It looked like a Fender Stratocaster with a few stark differences. The Myth of Creation Legend has it that Russ Heinl, an old buddy of Alex's, approached him in 1986 with a prototype of a new MIDI pickup. Specifically, he used three Hiwatt 100s pushing four 412 Hiwatt cabinets. "Freddy's Frets", a custom guitar shop from the Niagara on the Lake area on Ontario, has received permission direct from Alex Lifeson to create and sell replicas of his "Hentor Sportscaster" customized Fender Strat guitar. Alex Lifeson's White Strat? | The Gear Page Alex Lifeson Guitars & Gear List (2023 Update) - Guitar Lobby He loved the feel and tone of the guitar, and it easily became his primary player for years to come. As it turns out, the whole Hentor Sportscaster thing was a joke. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. Sincerely, While in my possession over the last few months I made suggestions to Alex on upgrading the guitar. Add to Cart. Fender PA 100. It was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. Another highlight of the auction is a 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar, used during the recording of several Rush albums, in particular on 1984's Grace Under Pressure, where it was Lifeson's main recording guitar. This program is designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon. From about 2000 on, he used Gibsons almost exclusively, most of them being Les Pauls. Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care. You must log in or register to reply here. What would a lead guitarist be without an awesome wah pedal!? Well done and keep up the great work! The natural finished Strats of that era had ash bodies. He did, however, modify his 1958 Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Reissue to include a Piezo pickup in the bridge along with dual outputsa configuration he later incorporated into his own Gibson signature model. northgta@gmail.com. Hello my fellow Rush fans! Here are a few of his favorites to take on tour and use in the studio: Alex Lifeson does a lot of fading to add some dramatic effect to his solo and rhythm parts. They were really just modified Strats that Lifeson renamed Hentor Sportscaster after Rushs producer at the time, Peter Henderson. My name is Chris and Ive had a passion for music and guitars for as long as I can remember. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Alex Lifeson: "I purchased this guitar in 1976, it was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by, Luthier's Guitar & Bass Technical Discussion. Lifeson began his musical journey at a young age, playing the viola. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). Alex Lifeson's Guitar Gear, Pedalboard & Amps | Equipboard Early estimates suggest that "Whitey" will bring in $200,000 - $300,000 at auction. Frankly, Im not even a die hard Rush fan, and before today could not even name the lead guitarist. beatbopboom. Lifeson loved the way a 12-string sounded for certain songs, but being in a three-piece band, he couldnt give up the ability to play lead on a six-string. It was Lifeson's favorite guitar for soloing and can be heard on the solo for "Limelight." Please call 877-687-4277 for assistance with placing . The black one is exclusive to Alex, you wont be able to find a signature model of that one in stores! RUSH - Authorized Replicas Of Alex Lifeson's Hentor Sportscaster Guitar When Moving Did you have a router template that you used for the toggle? For a limited time, save in the Gibson European Demo ShopUp to 25% off select Gibson guitarsShop now, View similar gear from other sellers on Reverb. 70s style strat body finished in nitro lacquer. As part of Julien's Auctions' "Music Icons" auction, happening on May 20, 21 and 22, "Property From The Archives Of Alex Lifeson" will feature over 60 vintage guitars and other career memorabilia from the personal collection Alex Lifeson, the legendary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame guitarist and co-founder of Rush, One of the greatest rock groups of all time, selling more than 40 million . Welcome to the all-new home of Alex Lifeson on the web. A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster played by Lifeson on most Rush albums since "Moving Pictures," and was the main guitar used on the recording of the album "Grace Under Pressure." This guitar was favored by . You could probably do it with a drill and then rout a couple of channels by just lining up a couple of strips of wood to act as a template. Whitey is featured on all albums from A Farewell to Kings to Test for Echo, and can be seen played by Lifeson on stage during all Rush tours from 1977 to 2015 as well as in many of the bands music videos. The name came from Peter Henderson, who co-produced Grace Under Pressure. Amps, pedals, guitars, bass, drums, microphones, studio, and recording gear, I love it all. The experts in contemporary and pop culture. Part of our "Music Icons" auction happening on May 20th, 21st and 22nd, "Property From The Archives of Alex Lifeson . Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster replicas now available - Rush Is A Band By _pete_, November 22, 2009 in Electric Guitars. A plethora of used guitar gear and other memorabilia belonging to Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson is set to go on sale via Julien's Auctions in May. The cheapest option is to buy an old body with the right routing for the pickups and start there, though you will have to compromise on something whether its having a Floyd recess, the color, etc. Alex Lifesons very first guitar was a Kent steel-string acoustic his parents got him for Christmas when he was about 12 years old. Custom built to match the specs of Alex's 80's Sportscaster Strat! It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar." . A 1981 Gibson Howard Roberts fusion guitar that served as Lifesons main guitar during the Moving Pictures tour. Historic dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday to You to President Kennedy. The Hentor Sportscaster! The reversed jack cup was a not uncommon mod at one point, as it allowed you to plug a cord with an L plug into it. Lifesons main EDS-1275 is white and features humbuckers on both sides of the guitar. Lifeson had 3 modded Strats. He missed the sound of his old signatures and asked Paul Reed Smith to build him a PRS with one of the old pickups, so he did! I actually cut two templates and stacked them together to give the template some more heighth. I put a top-bearing bit on the router and after the first two passes i was able to take the template off the guitar to get to the final 1.25" depth. That's his Hentor "Sportscaster" I believe That's his "Flockcaster" to match his hair from that era. It only came with a white finish (of course) and featured gold hardware. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. Great gift for Rush fans! A video diary of a handmade replica of Alex Lifeson's Hentor Sportscaster. All he would do after he got home from school is go to his room and play guitar. Don't mind the trace lines for 3 single coil pups - that's just habit. A true passion of mine, Ive designed, built, and repaired a wide range of guitar amps and electronics. Since he already got his signature ES-355, this time, he opted for a solid body. View Auction Results
Some of you may know of the Hentor Sportscaster, a 1973 white Fender strat that Alex Lifeson modded. That was the first issue that I read 100 times. Julien's Auctions |
Figure this was the bass cabinet (bottom) of the 3rd stack, I believe Alex used 4 stacks at the time. JULIEN'S AUCTIONS BEVERLY HILLS PUBLIC EXHIBITIONLOCATIONJulien's Auctions Beverly Hills257 N. Canon DriveBeverly Hills, CA 90210, Exhibition: Monday, April 11th, 2022 Friday, April 15th, 2022Daily: 11:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Pacific TimeFree to the Public, JULIEN'S AUCTIONS NEW YORK PUBLIC EXHIBITION& LIVE AUCTION LOCATIONHard Rock Cafe New York1501 Broadway-Times SquareNew York, NY 10036, Exhibition: Monday, May 16th, 2022 Friday, May 20th, 2022Daily: 11:00 a.m. 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time dailyFree to the Public, PROPERTY FROM THE ARCHIVES OF ALEX LIFESONFriday, May 20th, 2022Session I (Lots 1-466): 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, MUSIC ICONSSaturday, May 21st, 2022Session II (Lots 467-856): 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, MUSIC ICONSSunday, May 22nd, 2022Session III (Lots 857-1357): 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, Phone: (310) 836-1818 | Fax: (310) 742-0155Email:info@juliensauctions.com. To make sure everything matched onstage, Lifeson had his Hughes & Kettner cabinets built to look like steampunk machines, complete with copper piping, gauges, and even a small television screen. The Lifeson Signature model also had a fine-tuning Floyd Rose-type bridge. PROPERTY FROM THE ARCHIVES OF ALEX LIFESON, Register to Bid by Phone, Proxy, or in Person. With his Carnoa in hand, Alex Lifeson started learning solos from his favorite players. A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster that's Lifeson loved to solo with, including the solo on the song "Limelight" and has been in the music videos for "Vital," "Countdown," and "Enemy Within" For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I just goes to show how great Rush fans and Alex Lifeson fans are. Whether he wants to add a clean line under the heavier sound or some added effects, Lifeson can switch the Coreblade on and off to get the effects hes looking for. Alex Lifesons two true guitar loves are the Gibson ES-335 and the Les Paul. Phone: 310-836-1818 |
Alex Lifeson loves to have piezo pickups and dual outputs built into his guitars. Growing up, his musical idols included other legendary rockers like Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Although Alex Lifeson prefers (loves) Gibson guitars, he does dabble with some other manufacturers as well. If you plug in the second output jack, it splits the magnetic pickups and the piezo pickup, so Lifeson can send the two signals to separate amp configurations! The only difference is that the finish was taken off the neck to help with playability. To help him blend the acoustic-sounding piezo and the magnetic pickups, he has a piezo switcher on his pedalboard. It looked like a Fender Stratocaster with a few stark differences. But the cool thing is all the notes on the aged masking tape inside the cabinet, which Im curious to discover more about: There's also a 1992 PRS CE bolt-on neck guitar which was heavily used on Rush's 1993 album, Counterparts, and its accompanying tour which is expected to fetch between $50,000 and $70,000. Lifeson uses the Gibson HRF for songs like Hemispheres, Tom Sawyer, and Camera Eye.. The neck also has a rounded Axcess profile to help Lifeson reach the higher frets more easily. This would have been in the early 80s. Alex Lifeson has given me permission to backwards engineer and meticulously blueprint his iconic Hentor Sportscaster so that I may make and sell accurate replicas. Property From The Archives of Alex Lifeson - Julien's Auctions The body is from a 2014 Fender Japan ST62-FR. not a floyd on it though odd it has two HBs and not the HSS like the others. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar." . Nice job. It has the same pickups, bridge, and hardware that youd find on any 52 reissue. That turned out just great! In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar (opens in new tab). When Moving Pictures came out and the Exit . What Guitar Does Alex Lifeson Use? - Guvna Guitars Watch this gear and we'll notify you if it becomes available again. if youd like more information, please contact me, as I own his #1 & #3 Aurora, and his H&K zenTera amp. Calling Alex Lifeson tone experts | The Gear Page Hopefully by this time next week I'll be able to show you th finished product. It also had only two knobsone tone and one volumeunlike the three that you usually find on Strats. As he told Guitarist magazine, It wasnt much of a guitar. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. RUSH Guitarist ALEX LIFESON's Iconic Guitars To Be Auctioned Im a fan of Alex Lifeson and Rush. He also has another early 90s PRS in Tobacco Sunburst that has a signature pickup in the bridge positionfrom his old Signature Aurora days. Alex Lifeson Recalls Why He 'Couldn't Stand' His Gibson SG, Explains Lifeson said it had a really nice balance when he played it, and it had everything he looks for in a guitar. Later, Lifeson admitted that he loved the sound of the Signatures, but he wasnt a fan of how they felt. Learn More, We understand the importance of online privacy and are committed to complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. Press Releases - Julien's Auctions The Morely made its first appearance in 1975 on the Fly By Night tour and has been a consistent part of his pedalboard ever since. With a router, you have to do a multitude of shallow passes going slightly deeper each time. When he saw the Gibson Howards Roberts Fusion, he just had to have it! In 2007 for the Snakes & Arrows tour, Lifeson added the Garrison OM-20 octave mandolin to his guitar arsenal. Hard to imagine he was 27 at the time. Best regards! The Alex Lifeson Guitar-His custom-built "Whitey" Gibson ES-355TD electric main guitar from 1976-2015 (Used during his entire time with Rush) A "Limelight" stage played 1980 custom-built . Legend has it that Lifeson was friends with the owner of Signature Guitars and helped him design the instruments. i know he was endorsed by them back then. I held them together with double stick tape, and then I stuck the template on the guitar with the same double-stick tape. Alex Lifeson: Limelight tutorial iVideo | The Gear Page You are using an out of date browser. From what I've researched, there were numerous versions until he arrived at what most people consider the final "official" Sportscaster, the white one with the rosewood fretboard. Bath Btw, to answer your other question, to route an American standard 2 pole or a vintage routed body for a Floyd, you will need to fill the cavities and drill new holes then refinish. Fax: 310-742-0155, A 1976 custom-built Gibson ES-355TD, aka Whitey, played by Lifeson throughout most of his career with Rush. Well, it sounds like youve got the idea well thought out so it should work out well in the end. It has a large C shape neck and plays fast. The attention to detail shows, and I can only imagine what a special instrument this must feel like, how much pleasure it must bring just to look at it. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Gardena,
Another guitar up for bids, Lifeson's 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar. I updated the permissions on the media folder so hopefully that fixes the issue. To do that, he has used a Morely Volume Pedal for almost his entire career. Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster Miniature Guitar Model Officially Licensed. You must log in or register to reply here. It may not display this or other websites correctly. His bandmates even call him The Musical Scientist because of his sound experimentation. hennemusic Various knobs and fittings came in the mail this week, and it's time to prepare for the real gut-check part of the project: routing out the body to accommodate the Gibson-style switch and the new wiring pattern. The guitar had to be retired from touring after that. The Lifeson Signature model also had a fine-tuning Floyd Rose-type bridge. GOLFER. The Sportscaster's heavy yet versatile sound embodies Rush's bold sonic . Another one of Lifeson's iconic guitars is another custom-built ax, his 1980 Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar, which was used in the 1981 album Moving Pictures and was the main recording guitar . Can't make it to the auction, then watch live streaming with Julien's Live. Alex Lifeson - Rush Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster Mini Guitar Replica Collect. It may not display this or other websites correctly. * A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster played by Lifeson on most Rush albums since "Moving Pictures, . This is easily one of the most iconic Alex Lifeson guitars ever. A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster that Lifeson loved to solo with, including the solo on the song "Limelight" and has been in the music videos for "Vital," "Countdown," and "Enemy . For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. When Jeff Jones left the band, he was replaced by Lifesons high school friend Geddy Lee. While Lee and Peart are critical to the band's success . What's something super simple you like to play just because it's fun to play? There just isnt another guitar player like him. Hed take only a quick break to eat dinner, then go right back up to keep playing until bedtime. It also had a Tune-O-Matic bridge and a Maestro Long Vibrola tailpiece. alex lifeson gibson for sale | eBay Geddy Lee also has a set of Moog Taurus Bass Pedals on his pedalboard, preset with different sounds. Alex Lifeson Mini Gibson ES-355 Replica Geddy Lee Mini Tour Edition Fender Jazz Bass Signals 40th Coffee Mug Signals 40th Metallic Litho Rush Golden Ale Bottle Opener Signals Royal Tee Hold Your Fire Beanie Signals Scarf Looking to make a purchase with an existing Rush Backstage gift card? As if a Floyd Rose on a Les Paul isnt unique enough, in addition to the two magnetic humbuckers, Lifeson also added a Piezo pickup into the Floyd Rose bridge. Now youll have to play some Rush tunes. I only get one shot at this so I've been doing a lot of research on this. Hello my fellow Rush fans! Early FR bridge? At some point I will document it some more in a build thread as I plan to redraw it etc. The Signature brand guitars were equal in quality to Schecters or Perfomance at that time, and they are even rarer. Hentor Sportscaster; Gibson EDS-1275 Double-Neck; Epiphone Alex Lifeson Les Paul Standard Axcess; Gibson Les Paul Goldtop; Alex Has Also Used The Following . Ive been playing guitar since I was 13 years old and am an avid collector. Some of you may know of the Hentor Sportscaster, a 1973 white Fender strat that Alex Lifeson modded. Heres a rundown of the guitars, amps, and effects that Alex Lifeson has used over his decades-long career. A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster that was the main . For the Power Windows tour in 1985, Lifeson swapped out his chorus foot pedal for a rack-mounted TC Electronics 1210. Its an HSS, two knobs (volume / tone) with a Floyd rose non fine tuner trem (no locking nut). It can be heard on 16 of the band's studio albums from their 1974 self-titled debut to 1996's Test for Echo and seen in several music videos. It is this performance that critics point to when asked to define the sound of Rush. Don't ever buy a Bill Lawrence PUP from anywhere but here: He actually had a Teal/Greenish strat around the same time: never even see that one. JULIENS AUCTIONS IS HONORED TO ANNOUNCE OUR PROPERTY FROM THE ARCHIVES OF ALEX LIFESON AUCTION TAKING PLACE FRIDAY, MAY 20th AT THE HARD ROCK CAF NEW YORK AND LIVE ONLINE AT JULIENS LIVE.