alex lifeson hentor sportscaster

This was Lifeson's favorite guitar to use during the recordings . I had the ultimate pawn shop find recently north of Toronto, a late 70s Marshall 412 tour cabinet from the All The Worlds a Stage era, as far as I can tell. There will be a HB in the bridge and I need to make a trace for the 3 way toggle on the horn. Alex Lifeson - Rush Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster Mini Guitar Replica Collect. PILOT. It was created specifically for Rush's 40th Anniversary tour. Lifeson said it had a really nice balance when he played it, and it had everything he looks for in a guitar. Its a double-cutaway, solid-body guitar with humbuckerswhich is right in line with most of Lifesons guitars. I havent been to a Rush concert in decades but in the late 70s, early 80s, I saw them every time they came to town. Equipment with a unknown date is on the bottom. He also had black and CAR Strats with almost identical setups. He loved the feel and tone of the guitar, and it easily became his primary player for years to come. Currency: Alexs only stipulation was that for every guitar sold, a portion of the profit goes to his charity Grapes Under Pressure. In Rushs early years, Lifeson didnt even own an amp. He took a few classical guitar lessons from a friend when he was young, but he mostly sat by his record player trying to learn the solos from his favorite guitarists. Im a fan of Alex Lifeson and Rush. ), 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. It deserves to be played and need to thin out the inventory. Rush - Spirits of the Radio - Grace Under Pressure 1984 720 [HD] - YouTube, Rush Alex Lifeson Killerwatt Magazine Photo Mini Poster Pin Up | eBay. In 2007, the company was bought by Gibson and eventually closed in 2010. The Lifeson Signature model also had a fine-tuning Floyd Rose-type bridge. I held them together with double stick tape, and then I stuck the template on the guitar with the same double-stick tape. Despite not being a real guitar brand, the Hentor Sportscaster became one of Alex Lifesons most iconic guitars! There is no back plate on the guitar, consistent with the original model. Alex Lifeson: I purchased this guitar in 1976, it was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. The guitar is reportedly Lifeson's favorite guitar for soloing, and was used to record the solo for Rush's 1981 hit, Limelight (from Moving Pictures, released the same year). In 1963, at only 10-years old, Lifeson decided to form a band with his neighbor John Rutsey, who played the drums. That way I could start with a shallower initial cut. A 1981 Gibson Howard Roberts fusion guitar that served as Lifesons main guitar during the Moving Pictures tour. 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 . 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. With a router, you have to do a multitude of shallow passes going slightly deeper each time. Growing up, his musical idols included other legendary rockers like Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton. All his Strats were 1977 models and I believe all had alder bodies. It doesnt matter how skilled you are, if youre holding a double-neck, you look like a guitar hero! In 2010, the band wanted to go for a steampunk vibe. Twin Reverb, but it was mostly used for PA miking. Learn More, We understand the importance of online privacy and are committed to complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. PROPERTY FROM THE ARCHIVES OF ALEX LIFESON, Register to Bid by Phone, Proxy, or in Person. For some of the synth-heavy songs, Lifeson uses a Moog Taurus Bass Pedal to add some chords and synth bass sounds without having to put down his guitar. 70's style strat body finished in . It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar. For a good chunk of the 1980s, Alex Lifeson used a mysterious guitar called a Hentor Sportscaster. His bandmates even call him The Musical Scientist because of his sound experimentation. 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. When Moving Pictures came out and the Exit . What would a lead guitarist be without an awesome wah pedal!? The Strat above is the famous "Hentor Sportscaster" used during the Grace Under Pressure era. Another guitar up for bids, Lifeson's 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar. His white 1976 custom-built Gibson ES-355TD will go under the hammer in May. This is an awesome guitar. No, that's not the Signature guitar; those had active single coils and no pickguard, and those were circa 1987 or so (Hold Your Fire). Some reference if you can stand the 80'sness of the videos. Seymour Duncan released another AWESOME signature set! Amps, pedals, guitars, bass, drums, microphones, studio, and recording gear, I love it all. 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 . So I took the occasion to level, re-crown and polish all the frets. Lifeson began his musical journey at a young age, playing the viola. While Lee and Peart are incredibly important to the band's . You are using an out of date browser. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar.. 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! A video diary of a handmade replica of Alex Lifeson's Hentor Sportscaster. Both are expected to fetch between $100,000 and $200,000. Watch this gear and we'll notify you if it becomes available again. 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. Alex Lifeson has always been experimenting with his guitars and equipment. For the Hemispheres tour, Lifeson swapped from his standard Fender Super Reverb to Hiwatt amps. Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster replicas now available. Most of Lifesons Les Pauls arent much different than the ones you can pick up from any Gibson dealer. 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.. Strat Talk is the leading online community and marketplace for Stratocaster guitars. three way switch, large brass sustain block, Hentor Sportscaster logo on peghead face, Freddy Gabrsek logo and serial number on peghead back. * A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster played by Lifeson on most Rush albums since "Moving Pictures, . Heres a rundown of the guitars, amps, and effects that Alex Lifeson has used over his decades-long career. Check the other thread I linked to in the post above yours, there is more detail on how it looks. Chorus is a big part of Alex Lifesons unique sound. Rush's Alex Lifeson is collaborating with Julien's Auctions on an upcoming auction titled "Property From The Archives of Alex Lifeson". A lot less expensive than the excellent "Hentor Sportscaster" replicas made by Freddy Gabrsek. Before we get much further, let's all acknowledge there is no one definitive "Hentor Sportscaster" since it was just a name Alex Lifeson gave to his variously modified Strats. There was some additional dialogue I found that confirmed that the Hentors that Freddy Garsbeck was given permission to produce for resale were also wired up that way. i know he was endorsed by them back then. While in my possession over the last few months I made suggestions to Alex on upgrading the guitar. Heres how it works. Part of our "Music Icons" auction happening on May 20th, 21st and 22nd, "Property From The Archives of Alex Lifeson . That's his Hentor "Sportscaster" I believe That's his "Flockcaster" to match his hair from that era. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar (opens in new tab). In 2010, the sound experts at Hughes & Kettner gave Alex Lifeson his very own signature model amp. So his signal always seemed to be hotter. It looked like a Fender Stratocaster with a few stark differences. Alex Lifeson plays a Gibson Les Paul Axcess guitar. According to Rushisaband.com, Niagara On The Lake luthier Freddy Gebrsek has received permission from RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson to create and sell replicas of his Hentor Sportscaster, which Alex used extensively during the early 1980s. 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. Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear. As for pickups, the Alex Lifeson Signature Les Paul features 496R and 498T humbuckers with push/pull series and parallel switching thats activated with the standard tone and volume knobs. I'll . For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Historic dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday to You to President Kennedy. 70s style strat body finished in nitro lacquer. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The black one is exclusive to Alex, you wont be able to find a signature model of that one in stores! Will include my original invoice, certificate of origin, and comes with high end black case. Great gift for Rush fans! Legend has it that Lifeson was friends with the owner of Signature Guitars and helped him design the instruments. 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. You can see the incredible Hentor Sportscaster in action for much of the Grace Under Pressure tour, including this live performance of The Spirit of the Radio.. He saw this beautiful, brand-new, white ES-355 that he just had to have, so he bought it! For the Power Windows tour in 1985, Lifeson swapped out his chorus foot pedal for a rack-mounted TC Electronics 1210. You must log in or register to reply here. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. A 1980 custom Hentor Sportscaster that was the main . California 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. Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. I've read he used Floyd Rose tremolos with and without the fine tuners, and there are versions with the cream-colored humbucker and some with the black and chrome humbucker. Based on your location, we've changed your settings: Shipping Region: You can see Lifesons black 1991 PRS CE24 in action on songs like Leave That Thing Alone. There are some super high notes in the solos that require a 24-fret neck. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. I just goes to show how great Rush fans and Alex Lifeson fans are. 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. Alex Lifesons two true guitar loves are the Gibson ES-335 and the Les Paul. Lifeson runs that second output into the piezo switcher on his pedalboard, so he can turn the piezo on and off with the touch of his foot. 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. hentor; sportscaster; alex; lifeson; guitar; wiring; strat; gibson; switching; By MarkScudder, . 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. The solution was a double-necked guitar that had both! The primary jack blends the magnetic and the piezo. 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 Lifeson as his primary instrument for soloing in particular the solo for the bands hit single Limelight, and can be seen in the music videos for Vital Signs, Countdown, and Enemy Within. The Sportscasters heavy yet versatile sound embodies Rushs bold sonic explorations of the 1980s and Lifesons growth as a soloist during this time. In fact, its hard to even picture Alex Lifeson without a Les Paul in his hands! Lifeson uses the Gibson HRF for songs like Hemispheres, Tom Sawyer, and Camera Eye.. Looking forward to seeing the finished guitar. Next Last. The Hentor now sports Dimarzio single coils and also a large brass sustain block for the Floyd Rose, the biggest one Ive seen and yet there is still a good amount of movement available. Custom built to match the specs of Alex's 80's Sportscaster Strat! Its essentially an oversized hollow-body Les Paul. It only came with a white finish (of course) and featured gold hardware. 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! Its an HSS, two knobs (volume / tone) with a Floyd rose non fine tuner trem (no locking nut). Regular price $59.99 Geddy Lee Vintage Tour Edition Mini Fender Jazz Bass Model Officially Licensed. Or why not treat yourself? * 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 . For a limited time, save in the Gibson European Demo Shop. Ive been playing guitar since I was 13 years old and am an avid collector. GOLFER. The pickups were Alnico II replicas of the legendary 1950s PAF humbuckers that made Lifesons original 355 sound so good. It instantly became his primary player that graced both the stage and the studio for the next few years. 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 . You are using an out of date browser. 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. 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. The Freddy Sportscaster is deadly expensive for sure, its interesting as a benchmark and details Alexs customizations clearly. In addition to the Hiwatt 100s, Lifeson also used a Fender J.B.L. Over the years, Lifeson has used almost countless Gibson Les Pauls on stage and in the studio. If you arent confident with wiring 920D and plenty of others can provide you with a good quality wiring harness for ~$80. Home Guitarists Alex Lifeson Guitars and Gear List (2023 Update). 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. LOL. Ive seen pictures of the original with white pickups and a non fine tuner Floyd also. A custom-built 1980 Hentor Sportscaster - used by Lifeson extensively during the recording of Rush's Grace Under Pressure album and for the "Limelight" solo - also fetched a princely sum, selling (opens in new tab) for $187,500. I hope to post some happy results within a week. But this is all for today. You are using an out of date browser. 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. Go. The 1210 is a spatial expander and chorus flanger that helps Lifeson create his unique Rush sound. Also did this for a tele I'm working on as well. LIFESON. Alex Lifeson is set to put up his most legendary guitars for bidding at the Julien's Auctions "Music Icons . At some point I will document it some more in a build thread as I plan to redraw it etc. 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 . Lifesons Fender Super Reverb would stick with him for a few albums, including Fly by Night and Caress of Steel. Lifeson manages to achieve this sound with his hallowed 'Hentor Sportscaster', a Frankenstein guitar a modified Fender Strat with a Floyd Rose vibrato arm to create his archetypal tone. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. To reflect our commitment, we updated our terms and conditions. This isn't normally my thing, but I wanted to find out what made the mid 80's Alex Lifeson so distinct. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Currency: I have no idea. Here are a few of his most notable. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar," said the 68-year-old guitarist in a statement. 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. Its an HSS, two knobs (volume / tone) with a Floyd rose non fine tuner trem (no locking nut). He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). 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. You can hear Lifeson rock the wah pedal on songs like Cygnus X1 and countless other riffs throughout the Rush repertoire. There isnt anything special about Lifesons Tele. In 2007 for the Snakes & Arrows tour, Lifeson added the Garrison OM-20 octave mandolin to his guitar arsenal. Alex Lifesons very first guitar was a Kent steel-string acoustic his parents got him for Christmas when he was about 12 years old. Aleksandar ivojinovi, OC (born 27 August 1953), known professionally as Alex Lifeson (/ l a f s n /), is a Canadian musician who is the guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Rush.In 1968, Lifeson co-founded a band that would later become Rush, with drummer John Rutsey and bassist and lead vocalist Jeff Jones.Jones was replaced by Geddy Lee a month later, and Rutsey was . To help him blend the acoustic-sounding piezo and the magnetic pickups, he has a piezo switcher on his pedalboard. There were several main differences between a standard Fender Stratocaster and the Hentor Sportscaster. 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. I really like that it retains its overall Stratocaster-ness but is also has some unique features. Here are a couple of shots of the final assembly. Alex Lifeson is often regarded as one of the most underrated electric guitar players of all time, . 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 . The guitar is expected to sell at auction for between $100,000 and $200,000. With his Carnoa in hand, Alex Lifeson started learning solos from his favorite players. Joined Oct 25, 2017 . Add to Cart. Regular price $ . 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 . Reproduction of any part of this website without direct permission is prohibited. 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. 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. View Auction Results 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" 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. Sincerely, Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Although I did have a pedalboard one time that I called Kevin. , Heres a link to some photos for the curious: