Rush Exit Stage Left Geddy Lee

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Hello there,

Is it possible to replicate that tone ?

I think big acoustics , monster pa system is something but I listened you tube videos for bass electronics and I found basstard and overdrive electronics made the sound similar to that album.

I want to ask , how sustain being kept , there must be other electronics.

I read some of the amps swithed to low end and some of them to high end.

Is there a shopping list for electronics which cover all tricks,

Thank you and Best wishes,

Mustafa Umut Sarac
Istanbul

[Freez]

Yes, I sell shopping list to you for $500 US

[superheavydeathmetal]

Here is my two cents, for what it is worth. It may help. I use the following settings with my 4003 and I get something pretty close to the Chris Squire sound, which is close to Geddy Lee's Rick sound. However, it is a bit more "metallic" and less "woody," which I am working to resolve. I get an even better sound with my v63 with slightly modified settings, so if you have one of those, let me know and I will get you those settings.

Anyway, I run the neck pickup into a Line 6 Bass Pod XT, and the bridge pickup into a Line 6 Pod X3, and I use the following settings:

Step 1: Set your Line 6 Bass Pod XT to the following settings:
Amp: Amp 12: Rock Classic
EQ (controlled by knobs on front):
Output: 8
Drive: 2
Bass: 6
Lo: 7
Hi: 10
Treb: 9
Chan Vol: 5
Compress: 0
Cab: Cab 22: 8x10 Classic
Mic: Mic 2: Tube 47 Far
Room: 0%
6-band EQ:
Gain +3.0, Freq 75
Gain Flat, Freq 155
Gain Flat, Freq 185
Gain +10.2, Freq 300
Gain +12.6, Freq 1.6k
Gain +12.6, Freq 2.2k
Config: Pre
Stomp:
Model: Classic Dist
Drive: 10%
Gain: 49%
Tone: 95%
Mod: Off
Delay/Verb: Off
Wah: Off
Volume: Volume, Post (I don't think this matters)
FX Tweak: Stomp Tone (I don't think this matters)
Tempo: (Any value; it doesn't matter)
Gate: Off
D.I. Settings: Off

Step 2: Set your Line 6 Pod X3 to the following settings:
Gate: Off
Wah: Off
Stomp:
Distortion: Classic Distortion
Drive: 20%
Gain: 29%
Tone: 100%
Mod: Sine Chorus
Speed: 0.16Hz
Tap: Off
Tempo: 118.0 BPM
Mix: 51%
Depth: 19%
Bass: 50%
Treble: 79%
Config: PRE
Amp: 1968 Plexi Jump Lead
Byp Vol: 56%
Room 0%
Cab: 4x12 78 Brit Celest T-75's
Mic: 421 Dynamic Mic
Amp Eq (controlled by knobs on front. After selecting amp, cab and mic, press right arrow on directional pad to see % values):
Drive: 79%
Bass: 65%
Middle: 0%
Treble: 100%
Presence: 77%
Reverb: 0%
Tone Volume: 55%
Master Volume: 50%
COMP: Off
EQ:
Lo Gn: +12.6dB
Lm Gn: +12.6dB
Hm Gn: +12.6dB
Hi Gn: +12.6dB
Lo Fq: 555
Lm Fq: 1.10k
Hm Fq: 1.65k
Hi Fq: 2.15k
Vol:
Min: 0%
Max: 100%
Config: Post
Delay: Off
Verb: Off

Step 3: Learn "Heart of the Sunrise".

I would be thrilled to hear any tweaks or advice anyone would like to share!

[cheyenne]

Wow. that's a lot of stuff.

[superheavydeathmetal]

Wow. that's a lot of stuff.

If I had spent as much time practicing as I did tweaking knobs to dial in that tone, I might actually be able to play worth a dollar!

But, as it is, I LOVE the tone I get from a Rick, especially my v63 with the aceonbass push/pull cap stereo wiring harness, and that makes me want to play constantly.

[superheavydeathmetal]

The only difference in settings for a toaster is "Chan Vol" on the Bass Pod XT is set to 7.

Another bit of good news is that the Line 6 Bass Pod XT and Line 6 Pod X3 can be had pretty cheaply now, as they have been phased out in favor of the Pod HD.

[Gilmourisgod]

Does the Pod XT have saved patches that can be shared? I know TC electronic and some of the other digital emulators have share-able patch files you can download, so somebody figures out a cool combination of settings and posts it online for download to a device.

[superheavydeathmetal]

Does the Pod XT have saved patches that can be shared?

No. The Pod X3 does, using the Gear Box software. The Pod X3 does everything the Bass Pod XT can do, plus more.

[pag]

I have to disagree about getting the sound of a player by simply dialling in the tones.
Its in the fingers and in your head not just in the guitar and amp.
My example isnt Geddy Lee but the principal is the same.

After being led to playing bass by watching Glenn Cornick of Tull I was bowled over by Squire and Yes on the Yes Album tour.(incidentally it was Chris's Telecaster Bass that caught my eyes and ears at those gigs)
So as a beginner I went on to be determined to play like Squire even later in a punk band! (by then I had Mo Gibbs old RM)

I often read posts about guys being frustrated by their strings losing the top end ring after a few plays or they cant get the amp to produce the right tone when trying to get the "Squire" sound.
If you listen closely to Heart Of The Sunrise although there is a definite rattle from the roundwounds a lot of the tone
is from the sheer physicality of Chris attacking the strings and causing quite a bit of filthy distortion in the process. Listen to the quieter sections that are played gently fingerstyle and notice how the harder played notes exhibit the earlier tone as he digs in and switches back to the plec. Thats disregarding drop ins by the way.
I can put a mic in front of my CS without any amp and get the Hots sound. Even on my Jazz Bass for that matter.

My advice would be by all means get the settings the guys have described but before anything else play without an amp put your ear to the bass itself and
if you are getting close to the tone you want by your playing alone you will get the sound easily from any good amp.

Give it a try but its not a quick soloution. I have been trying to play like Squire since getting my first bass in 1971!
I suppose a lot of my tone came from being too poor to afford a bass amp and having to play through a record player or a friends AC30 or WEM guitar amp.
For a lot of the time I had to rely on making the bass itself make the sound.

[s4001]

What Pete said. A lot of it has to do with the way you play. Geddy sounds like Geddy no matter what he plays (except when he played the Hofner - that just sounded terrible )

Look at some of the vids by Mark Walker and Miguel Falcao, or even Jaymi Millard. It's not a fancy signal chain, it's setup and player.

At that time I think Geddy was running SVT's with Sunn speakers and maybe he had the Fuhrman preamps.

[superheavydeathmetal]

What Pete said. A lot of it has to do with the way you play. Geddy sounds like Geddy no matter what he plays.

To a point, but there is no way to make his jazz on Roll the Bones sound like his Rick on Moving Pictures.

[Ashgray]

Hmm... not sure about that. I've certainly heard Chris Squire get his Silver/Grey Precision sounding just like his RM1999 during the Going For the One tour. I know well what sounds I can expect to get from both of those venerable instruments, but could barely hear any difference when Chris played them both at the same gig. Amplification will obviously be a factor but I tend to think that a lot of those great players' iconic sounds are in their fingers. I think that's also certainly the case with Entwistle, having studied his finger technique in great depth over the years whilst playing his Precisions, Jazzes, 4005 Rick, Thunderbirds, etc.

Ash

[spongebob]

What Pete said. A lot of it has to do with the way you play. Geddy sounds like Geddy no matter what he plays.

To a point, but there is no way to make his jazz on Roll the Bones sound like his Rick on Moving Pictures.

I thought GL played the Wal on 'Roll The Bones'?

[cheyenne]

We're seeing a lot of Geddys bass collection lately, several different ones on tour, has anyone seen the Wal either in his studio or live?

[Kiddwad57]

Which tunes did Geddy lee play a Hofner on?