Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care. The neck also has a rounded Axcess profile to help Lifeson reach the higher frets more easily. 13007 S. Western Avenue, It smashed right into his prized ES-335 (and his double-neck EDS-1275, which well get to later), cracking the headstock. 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? 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. The prototype was eventually made into an official Gibson signature model and had a limited production run in 2015. The other thing to consider is your humbucker will want a 500k pot and the Dimarzio single coils will want to see a 250k pot, but theres an easy workaround for this using a resistor for the singles coil positions. Now thats a really nice job of routing. It is indeed a Signature strat. Don't mind the trace lines for 3 single coil pups - that's just habit. 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 . The Moog Taurus Bass Pedal looks like a small keyboard that fits on Lifesons pedalboard. This splendid guitar was part of Rushs most explosive era of creativity. Here are a couple of shots of the final product. But this is all for today. Figure this was the bass cabinet (bottom) of the 3rd stack, I believe Alex used 4 stacks at the time. This is an awesome guitar. Instead, its thinner than standard Les Pauls, giving it that Axcess weight reduction without losing the incredible solid-body sustain. Another six-figure six-string was Lifeson's custom-built Hentor Sportscaster, which was snapped (opens in new tab) up for $187,500. Does it have to be white? Another notable guitar going under the hammer is Lifeson's 1980 Hentor Sportscaster, the custom electric guitar which Lifeson played on albums such as 1981's Moving Pictures and 1984's Grace Under Pressure. I've never used a router, but I think I'm fairly well prepared, but I have to admit I'm still a bit nervous. You can see it rocking on Working Man during this early Rush performance. Germany, It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar. He fell in love with it right away. I'm getting ready to tackle one of these as well - it's more of an "homage" than an exact copy of any particular instrument. Are you thinking of painting/finishing this thing yourself? "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. By continuing to use Reverb, you agree to these updates, and to our cookie policy. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The experts in contemporary and pop culture. Learn More. Niagara on the Lake luthier Freddy Gebrsek has received permission from Alex Lifeson to create and sell replicas of his Hentor Sportscaster which Alex used extensively during the early 1980s. 70s style strat body finished in nitro lacquer. The Iconic 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 Hentor Sportscaster Electric Guitar; "The Trees" and "La Villa Strangiato" Studio Played 1971 Jose Ramirez Classical Acoustic Guitar; a Moving Pictures Tour 1981 Gibson Howard Roberts . To reflect our commitment, we updated our terms and conditions. That was the first issue that I read 100 times. Part of our "Music Icons" auction happening on May 20th, 21st and 22nd, "Property From The Archives of Alex Lifeson . Guitars Kent Acoustic Canora 1968 Gibson ES-335, Tobacco Sunburst 1963 Fender Stratocaster, Sunburst (Sold) Amplifiers Kent Marshall (#1) Guitars Gibson ES-335, Tobacco Sunburst A rented Rickenbacker 12-string acoustic Amplifiers Marshall 50 watt with a 4x12 cabinet Effects . There is no back plate on the guitar, consistent with the original model. Im a fan of Alex Lifeson and Rush. The Freddy Sportscaster is deadly expensive for sure, its interesting as a benchmark and details Alexs customizations clearly. You must log in or register to reply here. but there's no way you're getting that solo with a 355. I hope to post some happy results within a week. Wtf? These two upgrades as well as others are listed in my OPTIONS category. Lifeson uses the Gibson HRF for songs like Hemispheres, Tom Sawyer, and Camera Eye.. From that moment on, all he wanted to do was play guitar. Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster replicas now available. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar (opens in new tab). When the router decides to go in its own direction you wont be able to stop it. The addition of all the pictures and videos just awesome. I'm 99% sure he used his Hentor Sportscaster for that and for the hyper-clean arpeggios during the choruses. $39.99. Lifeson says he feels the same way he did after Peart's teenage daughter died in a 1997 car accident and Peart's wife died from cancer a few months later. Discover more about the fascinating celebrity memorabilia through our collections of catalogues, Mail and Pickup Only Hentor Sportscaster Alex Lifeson RUSH Stratocaster Tribute. Another highlight of the auction, Lifeson's 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar. It was a real workhorse and I loved it.. There just isnt another guitar player like him. To help him blend the acoustic-sounding piezo and the magnetic pickups, he has a piezo switcher on his pedalboard. not a floyd on it though odd it has two HBs and not the HSS like the others. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I don't know if helps that one is emulating tape the other emulating . After the demise of his prized ES-335, Alex Lifeson swapped to using some of his Les Pauls and a few Fender Stratocasters, but there was still a semi-hollow hole left in his heart that those solid-body guitars just couldnt fill. Reproduction of any part of this website without direct permission is prohibited. He uses this amp to add a little extra to his regular tone. Nov 5, 2017 #2 AnalogKid68 TDPRI Member. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). His guitar, however, is a Rickenbacker with a brass neck and a 12-string neck. Despite the rough playability, Lifeson loved that guitar, and it started him on a musical journey that would last for the rest of his life. Hello my fellow Rush fans! Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster replica - Electric Guitars - Harmony Central. Alex Lifeson: I purchased this guitar in 1976, it was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. Lifesons original EDS-1275 Doubleneck was eventually donated to a museum in Toronto. It may not display this or other websites correctly. 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. Frankly, Im not even a die hard Rush fan, and before today could not even name the lead guitarist. You might struggle to find exactly what you want from a Squier, they made a HSS Floyd strat but in very small numbers and only once or twice that Im aware of. Im curious about the wiring form3 pickups on the LP styled 3 way switch. From 1980 to 1986, Lifeson used four identically modified Stratocasters, all of them equipped with the Floyd Rose bridge. Lifesons Moog is preset with a few bass sounds and some samples. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Lifeson controls which amp he wants to use with a foot pedal switcher. Oct 8, 2022. This topic is being created to be the ultimate collection of information and discussion for my fellow "Hentor Sportscaster" enthusiasts out there. Gardena, Most of Lifesons Les Pauls arent much different than the ones you can pick up from any Gibson dealer. Gibson is selling some of the most valuable vintage guitars in its vault direct to customers as part of new Certified Vintage program, Insomnium's Markus Vanhala unleashes fretboard fury in The Witch Hunter playthrough, Fender teams up with Mastodon's Troy Sanders for well-spec'd Silverburst signature P-Bass, Sophie Burrell: I dont care too much about speed Id rather sound more like David Gilmour and play with feel, Bernth recreates everybodys childhood music experiment by using rubber bands as guitar strings but somehow manages to make them sound decent. This video is a few years old and was never published publicly, but people have be. Alex Lifeson is often regarded as one of the most underrated electric guitar players of all time, . Regular price $49.99 Alex Lifeson Signature ES-355 Gibson Alpine White Miniature Guitar Model. The guitar had to be retired from touring after that. Roughed out on the bandsaw, sanded close to the line and routed to shape. Lifeson played a Signature Aurora almost exclusively for the Power Windows Tour and kept it in rotation for a few shows after that. "Julien's Auctions is proud to present this magnificent collection of coveted artifacts of rock history directly . When Moving Did you have a router template that you used for the toggle? Buy 1, get 2 15% off. So I took the occasion to level, re-crown and polish all the frets. Both are expected to fetch between $100,000 and $200,000. He also has another early 90s PRS in Tobacco Sunburst that has a signature pickup in the bridge positionfrom his old Signature Aurora days. In Rushs early years, Lifeson didnt even own an amp. I decided to listen to more experienced voices and I cut a template from 1/4 inch medium density fiberboard. Julien's Auctions announces the "Property From the Archives of Alex Lifeson" auction on May 22nd at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York and online. From about 2000 on, he used Gibsons almost exclusively, most of them being Les Pauls. First, the Hentor Sportscasters pickup toggle switch was located on the horn of the guitar, similar to a Gibson. just odd never seen that one before Ok got a lot done today since I have 2 other guitars drying up after clear coating them. I have no idea. I only get one shot at this so I've been doing a lot of research on this. They went out to the store and picked up a $59 Canora the following Christmas. JavaScript is disabled. In his interview with Vintage Guitar Magazine, he says, Theres nothing like having a low-slung Les Paul over my shoulder! Its nearly impossible to beat the tonality and playability. I also had a Lifeson cover story issue (transcriptions of Red Barchetta). It also appears in the music videos for Vital Signs, Countdown and The Enemy Within. There will be a HB in the bridge and I need to make a trace for the 3 way toggle on the horn. Please check the fields highlighted in red. If you go back to Moving Pictures, you can see Alex in the "Limelight" video play a modified black Strat with what appears to be the stock Fender maple neck, with no locking nut. You can hear Lifeson rock the wah pedal on songs like Cygnus X1 and countless other riffs throughout the Rush repertoire. You must log in or register to reply here. The body is from a 2014 Fender Japan ST62-FR. Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear. The neck is one of those sturdy Charvel maple numbers that's nice and straight, but I had a high fourth fret that caused a nasty buzz. 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. Alex Lifesons two true guitar loves are the Gibson ES-335 and the Les Paul. Currency: Alexs only stipulation was that for every guitar sold, a portion of the profit goes to his charity Grapes Under Pressure. If you listen to any Rush songs written after 1982, theres a decent chance the guitar part was originally written on Lifesons 1952 Reissue Tele. PROPERTY FROM THE ARCHIVES OF ALEX LIFESON, Register to Bid by Phone, Proxy, or in Person. The Hentor's transition from Alex Lifeson's three Hentor 'prototypes' to a line of commercially-available guitars happened somewhere in between these two worlds. The black one is exclusive to Alex, you wont be able to find a signature model of that one in stores! Another guitar up for bids, Lifeson's 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar. I mean I know some guys name their guitars, never heard of naming your speakers. You can see this model in action on Far Cry from the Snakes & Arrows tour. Lifeson has several of these Les Paul Axcess in his arsenal, most notably in Black, Royal Crimson, and Viceroy Brown. Signature is the brand not to be confused with a fender signature strat. Historic dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday to You to President Kennedy. They recruited bassist and vocalist Jeff Jones and became The Projection, which eventually became Rush in 1968. Part of our Music Icons auction happening on May 20th, 21st and 22nd, 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. It has the same pickups, bridge, and hardware that youd find on any 52 reissue. (I was gonna sell the black one but I'm leaning towards selling the white Hentor Sportscaster now.) What is giving Ronnie Wood his tone in this song? He wanted to be able to get a cleaner sound out of the 12-string, so he put the guitar under the soldering iron and chainsaw, as he said in an interview with Gibson. He borrowed most of his equipment from friends and relativesas most budding musicians do. i know he was endorsed by them back then. Part of our "Music Icons" auction happening on May 20th, 21st and 22nd, "Property From The Archives of Alex Lifeson . 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. In 2007, the company was bought by Gibson and eventually closed in 2010. Of course, seeing such an unknown guitar rocking stages all over the world, guitar players everywhere were trying to figure out what the heck a Hentor Sportscaster was! I've found someone who's willing to lend me their router and bits, and I'll be spending part of my weekend prepping the body for surgery, taking measurements and drawing stencils and such. It may not display this or other websites correctly. It's going to be a freehand job, but I have some scrap wood I plan on practicing on. ), https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/394/lot/177456?url=%2Fauctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F394%3Fpage%3D1%26view%3Dlist%26catm%3Dany%26order%3Dorder_num%26xclosed%3Dno%26featured%3Dno%26key%3Drush, First Warmoth Build - Hentor Sportscaster, My 2nd Warmoth Build: Diamondback SG Style, Warmoth CBS neck, modern construction, ebony fretboard, mother of pearl dot inlays, black binding, Warmoth custom pickguard in black-n-white tuxedo, Original Floyd Rose bridge with locking nut, Bill Lawrence L500 humbucker with chrome housing - bridge, Gibson style 3-way 3 pickup toggle switch, Fender tweed case with red poodle lining, complete with case candy. View Auction Results This setup carried Lifeson all the way through the Moving Pictures tour in 1981. Lifeson loves playing heavy guitars, so being able to get that clean hollow-body sound out of a heavy guitar was like a dream come true. In 2011, Alex Lifeson got to team up with his friends at Gibson once again to create another unique signature guitar. 1 of 2 Go to page. The Hughes & Kettner Alex Lifeson Signature Edition Triamp is a 100-watt tube head with three preamps (like the name triamp suggests) and two different channels. "I didn't really play for about a . Sure thats the 4th one and not just some start they had around for the shoot? I have had the Hentor in my possession for about 6 months and have documented every property and detail of this amazing and unique . Please let me know if you are still having problems. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*, US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year, UK pricing 2.99 per month or 29.00 per year, Europe pricing 3.49 per month or 34.00 per year, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. The guitar is expected to sell at auction for between $100,000 and $200,000. Keith. Lifeson also regularly used the guitar on tour and in music videos over the years. I held them together with double stick tape, and then I stuck the template on the guitar with the same double-stick tape. Last edited: Nov 5, 2017. As he said in an interview with Total Guitar, Theres nothing particularly special about it, but it has 24 frets, and I needed it for a song.. alex lifeson hentor hentor sportscaster rush sportscaster strat modification stratocaster 1; 2; Next. In 2008, Alex Lifeson teamed up with his favorite guitar-makers to create a signature Gibson ES-355 thats (almost) as good as his original 1976 model. The words Fender, Telecaster, Stratocaster and the associated headstock designs are registered trademarks of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Lifeson thought that guitar was so cool because it was shaped like a Gretsch Country Gentleman. Although I do like a lot of their music, Im just not into a lot of the electronic/synth type stuff, but I do love guitars and amps and learning about them, especially when they are custom, modified (frankensteined sometimes), how theyre utilized, and just the history in general. Then I found where Freddy G. said the wiring is Bridge/Neck + Middle/Neck, and I can't for the life of me figure out how . Used - Mint. All rights reserved. That way, his sound engineer can manage the chorus instead of him having to worry about switching the pedal on and off while hes rocking the house on stage. 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. From Gebresek's website: 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 this guitar on songs that require that unique twangy sound, like Time Stands Still.. Ok, got to work on the body today. The words Fender, Telecaster, Stratocaster and the associated headstock designs are registered trademarks of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Oops, looks like you forgot something. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Grapes Under Pressure charity. Twin Reverb, but it was mostly used for PA miking. To project the awesome sound from the amps out into the audience, Lifeson three Hughes & Kettner 212 cabinets. Some reference if you can stand the 80'sness of the videos. The most stressful part of this project has been relocating the three-way switch from its traditional Stratocastor location to the lower cutaway. PRODUCER. Regular price $59.99 Geddy Lee Vintage Tour Edition Mini Fender Jazz Bass Model Officially Licensed. What Ive figured out so far is that somebody (road crew / tech) changed the jack plates from the small plastic ones to hand-drilled metal ones, took off the grill cloth, put metal screening instead, and remounted the Marshall logo. ), Gibson three way switch on the lower horn, 5 way with that? Alex Lifeson: "I purchased this guitar in 1976, it was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. A 1981 Gibson Howard Roberts fusion guitar that served as Lifesons main guitar during the Moving Pictures tour. When Moving Pictures came out and the Exit . I really like that it retains its overall Stratocaster-ness but is also has some unique features. LOL. 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. Its an HSS, two knobs (volume / tone) with a Floyd rose non fine tuner trem (no locking nut). Learn More. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. 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" When you think of Alex Lifeson, you either picture him with a Les Paul or his white ES-355. That does it for this overview of the Alex Lifeson Guitar collection. I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. You are using an out of date browser. While most Gibson Axcess models include chambering (hollowing out parts of the body) for weight reduction, Lifesons model has no chambering. The Property from the Archives of Alex Lifeson auction will be split into two sessions, occurring at 10 a.m. Hello my fellow Rush fans! Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care. 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! Although Alex Lifeson prefers (loves) Gibson guitars, he does dabble with some other manufacturers as well. The guitar is reportedly Lifeson's favorite guitar for soloing, and was used to record the solo for Rush's 1981 hit, Limelight . Thisguitar is a true rock machine with tones of Moving Pictures, Signals, and Grace Under Pressure. The Gear Page is the leading online community and marketplace for guitars, amps, pedals, effects and associated gear. The Hentor Sportscaster (build complete! The sound engineer also blends the amps together to get the perfect sound from backstage. It also had a Tune-O-Matic bridge and a Maestro Long Vibrola tailpiece. In an interview with Vintage Guitar magazine, Lifeson joked that Hendrix absolutely blew his mind, but there was no thinking about ever reaching his level. He found Claptons solos much more approachable, so thats how he learned to play. Other guitars featured in the Property from the Archives of Alex Lifeson auction include a 1976 Gibson J-55 acoustic used by Lifeson to compose Rush's 1976 platinum-selling album 2112; a 1990 Fender Strat which appears on the majority of latter-day Rush albums; and a 2015 limited run Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck guitar created specifically for Rush's 40th Anniversary R40 tour. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Grapes Under Pressure charity. Another notable Lifeson axe his 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar used on the recording of RUSH's seminal albums since "Moving Pictures", in particular "Grace Under . The Sportscaster also appears in the "Vital Signs," "Countdown," and "The Enemy Within" music videos. Alex Lifeson: "I purchased this guitar in 1976, it was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. Or why not treat yourself? Currency: After a year strumming the Kent acoustic, Lifeson started begging his parents for an electric guitar. Toward the end of the 80s, Alex Lifeson switched from playing his Gibson HRF to guitars from a new, relatively unknown brand called Signature Guitar Company. Now youll have to play some Rush tunes. After he picked it up around 1980, the HRF became one of his primary players for the next few tours and albums. A few months ago I figured out, thanks to posts on forums like this, that I pretty much had the basic components needed to build my very own Hentor Sportscaster and have it be fairly period-correct. Finally, RUSH's drummer Neil Peart is such a monster musician that we will reserve comment for now and create a separate post for him at an appropriate moment in the near future hint, hint. When he saw the Gibson Howards Roberts Fusion, he just had to have it! What are you waiting for. Of course, a legendary rocker like Alex Lifeson cant go on tour without an awesome double-necked guitar, so he replaced it with a Gibson Signature Alex Lifeson EDS-1275 Doubleneck prototype, which he nicknamed Heavy Bastard, for obvious reasons. Lifeson loved the sound of the TC Electronics 1210 so much that hes had the same exact unit in his rack for over 30 years! Its an HSS, two knobs (volume / tone) with a Floyd rose non fine tuner trem (no locking nut). Let us know if you have any questions or comments below! It requires routing a pocket for the switch and two channels for the new wiring location. After playing it Alex wasn't to impressed with the pickup but thought the Guitar the pickup was installed in was great! Alex Lifeson Guitars and Gear List (2023 Update), Best Acoustic Electric Guitars (All Prices), Songs with Lots of Bass Guitar (Rock and Pop), ranked 98th on Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Guitarists, Alex Lifeson in Vintage Guitar Magazine, September 2011, Steve Hackett Guitars and Gear List (2023 Update), Joe Perry Guitars and Gear List (2023 Update), 70 Easy Electric Guitar Songs for Beginners (2023 with Tabs and Lesson Videos), 40 Easy Love Songs on Guitar (2023 with Video Lessons), 35 Best Rock Bands with Female Singers (with Videos), 70 Most Fun Songs to Play on Guitar (2023 with Videos), 24 Best Female Pop Singers of All Time (2023 Update), Royal Crimson Finish / Viceroy Brown / Black. Unfortunately, the Alex Lifeson Memphis ES-355 is no longer in production, but if youre lucky, you can still find a few for sale floating around the internet. It instantly became his primary player that graced both the stage and the studio for the next few years. Alex Lifeson: "I purchased this guitar in 1976, it was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. I think it cost $10. He recalled the string height was very high off the neck, making it difficult to playas most beginner acoustics are. I posted (http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=24807.msg359089#msg359089) several months back asking for advice on attempting to build a replica of Alex Lifeson's white Hentor Sportscaster, a modified strat he used on the Grace Under Pressure album and tour.