Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Ed Roman from Ed Roman guitars told me the Geddy stopped using Ric's when they stopped paying him and now he plays Steinberger Basses? Like everyone else on this forum I'd like to see him drop the Fender and come back home but Steinberger? Anybody else hear this?

Heck, I'd just like to see him quit using a teleprompter on stage.

Did RIC actually pay him to play their basses?

That's hilarious. Geddy used the Steinberger for the Grace Under Pressure warm up tour, album and proper tour, and the Power Windows tour. That's all I can think of. He switched to his 21 fret Wal for the HYF tour. I'd rather see him with the Fender than the L2.



I don't think Rickenbacker payed anyone to play their instruments.

I don't think RIC ever payed anyone either.

The don't HAVE to pay me to play them, I do it willingly!

Yeah, isn't it Rickenbacker's policy to NOT pay people to play their instruments?

As far as basses go, I like the Ric, the Wal, and the Steinberger all more than the Jazz simply because the Jazz isn't that distinctive. I mean, it looks good and sounds good, but there's something about it that just seems too . . . normal for Geddy.

Ric never paid anybody to use their instruments ... they have given away a few instruments to people like McCartney ...

as per Geddy he sounds best with a Ric ... but he makes any bass sound good ...

If it's true Ric never paid him (and I believe they didn't), that just made it easier for Fender and Steinberger to buy him off...it's the way of the world, unfortunately. I'm picturing Bob Barker wheeling and dealing: "You can keep playing that Rickenbacker if you want...orrrr...I'll give you $100,000 to play this Fender!"

Love them mullets, though. "Business up front, party in the back..."

Ed stretching the truth? NEVER!

I thought Geddy used the 4001 for recording GUP but used the Steinberger for the tour. I'm not sure that there are any studio recordings with the L2. I thought he used the WAL starting with Power Windows (studio and tour), although there is a video showing Ged with the Steinberger around this time. He used the WAL at the shows I saw from '86-'88.

Geddy used the 21 fret Wal from the HYF tour to the Presto tour. Then it was backup to his 24 fret red Wal for the RTB tour, which was replaced by his J bass (*sigh*) for the Counterparts tour. Geddy used the Steinberger on the Power Windows tour because he wanted a more "modern" instrument for the live dates. That, and I think he was afraid to bring out a custom bass when he was used to just a stick with strings. Or maybe it wasn't finished yet. He ordered it after he used Peter Collins' Wal in the studio, so maybe it wasn't done when the tour started. So he could of brought the bass out when it was finished.

He did use the Steinberger on the P/G album. He was going to use it for PoW too, but the Wal caught his attention.

Ged's bass list from the PoW tour book.

"Meanwhile, in the fun, I mean Bass department, I am pleased to announce the addition of one beautifully crafted and great sounding Wal Bass. Custom made in England by a small but "happening" company. The Wal (no pun intended) along with my two trusty Steinbergers are the only Basses I will be using on this tour. My amplifiers remain the same as on the "Grace Under Pressure" tour."

BUT if you look at the HYF tour book (which shows pics from the PoW tour) Every pic of Geddy has the Steinberger.

http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/rush/imagedb-tourbook-holdyourfire.php

The P/G tourbook (Which shows pics from the Signals tour) is filled with all 4001 pics, except one pic of him with the Steinberger. That may have been used at the end of the tour, or the P/G warmup tour in late 83.

http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/rush/imagedb-tourbook-graceunderpressure.html

Ok, I'm done ranting.

Whereas "Moving Pictures" was mostly the Jazz with a couple tracks on the Ric ("Red Barchetta" and "The Camera Eye" specifically), "Signals" was mostly on the Ric, except for "Digital Man", which I believe was the Jazz, and "Losing It", which was the 4002. On that tour, he just used his Rics. For "Grace Under Pressure", the entire album was recorded with the Steinberger. The music videos for a couple songs show the Ric, but it's all Steinberger. "Power Windows" was all the Wal, though Geddy has stated a couple of times that he was actually going to record it with the Ric, but then someone had him try out a Wal, and he fell in love with it (on one level, I'm wishing he had used the Ric, but I think the Wal sounds perfect on that album . . .). On the tour, he used mostly the Steinberger, with the Wal as backup. "Hold Your Fire" was also all the Wal, and the tour was mostly the Wal, with the Steinberger as backup.

Also, I'm not sure Fender is paying Geddy either . . . of if they are, it's a recent thing. His main Jazz bass, the one he uses to record with, was bought in a pawn shop and fixed up. Whatever.

"Permanent Waves" was mostly the Ric with "The Spirit of Radio" and "Entre Nous" being played on the Jazz.

I think "New World Man" on "Signals" was played on the jazz too.

I thought the Steinberger was going to be used on "Power Windows". When I think "Power Windows" I think of that amazing bass sound. I'm glad he used the Wal.

Fender must be paying him to use his name on the signature J bass. That might be another reason he won't switch back to the Ric. Extra money.

Geddy had a white Steinberger for backup for his black one.

I always loved the sound of the Wal . . . not as much as the Ric, but still . . . I wonder if I could just buy pickups from them instead of a whole custom bass with a two year waiting list.