elegant top end. I guess “elegant” is a weird word to use in a rock band, but anyway … [laughs] I use that for some of the softer things, like “The Wreckers” and “The Garden.” And then I also have a ’74 Jazz bass that I found, and it has a really interesting sound. It’s deep, kind of like my original ’72, but it doesn’t quite have all the same attributes. I’m using all of those live, as well

[EagleMoon]

My favorite Geddy bass is his black '72 Jazz Bass. I love it's tone. Another cool thing about that bass is that the bridge pickup was rewound in 2010 by Mojo Tone...the same company that now produces the Lerxst Omega amp that Alex uses.

 

Geddy said in an interview that I just read earlier today that is his favorite bass.

 

My No. 1 Jazz bass is from ’72, and I used that on the majority of the songs. I have another ’72 that I found recently in a shop in Toronto. We cleaned that up and Skully put a different set of pickups in it, and it has a bit more of a raw sound—a little less deep and a bit more alive—and I used that on “Seven Cities of Gold” and “Wish Them Well.” I really like it—I’m playing it live, as well. It doesn’t quite have the punch in the bottom end that my No. 1 has, but it’s got a nice midrange growl to it.

 

I also have a red Fender Custom Shop Jazz bass that I use that, for some reason, just has a deeper tone and a little less spiky top end—or more elegant top end. I guess “elegant” is a weird word to use in a rock band, but anyway … [laughs] I use that for some of the softer things, like “The Wreckers” and “The Garden.” And then I also have a ’74 Jazz bass that I found, and it has a really interesting sound. It’s deep, kind of like my original ’72, but it doesn’t quite have all the same attributes. I’m using all of those live, as well

 

His original '72 pawn shop special has had the neck replaced because the truss rod couldn't be adjusted any more. I think it's funny that he has a Geddy Lee signature bass neck on his bass now. You can see the signature on the back of the headstock.

[New Digital Man]

The Rick has a great tone but very one dimensional and not the most comfortable thing to play which is why you hardly ever see them being used these days, the Wal is a fantastic hand built instrument made from exotic woods and commands high resale prices and is a rare beast, it can produce a large range of tone and can have thunderous bottom end if required but Geddy ran it with super light strings and paid the price by losing the low end which didn't seem to bother him at the time! When it comes to Geddys Fender Jazz basses other than on Moving Pictures the tone you hear now is completely fabricated by effects and is nothing like a standard Fender, something which i believe he never did on his other basses where you heard only the instruments pure tone, so it is in many ways slightly unfair to compare the tone of his Jazz with previous basses! The Fender Geddy signature bass has had some quality issues and is seen as a budget instrument which can be picked up for $500 and care should be taken when purchasing!

[New Digital Man]

My favorite Geddy bass is his black '72 Jazz Bass. I love it's tone. Another cool thing about that bass is that the bridge pickup was rewound in 2010 by Mojo Tone...the same company that now produces the Lerxst Omega amp that Alex uses.

 

Geddy said in an interview that I just read earlier today that is his favorite bass.

 

My No. 1 Jazz bass is from ’72, and I used that on the majority of the songs. I have another ’72 that I found recently in a shop in Toronto. We cleaned that up and Skully put a different set of pickups in it, and it has a bit more of a raw sound—a little less deep and a bit more alive—and I used that on “Seven Cities of Gold” and “Wish Them Well.” I really like it—I’m playing it live, as well. It doesn’t quite have the punch in the bottom end that my No. 1 has, but it’s got a nice midrange growl to it.

 

I also have a red Fender Custom Shop Jazz bass that I use that, for some reason, just has a deeper tone and a little less spiky top end—or more elegant top end. I guess “elegant” is a weird word to use in a rock band, but anyway … [laughs] I use that for some of the softer things, like “The Wreckers” and “The Garden.” And then I also have a ’74 Jazz bass that I found, and it has a really interesting sound. It’s deep, kind of like my original ’72, but it doesn’t quite have all the same attributes. I’m using all of those live, as well

 

His original '72 pawn shop special has had the neck replaced because the truss rod couldn't be adjusted any more. I think it's funny that he has a Geddy Lee signature bass neck on his bass now. You can see the signature on the back of the headstock.

 

 

I believe his original Fender now has a Custom shop neck on it with mother of pearl inlays!

[greyfriar]

Nothing like a Rickenbacker for me with the Fender Jazz at a close second.

If you do a google search for Rickenbacker 4001, you'll get pics of Geddy and Lemmy on top. :)

[Babycat]

Dang it - I can't pick all of them! :D

[MMCXII]

Dang it - I can't pick all of them! :D

 

Geddy can't either.. so he uses his fingers.. bu-dum tsh!

[EagleMoon]

My favorite Geddy bass is his black '72 Jazz Bass. I love it's tone. Another cool thing about that bass is that the bridge pickup was rewound in 2010 by Mojo Tone...the same company that now produces the Lerxst Omega amp that Alex uses.

 

Geddy said in an interview that I just read earlier today that is his favorite bass.

 

My No. 1 Jazz bass is from ’72, and I used that on the majority of the songs. I have another ’72 that I found recently in a shop in Toronto. We cleaned that up and Skully put a different set of pickups in it, and it has a bit more of a raw sound—a little less deep and a bit more alive—and I used that on “Seven Cities of Gold” and “Wish Them Well.” I really like it—I’m playing it live, as well. It doesn’t quite have the punch in the bottom end that my No. 1 has, but it’s got a nice midrange growl to it.

 

I also have a red Fender Custom Shop Jazz bass that I use that, for some reason, just has a deeper tone and a little less spiky top end—or more elegant top end. I guess “elegant” is a weird word to use in a rock band, but anyway … [laughs] I use that for some of the softer things, like “The Wreckers” and “The Garden.” And then I also have a ’74 Jazz bass that I found, and it has a really interesting sound. It’s deep, kind of like my original ’72, but it doesn’t quite have all the same attributes. I’m using all of those live, as well

 

His original '72 pawn shop special has had the neck replaced because the truss rod couldn't be adjusted any more. I think it's funny that he has a Geddy Lee signature bass neck on his bass now. You can see the signature on the back of the headstock.

 

I believe his original Fender now has a Custom shop neck on it with mother of pearl inlays!

 

Yes you are right, it does now. Before that it had a standard GL sig neck on it.

[PolarizeMe]

The Fender Geddy signature bass has had some quality issues and is seen as a budget instrument which can be picked up for $500 and care should be taken when purchasing!

 

I've never owned nor played a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass, but from what I've heard from other bassists who own one, the Ged basses that were made/crafted in Japan were of high quality. About a year or two ago they moved the production of the Ged basses to Mexico, but I don't know if the quality dipped down because of the change. Last I heard, the price for a brand new one was $899. If the price was $500, that would've made my life trying save up the cash to get one a lot easier.