Author Topic: Why isn't Alex Lifeson more highly regarded as a guitarist? (Read 7813 times)

KevShmev · « **Reply #140 on:** May 16, 2021, 07:56:40 PM »

Tim paraphrasing a lyric from Hold Your Fire may very well cause one of those paradoxes that Doc Brown always feared. Let's hope the earth does not implode in the next 24 hours.

TAC · « **Reply #141 on:** May 16, 2021, 08:01:35 PM »

KevShmev · « **Reply #142 on:** May 16, 2021, 08:02:37 PM »

Oh shit, a pop culture reference that Tim got.

We are doomed.

TAC · « **Reply #143 on:** May 16, 2021, 08:09:12 PM »

I'm killing it tonight!

KevShmev · « **Reply #144 on:** May 16, 2021, 08:10:08 PM »

And we will all pay the price.

TAC · « **Reply #145 on:** May 16, 2021, 08:12:49 PM »

But you will not count the cost.*

*@ytserush...that's called artistic license.

Setlist Scotty · « **Reply #146 on:** May 16, 2021, 08:25:55 PM »

Since when are you an artist Timmy?

King Postwhore · « **Reply #147 on:** May 17, 2021, 08:14:31 AM »

Alright, who is at Tim's computer?

ytserush · « **Reply #148 on:** May 23, 2021, 09:13:02 AM »

Quote from: TAC on May 16, 2021, 08:09:12 PM

I'm killing it tonight!

Ever seen ET? I haven't.

Architeuthis · « **Reply #149 on:** May 25, 2021, 09:22:20 AM »

Quote from: TAC on May 16, 2021, 08:01:35 PM

Whoa, he looks like he's in a SPINDRIFT.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #150 on:** May 27, 2021, 03:40:44 AM »

Re: Why isn't Alex Lifeson more highly regarded as a guitarist? ?

For me it's that awful tone. Drenching a guitar in chorus doesn't make it sound bigger. Or like two guitars. It makes it sound weak.

Elite · « **Reply #151 on:** May 27, 2021, 05:38:05 AM »

Tell that to The Edge.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #152 on:** May 28, 2021, 05:25:25 AM »

I'm talking about one rhythm guitar covered in chorus to make it sound bigger - playing chords.

Edge uses echo mostly - I can't recall any song right now where Edge plays exclusively chords live and he's covered in chorus.

Stadler · « **Reply #153 on:** May 28, 2021, 07:27:20 AM »

Quote from: Kotowboy on May 28, 2021, 05:25:25 AM

I'm talking about one rhythm guitar covered in chorus to make it sound bigger - playing chords.

Edge uses echo mostly - I can't recall any song right now where Edge plays exclusively chords live and he's covered in chorus.

There's nothing wrong with that, though. Gilmour does that a lot as does Steve Rothery (who is heavily influenced by Gilmour).

Architeuthis · « **Reply #154 on:** May 29, 2021, 12:23:26 PM »

Quote from: Kotowboy on May 27, 2021, 03:40:44 AM

Re: Why isn't Alex Lifeson more highly regarded as a guitarist? ?

For me it's that awful tone. Drenching a guitar in chorus doesn't make it sound bigger. Or like two guitars. It makes it sound weak.

Most of the time Alex uses chorus is on the clean channel, he rarely uses it on the distorted channel. His tone is one of the things that draws me to Rush.

Lupton · « **Reply #155 on:** May 29, 2021, 04:21:53 PM »

Quote from: Architeuthis on May 29, 2021, 12:23:26 PM

Quote from: Kotowboy on May 27, 2021, 03:40:44 AM
Re: Why isn't Alex Lifeson more highly regarded as a guitarist? ?

For me it's that awful tone. Drenching a guitar in chorus doesn't make it sound bigger. Or like two guitars. It makes it sound weak.
Most of the time Alex uses chorus is on the clean channel, he rarely uses it on the distorted channel. His tone is one of the things that draws me to Rush.

I'm guilty of loving most of Alex's tone choices over the years. I suppose the real test is do you like the tone on A Show of Hands? I was at young impressionable age when I first heard that live record and to this day, I still love the tone on that one; even though I suspect it would probably be one of the worst offenders in terms of chorus overuse. One man's trash....

Architeuthis · « **Reply #156 on:** May 29, 2021, 07:29:23 PM »

Quote from: Lupton on May 29, 2021, 04:21:53 PM

Quote from: Architeuthis on May 29, 2021, 12:23:26 PM
Quote from: Kotowboy on May 27, 2021, 03:40:44 AM
Re: Why isn't Alex Lifeson more highly regarded as a guitarist? ?

For me it's that awful tone. Drenching a guitar in chorus doesn't make it sound bigger. Or like two guitars. It makes it sound weak.
Most of the time Alex uses chorus is on the clean channel, he rarely uses it on the distorted channel. His tone is one of the things that draws me to Rush.

I'm guilty of loving most of Alex's tone choices over the years. I suppose the real test is do you like the tone on A Show of Hands? I was at young impressionable age when I first heard that live record and to this day, I still love the tone on that one; even though I suspect it would probably be one of the worst offenders in terms of chorus overuse. One man's trash....

I love ASOH, but you are right about Alex using a lot of chorus on that one now that I think about it. His tone got so much better from the Vapor Trails tour onwards.

Lupton · « **Reply #157 on:** May 30, 2021, 11:34:50 AM »

Quote from: Architeuthis on May 29, 2021, 07:29:23 PM

Quote from: Lupton on May 29, 2021, 04:21:53 PM
Quote from: Architeuthis on May 29, 2021, 12:23:26 PM
Quote from: Kotowboy on May 27, 2021, 03:40:44 AM
Re: Why isn't Alex Lifeson more highly regarded as a guitarist? ?

For me it's that awful tone. Drenching a guitar in chorus doesn't make it sound bigger. Or like two guitars. It makes it sound weak.
Most of the time Alex uses chorus is on the clean channel, he rarely uses it on the distorted channel. His tone is one of the things that draws me to Rush.

I'm guilty of loving most of Alex's tone choices over the years. I suppose the real test is do you like the tone on A Show of Hands? I was at young impressionable age when I first heard that live record and to this day, I still love the tone on that one; even though I suspect it would probably be one of the worst offenders in terms of chorus overuse. One man's trash....
I love ASOH, but you are right about Alex using a lot of chorus on that one now that I think about it. His tone got so much better from the Vapor Trails tour onwards.

Yeah his tone starts beefing up around Counterparts. Anyone talking about Alex having a weak tone is talking out their ass.

KevShmev · « **Reply #158 on:** May 30, 2021, 11:39:43 AM »

I know Alex wasn't retroactively fond of his tone around the Hold Your Fire/A Show of Hands time period, which is why he tweaked it a bit when they redid the A Show of Hands video for DVD release, which is still irksome, but it fit the music they were doing at the time. I loved seeing Mission (finally!!) for example on the Snakes and Arrows tour, but it didn't quite have the same magic with him using a different guitar tone.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #159 on:** May 30, 2021, 12:06:34 PM »

Honestly it was the 80's. Digital recording was still somewhat new. Many albums sounded "tinny" back in the day.

Stadler · « **Reply #160 on:** May 30, 2021, 01:00:38 PM »

Quote from: kingshmegland on May 30, 2021, 12:06:34 PM

Honestly it was the 80's. Digital recording was still somewhat new. Many albums sounded "tinny" back in the day.

I think this is important. I even think Rush was still a bit on the heavier side of "tinny", meaning, there were worse offenders than Alex.

hunnus2000 · « **Reply #161 on:** May 31, 2021, 06:14:20 AM »

Part of Alex's tinny sound on OSOH was because of the guitars he was using. He nick-named them "Hentor" I believe but I'm not sure of the model. I never like these guitars for the live sound.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #162 on:** May 31, 2021, 06:24:57 AM »

Hentor was used only on the Grace tour. It was a Frankenstein guitar of his.

On a show of Hands he used Signature Guitar Company model - Aurora.

https://equipboard.com/pros/alex-lifeson/signature-guitar-great-white

News: Fall Into the Light, official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFxH4kky6z4

Author Topic: Why isn't Alex Lifeson more highly regarded as a guitarist? (Read 7813 times)