Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass

Geddy Lee

• Publisher: Harper
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9780062747839
• eBook ISBN: 9780062747846
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Social History
• Index: History

“A treasure trove for any fan of the four-stringed (and occasionally more) instrument.” — Billboard

"It's not surprising that sooner or later I'd dive down the proverbial rabbit hole into the world of vintage bass guitars."—Geddy Lee

From Rush frontman Geddy Lee's personal collection of vintage electric bass guitars, dating from the 1950s to the 1980s, comes the definitive volume on the subject.

Geddy's love of the bass has been nurtured over a lifetime spent in the limelight as one of the world's premier rock bassists. For the past seven years, he's dedicated himself to studying the history of the instrument that's been so essential to his career, collecting hundreds of basses from around the globe.

Written with arts journalist Daniel Richler, gorgeously photographed in breathtaking detail by Richard Sibbald, and with insight from Geddy’s trusted bass tech and curator, John "Skully" McIntosh, Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass profiles over 250 classic basses from Geddy’s extensive collection. Representing every tone in the bass palette, every nuance of the rock and roll genre as well as blues, jazz, pop, and country, this one-of-a-kind collection features so-called "beauty queens"—pristine instruments never lifted from their cases—as well as "road warriors"—well-worn, sweat-soaked basses that proudly show their age and use. Complete with personal commentary from Geddy that showcases his knowledge both as a musician and an aficionado, this luxuriously produced volume is a revelatory look at the heavy hitters in the world of bass—Fender, Gibson/Epiphone, Rickenbacker, Höfner, Ampeg—and lesser known but influential global luthiers such as Antonio Wandr Pioli, Dan Armstrong, and Tony Zemaitis.

The book also features interviews with John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin); Adam Clayton (U2); Robert Trujillo (Metallica); Jeff Tweedy (Wilco); Bill Wyman (The Rolling Stones); Les Claypool (Primus); Bob Daisley (Rainbow); Fender expert and owner of the legendary Gibson Explorer, Bass Ken Collins; veteran guitar tech for The Who, Alan Rogan; plus comments from many other great players across three decades of rock and roll.

Written in Geddy's singular voice, this book reveals the stories, songs, and history behind the instruments of his inimitable collection. Complete with an index and a graphically designed timeline of the history of the bass, as well as an up-close look at Geddy's basses on Rush's final R40 Tour, his stage and recording gear from 1968 to 2017, and forewords by author and respected vintage expert, Terry Foster, and Rush band member, Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass is the ultimate compendium for the consummate collector, musician, Rush fan, and anyone who loves the bass guitar.

1

Fender

When I was a boy, the radio was always on in my mother’s variety store. In those days, it was pure top forty: all the hits, all the time! It’s there I had my first exposure to the Beach Boys, Booker T. & the MGs, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, and Aretha Franklin, to name a few. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was subconsciously absorbing the glories of Fender, in particular the Precision Bass in the hands of Brian Wilson, Duck Dunn, and James Jamerson. My interest in music was sparking, and soon enough I’d be poring over album covers and rock magazines, identifying the guitars in the hands of those stars.

Fast-forward a couple of years: now a bassist with ambitions, ready to ditch my cheapie bass and standing in a shop, about to buy a 1968 Fender Precision. The salesman assured me it was a real “workhorse”—and I knew straightaway that was something I planned to exploit. I surely did play that thing, day and night. It was never far from my sight. I even loved the smell of it! And so began my long, if interrupted, history with the brand.

James Jamerson (AF Archive/Alamy)

Fender has always been there in my life, not always up-front but as a kind of benchmark by which all other basses are judged. I had some steamy affairs with other brands such as Rickenbacker, Steinberger, and Wal, but something about Fender would eventually draw me back. I learned so many fundamentals with that ’68 Precision, and while there’s no denying Rickenbacker’s influence along the way, since the mid-1990s my more modern sound has been based on my Fender Jazz of 1972.

Of course, playing an instrument is one thing; knowing its genealogy is quite another. If ever I had a question that even Skully couldn’t answer, we sought out Terry Foster, the co-author of Fender: The Golden Age 1946–1970, who probably knows more about Fender than anyone else on the planet, and whose collection of Fender memorabilia squirreled away in his Toronto home is mind-blowing. His insights (as with those of other specialists in other chapters) have been a great help to me in my mad quest and are sprinkled throughout the upcoming pages.

Donald “Duck” Dunn and Booker T. & the MGs recording in London with Carla Thomas, 1967 (Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy)

The Beach Boys, with Brian Wilson and his P-Bass, performing “I Get Around” on The Ed Sullivan Show (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Fender

Precision Bass

Precision Bass patent drawing, 1952 (courtesy of Terry Foster)

I can still remember the feel of the wide neck and the rumble of the furniture (and everything else, for that matter) in my teenage bedroom. When I first plugged in that brand-new ’68 P-Bass and turned it up loud, it was such an awesome, visceral moment that I didn’t stop to think about its origins. I didn’t care then, but I certainly do now.

Leo Fender’s concept for the instrument was that anyone who could play a guitar could now play the bass. He and his partner Don Randall named it the “Precision” because with frets you got the notes you wanted, and in tune. Everything that Leo did, in fact, was geared for utility, because first and foremost the man was an inventor and a gadgeteer. Rather than hire luthiers and seasoned craftsmen, such as those who worked over at Gibson, he mostly employed factory workers. Fender in the early 1960s was a classic example of the all-American assembly line.

After the Precision’s introduction in 1951, Leo kept tinkering with his invention and making a ton of improvements over a ten-year period. I’ve been fascinated to learn how that flat, stretched-out slab of wood morphed into a more streamlined, curvaceous, and utterly reliable, not to mention terrific-sounding, bass guitar that became the standard for so many musicians of all stripes. Assembling this collection has reignited my love of the instrument—playing them live on the R40 Tour, even more so. But enough talk. Let’s take a look!

Bassmen ad, 1952 (courtesy of Terry Foster)

1952

Fender Precision Bass

...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword by Terry Foster
• Backword by Alex Lifeson
• Introduction:
• Chapter One: Fender
• Chapter Two: Gibson and Epiphone
• Chapter Three: Rickenbacker
• Chapter Four: Höfner
• Chapter Five: Ampeg
• Chapter Six: Around the World in 80 Basses (More or Less)
• Chapter Seven: My Favorite Headaches: Stage and Recording Gear, 1968–2018
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Copyright
• About the Publisher