Alex is a Canadian musician and songwriter, best known as the guitarist and co-founder of the Hall of Fame rock group Rush. He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. He has spent so many years experimenting with different guitars, amps, and effects, that its nearly impossible for anyone to recreate. Heading up the 100-plus-lot sale is a custom-built Whitey Gibson ES-355TD, which Lifeson describes as the main guitar he used throughout his decades-spanning tenure in Rush. Last edited: Nov 5, 2017. From 1980 to 1986, Lifeson used four identically modified Stratocasters, all of them equipped with the Floyd Rose bridge. 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. Don't mind the trace lines for 3 single coil pups - that's just habit. Bringing back memories. Replica Pat Martino 2015 - Honeyburst . Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. By clicking Subscribe, I agree to receive exclusive offers & promotions, news & reviews, and personalized tips for buying and selling on Reverb. 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. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar. ", A 1970 Gibson Les Paul acquired by Lifeson during Rushs inaugural tour and played extensively on all Rush albums and tours from Fly By Night and 2112 to Hemispheres., A 1971 Jose Ramirez acoustic guitar used by Lifeson to record all classical-style tracks on the album Hemispheres, including The Trees and La Villa Strangiato., A 1976 Gibson Dove acoustic guitar played on numerous tours and used by Lifeson to write Closer to the Heart and other songs from the 1977 Rush album A Farewell to Kings., A 1976 Gibson J-55 acoustic guitar used by Lifeson to compose Rushs platinum-selling album 2112 as well as A Farewell to Kings and served as the main acoustic guitar on Natural Science and Camera Eye from Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures.. Lifesons main EDS-1275 is white and features humbuckers on both sides of the guitar. 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. Twin Reverb, but it was mostly used for PA miking. In 2010, the band wanted to go for a steampunk vibe. 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. 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. It instantly became his primary player that graced both the stage and the studio for the next few years. Lifeson picked up one of their mandolins to use for a handful of songs, and sometimes, for only part of a song. 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! PAINTER. Learn More. 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. Alex used this guitar heavily during the 1980's and named . JavaScript is disabled. I'm 99% sure he used his Hentor Sportscaster for that and for the hyper-clean arpeggios during the choruses. This was Lifeson's favorite guitar to use during the recordings . Its an HSS, two knobs (volume / tone) with a Floyd rose non fine tuner trem (no locking nut). As a joke, he called these Hentor Sportscasters - a made-up name inspired by Peter Henderson's name, who was the producer of Grace Under Pressure. Oops, looks like you forgot something. Both are expected to fetch between $100,000 and $200,000. Lifeson thought that guitar was so cool because it was shaped like a Gretsch Country Gentleman. This setup carried Lifeson all the way through the Moving Pictures tour in 1981. it was awful to play, very uncomfortable, but had a particular sound that I liked. Alex Lifeson in Vintage Guitar Magazine, September 2011, You can see Lifeson rock his black Signature Aurora (and an awesome 80s haircut) in this 1989 live performance of Big Money.. It is this performance that critics point to when asked to define the sound of Rush. From that moment on, all he wanted to do was play guitar. Check the other thread I linked to in the post above yours, there is more detail on how it looks. 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. Guitar Lobby is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate Program. I never noticed the inverted jack on that thing. hentor; sportscaster; alex; lifeson; guitar; wiring; strat; gibson; switching; By MarkScudder, . (I was gonna sell the black one but I'm leaning towards selling the white Hentor Sportscaster now.) He saw this beautiful, brand-new, white ES-355 that he just had to have, so he bought it! Of course, whats an Alex Lifeson signature model without his favorite tremolo bridge: the Floyd Rose. Your passion for many of the same things is obvious. Amps, pedals, guitars, bass, drums, microphones, studio, and recording gear, I love it all. Alex Lifeson: "I purchased this guitar in 1976, it was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Lifeson uses the Gibson HRF for songs like Hemispheres, Tom Sawyer, and Camera Eye.. It was custom-built in Kalamazoo just for me. Frankly, Im not even a die hard Rush fan, and before today could not even name the lead guitarist. JavaScript is disabled. Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster replica - Electric Guitars - Harmony Central. Sure thats the 4th one and not just some start they had around for the shoot? Aleksandar Zivojinovic, otherwise known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is the lead guitarist for the legendary virtuosic rock trio, Rush. Instead, its thinner than standard Les Pauls, giving it that Axcess weight reduction without losing the incredible solid-body sustain. 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. I just wanted to compliment you for the outstanding job that you did, researching and writing such a detailed, informative, interesting, and enjoyable article. Another guitar up for bids, Lifeson's 1980 custom-built Hentor Sportscaster electric guitar. 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. The solution was a double-necked guitar that had both! In 2011, Alex Lifeson got to team up with his friends at Gibson once again to create another unique signature guitar. Lifeson also regularly used the guitar on tour and in music videos over the years. if youd like more information, please contact me, as I own his #1 & #3 Aurora, and his H&K zenTera amp. Used - Mint. There have been various discussions over the years, for those looking to build their own replicas of Alex's customized Strats, and not only do I want . The Sportscaster's heavy yet versatile sound embodies Rush's bold sonic . In 2010, the sound experts at Hughes & Kettner gave Alex Lifeson his very own signature model amp. Later, Lifeson admitted that he loved the sound of the Signatures, but he wasnt a fan of how they felt. 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. So first things first, I needed do some neck and bridge work while I waited for the parts I ordered (we'll get to all that in a later post). "Hello my fellow Rush fans! Nov 5, 2017 #2 AnalogKid68 TDPRI Member. Early estimates suggest that "Whitey" will bring in $200,000 - $300,000 at auction. Early FR bridge? You must log in or register to reply here. 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. Currency: 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? He fell in love with it right away. Alex Lifeson uses three of his signature Hughes & Kettner amps on stage. 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. The Gibson HRF looks like Gibson took a Les Paul and threw some ES-335 into it. The words Fender, Telecaster, Stratocaster and the associated headstock designs are registered trademarks of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Germany, I really like that it retains its overall Stratocaster-ness but is also has some unique features. Ive seen pictures of the original with white pickups and a non fine tuner Floyd also. I also had a Lifeson cover story issue (transcriptions of Red Barchetta). You must log in or register to reply here. It will be a little bit of a pain in the ass, but its not hard at all. Hello my fellow Rush fans! Im curious about the wiring form3 pickups on the LP styled 3 way switch. Roughed out on the bandsaw, sanded close to the line and routed to shape. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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 has given me permission to backwards engineer and meticulously blueprint his iconic Hentor Sportscaster so that I may make and sell accurate replicas. Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care. including the Gibson ES-355TD nicknamed "Whitie" a built-in custom guitar from 1976, and the Hentor Sportscaster guitar, built for him in 1980. This splendid guitar was part of Rushs most explosive era of creativity. So I took the occasion to level, re-crown and polish all the frets. 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. Up next, I'll be shielding the cavity, drilling the hole in the pickguard for the new switch location and then wiring it up. Best regards! Handmade by luthier Freddy Gabrsek in Ontario, Canada, this guitar was made for me that took nearly 10 months to complete. 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. 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. Early estimates suggest that "Whitey" will bring in $200,000 - $300,000 at auction. 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. 13007 S. Western Avenue, . Keith. For a limited time, save in the Gibson European Demo Shop. What's something super simple you like to play just because it's fun to play? The Freddy Sportscaster is deadly expensive for sure, its interesting as a benchmark and details Alexs customizations clearly. Solid Body Electric Guitars. 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! Wow, what an excellent rundown of Alexs gear and the videos were super entertaining! First, the Hentor Sportscasters pickup toggle switch was located on the horn of the guitar, similar to a Gibson. 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. He has three of these contraptions behind him on stage at all times. At some point I will document it some more in a build thread as I plan to redraw it etc. 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. Alex Lifeson is often regarded as one of the most underrated electric guitar players of all time, . They went out to the store and picked up a $59 Canora the following Christmas. Chorus is a big part of Alex Lifesons unique sound. This topic is being created to be the ultimate collection of information and discussion for my fellow "Hentor Sportscaster" enthusiasts out there. That way I could start with a shallower initial cut. 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:[email protected]. All rights reserved. Commencing May 20, the sale dubbed Property from the Archives of Alex Lifeson will take place Sunday, May 22 at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York and online at the company's website (opens in new tab). It was a real workhorse and I loved it.. The amp setup was a couple of Dean Markley 2x12 combos, two Marshall 2x12 combos, two . Hopefully by this time next week I'll be able to show you th finished product. You are using an out of date browser. 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 . LIFESON. It has been my main guitar and is the iconic Alex Lifeson guitar." . In 1976, Lifeson took a tour of the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan. 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. Custom built to match the specs of Alex's 80's Sportscaster Strat! 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..