Geddy Lee - Strings?

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 7:03 am

yep ... for the Squire/Geddy tone you need round wound strings, fret buzz, some treble, and some distortion ... and play aggressively ...

geddeeee · Post by **geddeeee** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 7:17 am

If you can't get or like too much fret buzz, try a bit of mid eq boost at about 1.25-1.5 KHz. That's what I do and it makes my Rick sing and snarl like crazy. I use a parametric eq and can really zero in on that 'clanky snarly' frequency.

prog_rockin_metal_man · Sun Oct 22, 2006 7:22 am

"and play aggressively"

I'm always looking for that geddy tone so I really dig in and one time I was playing cygnus X-1 and I broke my big E string!!! I just gave it a hard whap and it snapped at the bridge...I was so surprised. That was the only string I ever broke.

linganstan · Post by **linganstan** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 7:34 am

as soon as i got my 4002.....i threw away the flats that were on it and installed new rotos..........i've used em ever since........and would never change.......

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 7:52 am

I used to break strings all of the time when I played Rush songs. It happened less often after I started using Badass tailpieces.

geddeeee · Post by **geddeeee** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 9:42 am

I play agressively but have only broken 1 string, an A, in 27 years. Maybe I've been lucky.
The only reason it broke was because it was about 8 months old, that's when I was young and poor! Oh how things have changed... LOL.

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:30 pm

I used to break A strings at the saddle on a far too regular basis.
I don't play as hard now & have only broken a couple in the last few years.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:11 pm

String making has improved since the 70's. They last longer and have a lighter pull on the neck. They may also be stronger and more flexible.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:59 pm

I had 2 ric basses where the A string would pop out of the nut with aggressive playing ...

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 9:48 pm

I broke a brand new Rotosound E string after about 4 hours of playing time...grrrrrrr...

geddeeee · Post by **geddeeee** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:17 am

Power fingers....

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 9:23 am

The A string on my '63 pops out when I play hard. The slightly bent headstock is to blame. Over the years that thin wood under the nut gave up to the strings just a little bit but it is enough to compel careful play.

jon · Post by **jon** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:53 am

I'm renowned - some might say notorious - for how heavy handed I am with strings. I've been known to break a few in my time, including, on one occasion, two strings during one song. Funnily enough though, I haven't broken a single string on my BadAss equiped bass.

I've been using that 40-100 Rotosound Swing gauge for about the past 18 months, although I use Nickel wound as they save the frets on some of my basses (never had a problem with fret wear on the Rickenbackers).

Geddy's definition of light is obviously different to mine, as he is claiming to use light gauge Rotosounds in interviews.

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:38 pm

I've broken every brand of string I've ever tried, including one RIC A string (with the Hipshot installed).
Always the A, three E strings, & a few D strings. I'd taken to buying cheapo strings & keeping up to 30 spares (mostly D's & G's) from the previous packs in my bass case.

That's the reason I bought a back-up Fender: less down time between string breaks. The band leader/guitar player of my band at the time wouldn't notice I'd broken a string most times, so I'd have to labor on for a couple more songs (while trying to hold the lifeless. dangling A string out of the way) before I could do a quick change.

And, yes, I broke strings on the two Fenders I had every bit as often as on my Ricks.
It's just hard playing, & the fact that the A string has a more full tone for many notes, so gets proportionately more playing time.

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:39 pm

It's good to see I'm not the only one who regularly mangles strings.