I'd almost consider the Hentor Sportscaster to be more iconic of a guitar of his than anything else he used, considering how much mileage he got out of it and how many classic songs he was using . The addition of all the pictures and videos just awesome. Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster Mini Guitar Model Officially Licensed - HANDCRAFTED with all the details just like Alex's famous guitar! I gigged this song with my Helix with my old cover band. If it gets at an angle, it will get away from you. 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! Another guitar up for bids, Lifeson's 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar. A video diary of a handmade replica of Alex Lifeson's Hentor Sportscaster. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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. GOLFER. This . The Hentor Sportscaster (build complete! Vintage 80s Rush - Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson On Stage - Pin / Button / Badge. 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. This is an awesome guitar. Early FR bridge? Lifeson prefers to use the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah to help his solo parts stand out. At one time, there was another option available from Warmoth that there was some debate of whether it was a fit, but that does not appear to be available any longer. 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. All he would do after he got home from school is go to his room and play guitar. That looks great and well worth all of the setup. 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. When he saw the Gibson Howards Roberts Fusion, he just had to have it! ET on May 22. Joining the ES-355 was Lifeson's 1976 Gibson Dove acoustic, . Along with his fellow Rush bandmates, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart, Lifeson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and is ranked 98th on Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Guitarists list. Please let me know if you are still having problems. Chorus is a big part of Alex Lifesons unique sound. Learn More, We understand the importance of online privacy and are committed to complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. While most Gibson Axcess models include chambering (hollowing out parts of the body) for weight reduction, Lifesons model has no chambering. JavaScript is disabled. The Freddy Sportscaster is deadly expensive for sure, its interesting as a benchmark and details Alexs customizations clearly. I started this website with some of my friends who are musicians, music teachers, gear heads, and music enthusiasts so we could provide high-quality guitar and music-related content. Alex Lifeson is often regarded as one of the most underrated electric guitar players of all time, . This splendid guitar was part of Rushs most explosive era of creativity. Looking forward to seeing the finished guitar. For a limited time, save in the Gibson European Demo Shop. JavaScript is disabled. The Sportscaster also appears in the "Vital Signs," "Countdown," and "The Enemy Within" music videos. Add to Cart. Part of the auction house's "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 . I just wanted to compliment you for the outstanding job that you did, researching and writing such a detailed, informative, interesting, and enjoyable article. The Strat above is the famous "Hentor Sportscaster" used during the Grace Under Pressure era. The prototype was eventually made into an official Gibson signature model and had a limited production run in 2015. Malcolm Young more influential than EVH or Clapton? A true passion of mine, Ive designed, built, and repaired a wide range of guitar amps and electronics. Fender PA 100. 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 . Lifesons Moog is preset with a few bass sounds and some samples. This topic is being created to be the ultimate collection of information and discussion for my fellow "Hentor Sportscaster" enthusiasts out there. 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. Frankly, Im not even a die hard Rush fan, and before today could not even name the lead guitarist. He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. The neck also has a rounded Axcess profile to help Lifeson reach the higher frets more easily. The model name is "Alex Lifeson Axcess Les Pauls Gibson" and it includes, among other things, a tremolo handle as well as special pickups (microphones). Alexs only stipulation was that for every guitar sold, a portion of the profit goes to his charity Grapes Under Pressure. From about 2000 on, he used Gibsons almost exclusively, most of them being Les Pauls. https://images.reverb.com/image/upl,t_large/v1581972430/h0nfvf6whdarq19a1o7i.jpg, Fender "Squier Series" Floyd Rose Standard Stratocaster 1992 - 1996 | Reverb, https://reranchstore.stores.yahoo.net/vintagecream.html, https://www.tdpri.com/media/hentor-sportscaster-wiring-diagram.32741/full?d=1427069188, 2023: The Year Epiphone Became Unaffordable, Don't store picks in zip bags for too long. It looked like a Fender Stratocaster with a few stark differences. This was Lifeson's favorite guitar to use during the recordings . 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 . Both are expected to fetch between $100,000 and $200,000. It was a real workhorse and I loved it.. Get the latest and greatest Guitar news with one of our guitar magazine subscriptions. Guitar Lobby is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate Program. Solid Body Electric Guitars. He saw this beautiful, brand-new, white ES-355 that he just had to have, so he bought it! The Property from the Archives of Alex Lifeson auction will be split into two sessions, occurring at 10 a.m. three way switch, large brass sustain block, Hentor Sportscaster logo on peghead face, Freddy Gabrsek logo and serial number on peghead back. It has been a staple for Lifeson since the A Farewell to Kings tour in 1977. Alex Lifeson plays a Gibson Les Paul Axcess guitar. 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. Nice job. Geddy Lee also has a set of Moog Taurus Bass Pedals on his pedalboard, preset with different sounds. #1. The signature was a Canadian guitar manufacturer located in Toronto. is it the Signature guitar he was using? It also had only two knobsone tone and one volumeunlike the three that you usually find on Strats. Thisguitar is a true rock machine with tones of Moving Pictures, Signals, and Grace Under Pressure. While his 76 ES-355 might not be his primary player anymore, its still one of Lifesons favorite guitars and frequently goes on tour with him. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar.. In the rock and roll world, theres hardly anything cooler than a double-necked guitar. 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. He also had black and CAR Strats with almost identical setups. Well done and keep up the great work! 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. Custom built to match the specs of Alex's 80's Sportscaster Strat! I updated the permissions on the media album so hopefully you can see the photos now. When Jeff Jones left the band, he was replaced by Lifesons high school friend Geddy Lee. Part of our "Music Icons" auction happening on May 20th, 21st and 22nd, "Property From The Archives of Alex Lifeson . (1,377) $10.00. . 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 . Home Guitarists Alex Lifeson Guitars and Gear List (2023 Update). I do prefer the look with the white pickups. Learn More. For a good chunk of the 1980s, Alex Lifeson used a mysterious guitar called a Hentor Sportscaster. That does it for this overview of the Alex Lifeson Guitar collection. Shortly after he bought his first proper guitar, Alex Lifeson also picked up a 1974 Gibson Les Paul Standard following Rushs first tour in 1976. Lifeson began his musical journey at a young age, playing the viola. Will include my original invoice, certificate of origin, and comes with high end black case. The primary jack blends the magnetic and the piezo. Alex Lifeson is set to put up his most legendary guitars for bidding at the Julien's Auctions "Music Icons . In 2007 for the Snakes & Arrows tour, Lifeson added the Garrison OM-20 octave mandolin to his guitar arsenal. 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. Specifically, he used three Hiwatt 100s pushing four 412 Hiwatt cabinets. Playing bigger gigs, he needed the extra power! When you think of Alex Lifeson, you either picture him with a Les Paul or his white ES-355. Bill Lawrence L500 humbucker, Dimarzio single coils, bone nut, non-fine tuner Floyd Rose, Schaller tuners, Northern Ash body, Rock Maple neck and Gaboon ebony fingerboard with medium jumbo stainless steel frets, nitro lacquer, hipshot locking tuners, three way switch, large brass sustain block, Hentor Sportscaster logo on peghead face, Freddy Gabrsek logo and serial number on peghead back. The black one is exclusive to Alex, you wont be able to find a signature model of that one in stores! You can see these cabinets in action on the Time Machines tour. It may not display this or other websites correctly. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar." . 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. Bath How does the L500 sound? Check the other thread I linked to in the post above yours, there is more detail on how it looks. RUSH: Progressive Power Trio RUSH in their early . I'm happy with the overall results and removing a few grams of wood from this heavy specimen will make it easier on the back when playing for extended periods. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Please check the fields highlighted in red. One has all his effects, the second is a straight feed that switches channels as needed, and the third is a backup, just in case one of the others breaks down. So I took the occasion to level, re-crown and polish all the frets. This guitar was favored by Lifeson as his primary instrument for soloing - in particular the solo for the band's hit single "Limelight" , and can be seen in the . Alex Lifeson is always looking for new sounds to add to the Rush repertoire. One of the greatest rock groups of all time, selling more than 40 million records worldwide during the bands four-decade history. 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.