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ALEX LIFESON

Guitarist. producer. pilot. painter. golfer. blah, blah, blah....

Welcome to Alex Lifeson’s home on the web.

Alex is a Canadian musician and songwriter, best known as the guitarist and co-founder of the Hall of Fame rock group Rush .

LATEST NEWS

Let the fray begin with SNOW DOG!

https://youtu.be/_y32TxlkLwk Square for battle! With this latest creation, Lerxst revisits the early part of Alex’s tone journey when he was a young player inspired by the fuzz-driv...

Lerxst Limelight - American Musical Supply Interview

Alex sat down with the fellas from American Musical Supply to talk about all things Rush, writing, and the Lerxst Limelight guitar. Check it out below! https://youtu.be/L_YIjsqJ-3E

Step into the Lerxst "Limelight"

Alex Lifeson and Lerxst announce the launch of Limelight, a new signature guitar created in partnership with Canadian manufacturers Godin Guitars. Inspired by Lifeson’s iconic Hentor Sports...

Alex's first signature pedal - the BY-TOR!

LERXST is partnering with Reverb as the exclusive launch partner for Alex Lifeson's first signature pedal. The pedal will first be available through The Official Lerxst Reverb store, w...

CBS Sunday Morning 12/3

In case you missed it, Alex and Geddy were interviewed for CBS Sunday Morning, airing December 3rd, 2023. Check it out below! https://youtu.be/GlmRGHHY9hw

Introducing LERXST Amplification!

(Photo credit: Richard Sibbald) 50 Years of Sonic Exploration: Alex Lifeson Launches LERXST Amplifiers Legendary Rush guitarist partners with Mojotone on new line of versatile, hand-b...

Happy Birthday, Geddy!

Happy birthday to my best bud!  

Shred With Shifty Episode 1 - Lerxst!

Lerxst sat down to chat all things RUSH with Chris Shiflett of Foo Fighters recently, offering an inside look at the guitar parts for "Limelight" and much more. Check out the full 1 hour...

New "Ruby" Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess from Epiphone...

For 150 years, Epiphone has been at the forefront of musical instrument design. By leveraging its iconic past and leaning into the future, Epiphone has now set the stage for the next era of...

Envy of None "That Was Then, This Is Now"

The new EP from Envy of None, That Was Then, This Is Now is available NOW wherever you enjoy music! Follow the link below to stream or purchase your copy today. https://envyofnone.lnk.to...

Tom Cochrane SOCAN Award

Presenting my dear friend, Tom Cochrane, with the SOCAN Award and playing "Life Is a Highway" with all the incredible musicians and vocalists was truly a delight and way better than constan...

Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert - London

Watch Alex and Geddy, along with a legendary lineup of friends and family of Taylor LIVE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOnjLuBBkhU

54 Years of Canora

Garren Dakessian of Loucin Guitars recently completed a total rebuild of my first electric guitar, the exotic $59 Canora, as you can see both I and me are enjoying playing.  Me on the r...

Look Inside - Official Video

The official music video for Look Inside, our ’stoner lullaby’, is out now on YouTube. Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF-lfYi7DXk

ENVY OF NONE

Announcing the ENVY OF NONE debut album 'Envy Of None’, releasing via Kscope on 8 April 2022.  Listen to the new single Liar (out now), and pre-order the album on Special Edition, LP and CD...

Moving Pictures 40

Can't believe it's been 40 years since we holed up at Le Studio to record what would become Moving Pictures. To help celebrate we've partnered up with Deborah Samuel, who shot the photos se...

All or Nothing w/Andy Curran

Throwing back to when @andycurranofficial and I both led the Willowdale Warriors in PIM all through the late 70s before being sent down to the farm team in Saskatoon for lack of o...

New Music from the Lerxst Archives!

Surprise! Alex just dropped 3 "new" demo tracks from the Lerxst Music archives, spanning from 1996-1999. Check 'em out, along with some insight into the tracks from Al himself below. LI...

Interview w/Anderton's Music

Alex sat down with the good folks across the pond at Anderton's Music Co to chat about the brand-new Epiphone Alex Lifeson Axcess. Check it out below! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_...

Monaco Streaming Film Fest - Interview

Catch the full interview from the July 5th Monaco Streaming Film Festival with Alex and Andy Curran! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk-OWG1fqk8&t=20680s

Guitar World review - June 2021

Big thanks to Guitar World for this stellar review of the new Epiphone Alex Lifeson Axcess Standard! Check out the full review in the below link. READ THE FULL REVIEW

Epiphone Announces Lifeson Les Paul Axcess

EPIPHONE: RELEASES EXCLUSIVE ALEX LIFESON“EPIPHONE LES PAUL STANDARD AXCESS”AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE AT EPIPHONE.COM RUSH Lead Guitarist and Rock & Roll Legend Alex LifesonDebuts Two New ...

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Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Confirm RUSH Touring Plans With A New Drummer

• Owais 'Vitek' Nabi
• December 4, 2023
• 1 minute read

In a recent interview with “CBS News Sunday Morning,” the iconic progressive rock band RUSH, formed in the Toronto suburbs decades ago by guitarist Alex Lifeson, bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee, and drummer Neil Peart, explored their legendary musical journey.

With over 40 million albums sold, RUSH stands as Canada’s most revered rock band. Lifeson and Lee engaged with correspondent Jim Axelrod, discussing their unique blend of musicianship, stagecraft, and humor, as well as the profound impact of Peart’s tragic passing on the band’s dynamic.

As they pondered what the future holds without Peart, Lifeson expressed the challenge of envisioning the next chapter:

“Yeah, it’s difficult to figure out what that chapter is without him.”

When questioned about the possibility of recruiting another drummer and touring again, Lee acknowledged:

“Have we talked about it? Yeah.”

Pressed on whether it’s a definite possibility, Lee responded:

“It’s not impossible, but at this point, I can’t guarantee it.”

In contrast, Lifeson conveyed a more optimistic sentiment, emphasizing their innate drive to continue:

“It’s just not in our DNA to stop.”

Lee added a philosophical perspective, highlighting the importance of staying true to oneself:

“Do what you believe, because if you do what someone else believes, and you fail, you’ve got nothing. If you do what you believe, and you fail, you still have hope.”

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136 comments.

This would be the greatest thing. I have been with my Husband 38 years n the first day i meet him he played Rush on his Guitar for me n it was the best.

George Hickey, a legendary drummer and specialist in prog rock.

Let Alex & Geddy do the picking on who’s replacing Neil just like the Foo Fighters did,,,let’s just respect their decision if we’re truly Rush’s Fan.

too bad the fanatics will not like it i for one have questions after alex said Rush was no more. I can only hope for the future and hope then make wonderful and beautiful music.

I would be happy with Tommy Aldridge! Who disagrees?

i BET TOMMY LEE OR PETER CRISS OR EVEN JASON BONHAM COULD HANDEL THE JOB

You evidently don’t listen to RUSH.

Mike Mangini.. the only one

I can hear them now. What are these other drums for?

Meg White will come out of retirement and handle the percusions.

Don’t call it Rush or play Rush songs start fresh or don’t do it too much ego and greed

Your outta your freakin mind

?????? No sabes nada de bateristas

I don’t think so…Need someone like Danny Carey, Mike Portnoy, or Dave Grohl. That’s just my opinion…

It’s going to be Danny Carey. He’s the who played the shows they already did late last year.

I think it’s Danny Carey. Alex has been playing with them on the tool tour.

Dave couldn’t handle it…Portnoy..yes.

Mike Portnoy seems like he’s up to the task

It will be Danny but I think Mike would be a better fit seeing the catalog of Rush he played.

I would have picked Taylor Hawkins if he was still with us! Now I think I would pick Herb from Primus!

Definitely Portnoy

LOL THOSE GUYS COULD NOT HANDLE THE JOB

Tommy Lee would need backing tracks… he’s out

What about Chad Smith Phil Ehart

With Phil’s recent health issues, he is probably not a candidate, but I’m pretty certain he has the chops. I still think Portnoy would fit beautifully.

those guys are already in bands.

These are bets you would lose. Also, it’s not 1998. You should learn to type without ALL CAPS.

Neil is rolling over in his grave…. Tommy Lee what blasphemy you speak. Tommy Lee couldn’t stay in the same hotel with Geddy and Alex let alone take Neil’s place.

Only EL Estepario could maybe hang with Neil’s drumming. That’s about it. No one else could.

Agreed. El Estepario is good enough.

Give your head a shake please. Lee can’t even play with his own band let alone take Neil’s place.

Lol, not a chance of either of those drummers sitting on that stool. They’re both respectable amd good drummers but they are not that level.

You can be serious,none of these guys could remotely cover Neil. Impossible

maybe carey or thomas lang. no peter criss, tommy lee. dave grohl joke. phil ehart i don’t think so… maybe he is retired… i think if carey already played with them it would be him. tommy lee is a garbage can drummer… not even near peart. lol…

Absolutely a huge Peart fan ………..but Mike Portnoy although also older these days, could elevate the Rush repertoire over what level Neil was playing in the later years. Just saying 😉

Dave Groul would be the only option from Foo Fightees

There is no way Dave could play this…

Danny Carey, Mike Portnoy, Stewart Copeland, Gavin Harris (is that his name? Porcupine Tree) I know there are others

Peter Criss wasn’t even the best drummer in KISS. Please leave his name out of this conversation.

Tommy Lee! Seriously? That dude doesn’t have the chops to come close playing like Neil… He be better off setting up the drums for someone who can play

Ok, this is pathetic. Lee is terrible. Criss is worse.

Carey can more than handle Rush but would not leave Tool for Rush. Kind of a step down moving to band that hasn’t made anything that good in a few decades. Rush is like Def Leppard and other 80s greats living on past. I live old Rush. New stuff is formidable but nothing without old foundation.

Grohl isn’t that good but Foo Fighters are a huge band and whywould he leave that?

Dream Theater is also bigger and Portnoy has waited 13 years to get back into the band he founded.

The OBVIOUS Answer in

MIKE MANGINI who is an upgrade tp Peart.

No way… Tommy Lee isn’t good enough

Tim Alexander from Primus would be at the top of my list

Jason Bunyan is a good drummer but not for Rush. Tommy Lee and Peter Criss are washed up clowns who aren’t even in the same league as Neil Peart…

I’ve heard a Foo Fighter – DG may be a possibility

Peter Criss? Are you freakin serious? WTF is wrong with you?

Not even close!

Not even close dude. You’re gonna have to dig deeper than that.

Those drummers don’t have the chops to play Neil’s part in like 90% of Rush’ catalogue.

Ha! Not even remotely close…

Mike Portnoy the only choice

Those 3 can’t play even close to Neil. Think before giving your opinion …

as long as they don,t call whatever they do rush,i,m fine with it cause rush died with neil.

You beat me too it. Rush, for me anyway, has to include Neil. So while I hope very much Alex and Geddy continue I”d be somewhat saddened if they used the name. I’m sure they’re ever so concerned with what I think. LOL

I think they were already Rush before they picked up Neil.

Rush died when the ‘new guy’ passed away?

There was John Rutzy before Neil and there will be someone else after Neil.

Neil Peart, he was known as the New Guy by the guys. so, it is natural that they would do this. Alex has already had produced an Album and performed in many guest appearances.

The band was formed with original drummer, John Rutzy, who is on the first album. The Professor was recruited for the band afterwards.

I’ve been a big fan of RUSh since their second album.

Because of Neil, I wanted to learn to play drums. But health issues’s (Type 1 Diabeties) stopped this hopes!

I simply enjoyed Geddy, Alex and Neil’s work!

Neil was and will always be my drummer Rock God!

R.I.P. Neil

John B. Lawson Sr.

I would love to see Danny Carey or Chad Smith sitting behind Alex and Geddy. Both of them idolized and loved Neil. It would be a great tribute to Neil if the band forged ahead in his memory.

Would love to see Mike Mangini fill Neil’s spot. I think he would be a great addition to the band!!!

All the way Mike Mancini is the best fit can’t see anyone else getting the job done with honor for Neil Peart

This is a job cut out for Mike Portnoy. Pretty much nobody else.

A couple of years ago I saw Kim Mitchell in concert. He had a young drummer who was amazing, I know he could cut it.

Two words!!! DAVE GROHL

I agree!! Dave appreciates RUSH and as a previous drummer understands.

I think they will do great. Neil was the GOAT. Noone wil compare but. They can make new music and still call it Rush if they play the old stuff too!

Neil was over qualified for the job. The 40 year audition went real well but it’s time to move on. Rest in peace professor and goat

I love Rush. It’s difficult to imagine replacing Neil; he was the lyricist on all but the first album, and a legendary drummer. Will a new drummer simply mean that Rush is a cover band of themselves, or will they write new songs?. TBH, I’d go see them if they were not writing, but it is the big question I have.

I know a drummer who would make Neil proud! 😁

Honestly I think it would be healthy for them to go to the next chapter.

My pick for a replacement drummer would be Mike Portnoy He can do the job, He has a great deal of respect for rush ,(Neil) and face it Neil and Mike both are professors . Yep . That’s my take on it !.

I 100% agree, maybe even Mike Mangini or Marco Minneman

I nominate Gavin Harrison.

It’s Alex’s band. He can hire anyone he wants and call it RUSH.

Tools drummer. Danny Carey is the latest I read.

I agree, He could bring a whole different rhythm to the new stuff they could produce AND is talented enough to bring a Neil’esque build for the group on the original songs.

What would Neil want them to do??

El Estepario Siberiano could do it. Thus is the closest to Neil you will ever get. Thus guy could play anything.

He would definitely be my top choice.

That dudes a total shredder on the drums! Be nice if he took up the challenge

Please stop.. tge internet drummer makes great vids.

But stop with Neal is irreplaceable.

Danny Carey uis a better drummer.

Mangini is a better drummer

Portnoy is a better drummer.

Oeart was king once upon a time but in time the talent gets better. EVH was king now 100s of guys are better

The guy for the job no question is Tool drummer Danny Carey hands down

Danny Carey did the shows with them last year. He’s the one.

Here’s my unpopular opinion, and it’s based on what Geddy said while on The Strombo Show in January 2024. Geddy and Alex will never again “TOUR” as Rush. Geddy and Alex will never again TOUR at all! Geddy and Alex have “RETIRED FROM TOURING!” Touring is a lot of work and neither of them want to be away from their families or the “new” lives they become accustomed to! However, they have not ruled out writing, possibly recording and possibly playing a show here and there! All of this is “POSSIBLY!” Yet it is also possible that nothing will happen!!! According to Geddy, him and his wife will be going on a long post tour vacation and when he returns it is POSSIBLE that him and Alex may do some messing around. (Which means nothing may ever come of it!) Opinion: all of us Rush fans would love to hear more from them, however retirement is RETIREMENT! And they deserve to be retired with no pressure from labels, management, fans, anything. It just happens that they still live playing, so it could be as much as what is stated above or as little as the two just jamming, without going beyond that.

I’ve been a fan since the 80’s. Learned ever bass, keyboard and pedalboard part that Geddy ever played. Also EJ’s need many songs on the drums and guitar! I absolutely love Rush and miss them every day! But Rush ended when Neil retired! ……..

Get this kid. (He is 9) You guys and your drummer conversations. There are literally thousands of people that could do this. It’s much easier to copy than produce.

https://youtu.be/7XZbzweWKnc?si=uJ2Bzo8gaupKb4mZ

Waiting for some comments like “yeah, he’s good, but not exactly like The Professor.” Lol. There are many many drummers that learned through Rush. For people to say that no one “could handle it” is just head in the sand.

The only currently available drummer I could see coming close to the professor would be Mike Mangini

Only Todd Sucherman could pull it off technically

Gil Moore of Triumph would be their best fit should they do it. Great drummer, Canadian, and available. No one could ever replace Neil.

I find it incredible that no one mentions larnel lewis he’d fit right in and he’s from Toronto

Carmine Appice

Gavin Harrison or Danny Carey. These two only.

Headline doesn’t actually match article. They didn’t confirm anything other than they’ve talked about it. That is not confirming touring plans.

My guess – they will do some shows with other bands like they did for the Taylor Hawkins tribute – just sitting in for a few songs here and there with various people filling in on drums and I really like the ideas of great players coming in for 1-2 songs because it reinforces the message that one person CAN’T replace Neil.

Todd Sucherman. He is the most accurate drummer today and a worthy replacement for the incredible Neil Peart.

This guy would be able to handle Peart’s complex drumming. Jorge Garrido (a.k.a. El Estepario Siberiano) https://youtu.be/a_vD1FWP6W4?si=DpAQO1cOYKeo5aIR

This guy would be able to handle Peart’s complex drumming. Jorge Garrido (a.k.a. El Estepario Siberiano)

Danny Carey All Day would Be my suggestion..Amazing Drummer

Terry Bozzio.

I would love to see another Canadian icon at the drum kit. I think Gil Moore from Triumph would be awsome . Another amazing Canadian icon Johnny Fay from the tragically hip

Dave Grohl could do it. But NOBODY can replace the great Neil. Master.

Get Mike Mangini! And Tour Europe please!

Keeping the original roots Canadian. I would consider the drummer from Terra Cotta 2.0 Hopefully the boys will get out a couple of more times to put closure to a chapter that touched the world 🌎.

Gavin Harrison is the man for the job.

Stewart Copeland could be a good fit in my opinion.

DAvid Garibaldi

no Mike Mangine should be the one to do the job he would be perfect!

I think replacing the professor is a tall task for anyone but,I don’t think any of the modern drummers would be the answer. I’m willing to bet that there are drummers out there that can do a reasonable job

There are no drummers who can replace Neil. If the guys want to keep going they need to find a drummer who is strong enough to stand on their own. Not even try to be Neil Peart.

I’m not saying they shouldn’t ever play Rush songs again but I Couldn’t imagine putting on a traditional Rush concert without Neil Peart or Alex or Getty Some drummers are capable of playing some rush songs correct but no one can play all the songs correctly like Peart done even if someone Manages to play all the right notes ,beats and Rhythms it still wouldn’t sound as good without Peart’s unique style and personality that came across in his playing. I don’t think Geddy and Alex would settle for second best. He was a perfectionist throughout his entire Career without showing off or a bunch of flair while making the impossible look easy . Not everyone is replaceable

Danny Carey would improve Rush immensely

Not being facetious, but Omar nailed it and would have made Neil really proud…

What about Carl Palmer (ELP) ?

Carl Palmer would be able for sure. No doubt.

I’ve got a roland TR and I’m available!

Did you see when Grohl played with Rush during their induction into the rock and roll hall of Fame? Pretty impressive.

Greg Bissonette

Deen Castronovo could do it. He’s a beast, and could sing background vocals, too, not that Rush has many of those.

Please let be Stewart Coupland.

If he’s available and up for it, I’d love to see Virgil Donati fill the role.

I’m sorry… Tim Alexander has been playing Rush with Rush for years. He’s got the chops, stamina and groove that Alex and Geddy love.

It’s Gotta be Tim!

I think precision is what will count when trying to perform these masterpieces. Thomas Lang is about the only person who comes to mind for me.

Carter Beaufort could handle the job. He is seriously underrated but is a fine and creative percussionist. IMHO

Let’s not forget, Neil was not the first drummer for Rush. Why should he be the last?

What about Carl Palmer?

Tommy Aldridge! Thats all you need to know!

wHO ELSE BILL BRUFORD

Typical speculation, enjoy it or not when this project comes to fruition. Don’t have any expectations because you will be disappointed.

I’d say Rory Dolan or Kris Myers. None of the rock drummers are good enough

Correction. Neal was not a founding member, John Rutsey was the original drummer,

they need Simon Phillips

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Paul McCartney Insisted Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Tour Again

Paul McCartney tried to convince  Geddy Lee  and Rush bandmate Alex Lifeson to tour together again.

The conversation took place in September 2022, when all three classic rockers were performing as part of the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in London. It was head Foo Fighter Dave Grohl who made the initial introduction.

“Dave was so sweet,” Lee recalled during a conversation with Rolling Stone . “He comes up to us at rehearsal and he goes, ‘Paul McCartney’s up next to rehearse, and he’s outside, and he said to me, ‘Dave, I’ve never met anyone from Rush before.'”

READ MORE: All 167 Rush Songs Ranked Worst to Best

McCartney soon entered and began chatting with the other musicians. “He’s just a very lovely man. A very positive person,” Lee noted, before adding that he didn’t think the Beatle was very familiar with Rush’s music.

“I got the sense he knew who we were and had heard about us. He had never listened to us,” the bassist explained. “So at the show, he was there. He watched the set. I think he was really curious because people probably had mentioned us to him.”

McCartney Told Lee and Lifeson to 'Get Back Out There'

After the concert, McCartney, Lee and Lifeson spent more time together, at which point the Beatle made his pitch to get the Rush rockers back on the road.

“After the show, he was incredible. He was so warm and embracing and positive. He came and sat and drank with us. We all got plastered together,” Lee recalled. "And he was very emphatic, talking about, ‘You know what Ringo always says: ‘It’s what we do.'”

Lee’s response was to turn the attention on his bandmate.

“I said, ‘Talk to Al, because he’s the stubborn one.’ And so he was lecturing Al about how great it is to tour. ‘You have to do it, man. You have to get back out there, man.’ And Alex said something like, ‘I’ll do it, if you’ll be our manager.’ [To which McCartney responded] ‘I’ll manage you, mate!’”

READ MORE: Potential Collaborators for Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson

Rush called it quits in 2020 following the death of Neil Peart . Lee and Lifeson declared they would not continue without their drummer, but McCartney -- who has certainly dealt with losses of his own over the years -- tried to get them to reconsider. Lee confessed that Macca's words stuck with him.

“It was really fun, really funny, but he had a point,” the Rush rocker explained. “That’s the way he looks at life. He’s ageless because he really, truly believes he was born to do this. That’s what you do. And you just do it. You don’t question it. And I think we all sometimes forget that.”

Lee has since revealed that he'd be open to performing as Rush alongside Lifeson once more, though he cautioned "it's all hypothetical" at the moment.

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Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson Form Band with Alex Van Halen. New Music & Tour Coming

In a recent conversation with renowned rock journalist, Claude Balzac, Rush guitarist, Alex Lifeson signaled that he and Geddy Lee are ready to make beautiful music together again.

“That conversation sparked something inside of us and we immediately went into the studio and started playing around” said Lifeson “We said hey we should get a drummer, and at that exact moment there was a knock on the studio door. Much to our surprise, it was Van Halen drummer, Alex Van Halen. Coincidentally, his car broke down and he was asking to use the phone. We invited him to jam and it was magic immediately.”

Geddy Lee Alex Lifeson & Alex Van Halen

“it sounded so good” said Geddy Lee, “We immediately recorded 2 new songs on the spot and booked a tour for the summer. This is going to be an epic summer. Even if we have to play in a bubble, we are hitting the road. It’s been way too long and this project sounds too good. The people need it and we need it.”

Friends and special guests were invited over to record. Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, Lady Gaga, Axl Rose, DJ Khaled, Cardi B, that guy from Phish, Bob Dylan, Art Garfunkel and Sly Stone. The new band noted that the following musicians are banned and will not be invited to record or tour:  Sammy Hagar, John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and The Weeknd. “No special reason, we just hate them” said Lifeson. 

“It was a lot of fun, I really needed this” said Alex Van Halen. “It got a little weird in the studio when DJ Khaled showed up and brought Cardi B with him. He spit all over our good mics and kept screaming his name and she peed on the floor. Things got a little awkward, so I don’t think they will be coming on tour with us.”

Alex Lee Van Rushen

The name of the band will be ‘Alex Lee Van Rushen’. The touring band will rotate but will consist of multiple bass players, drummers and more. Kind of like a Progressive Metal Grateful Dead. An extravaganza, if you will. For the first leg of the tour, the lineup will be Axl Rose on lead vocals, Geddy Lee on bass/vocals/keys, Alex Lifeson on guitar, Alex Van Halen on drums, Michael Anthony on bass/vocals, Stevie Nicks on tambourine/vocals and Slash on guitar/flugelhorn.

Related Stories: Alex Van Halen, Vanilla Ice, Ace Frehley & Gene Simmons Form New Super Group

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6 thoughts on “ geddy lee, alex lifeson form band with alex van halen. new music & tour coming ”.

Very funny…

Caaaaaaraaaaaazzzzzy….but we all need it!

Alex Van Halen On Drums Was An Excellent Choice ! Axl Rose On Vocals ? Terrible Decision. More Thought Should Have Been Applied. Vocals Can Make Or Break You.

Will Peter Grant be the manager in spirit?

What did Sammy do to be hated by Alex Lifeson?

Well this is just false.

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Could Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson reunite for Rush's 50th anniversary next year?

Alex Lifeson's Envy of None band mate Andy Curran discusses the possibility of Lifeson and Geddy Lee working together again

It's the 50th anniversary of the release of Rush 's debut album next year, and the possibility of remaining band members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson getting together again has reared its head after Lifeson's Envy Of None band mate Andy Curran was asked about the possibility of the the pair working together again on the Rock History Music YouTube channel. You can watch the full interview below.

"I’m going to answer that in two ways," Curran said, when asked about the possibility of the pair working together again. "I’m going to say, I hope they do [reunite] as a Rush fan. I hope those boys do because I see that there’s   a lot of race left in both of those horses. Those guys are extremely creative guys… I would be shocked if they didn’t do something together; that’s maybe the hopeful side of me.

"I think [they are] enjoying being their own guys with a bit of freedom right now, so I don’t think it’s [the reunion and recording new music] imminent… But the interesting thing is the 50th anniversary of Rush is next year, so I think if there’s ever going to be a time, then we might see something happening next year.”

Lee has been busy writing his autobiography , which will be launched in November, whilst Lifeson has returned to active music duty with the dark pop/prog band Envy Of None, who released their self-titled debut album last year and have just announced a new EP, That Was Then .

"I do know that Geddy is spending a lot of time and has just announced the release of his book, his memoirs; he’s got a TV show that he’s working on," former Coney Hatch man Curran added. "Alex is an avid golfer, and I think that the boys are enjoying the time away from that very sort of ‘write-tour-record-tour, rinse and repeat."

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"Life post-Neil is still fresh" – Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee unite for candid interview

The duo also talk about how they coped with Rush's retirement in 2015 – "Let's be honest, it was frustrating to end when we ended. I was frustrated"

Geddy Lee and and Alex Lifeson recently sat down together to reflect on Rush and the 40th anniversary of their Moving Pictures album with George Stroumboulopoulos for his Strombo Show and as hoped, it's a fascinating conversation. As fans, and anyone who has seen the excellent documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage , know, the Rush story is one of extraordinary perseverance, talent and friendship. And the duo were also able to reflect on the loss of Neil Peart . 

"Life post-Neil is still fresh, in a way." admitted Geddy Lee. "I think he would be proud of this, and certainly be proud of the live aspect of this record because his playing is really good. And that's all he cared about… I shouldn't say that's all he cared about but that was first and foremost in his mind."

Alex Lifeson talks Rush Moving Pictures track-by-track

Stroumboulopoulos also sensitively approached the subject of Rush retiring and how the two musicians handled it. "I would say Al and I had different ways of dealing with that," responded Lee. "Al threw himself into little projects and bigger projects – he kept working throughout the whole thing and that was a real tonic for him. I can relate to that because when we went through our first set of tragedies with Neil back when he lost his wife and daughter, I did that. I threw myself into my solo album and it saved me in many ways. It fed me – let's put it like that. 

"So for myself, I turned to writing; I turned to book writing," continued Lee. "And that was a way for me to not compete with that moment and those feelings, but a way to take stock and recharge my batteries in a different way. So we've handled it quite differently. But at the end of the day, it was a difficult thing to put aside. I don't think there are many bands who had a 45-year career that were as close as we were. 

Lifeson has since forged ahead musically as one quarter of new project Envy Of None – whose debut album includes a poignant musical tribute to Peart.

"I know right after the tour, both Ged and I felt we still had a lot of gas in the tank," noted Lifeson. "The show looked great, we were playing really, really well. If we could just squeeze out another 150 shows [laughs].

"Let's be honest, it was frustrating to end when we ended. I was frustrated because I worked so hard on that tour in terms of design and putting it all together, and the whole concept of going backwards – a chronology that exposes itself, or exploits itself, while going back in time. 

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"And so I was really proud of it, I wanted to take it to Europe to play for the European fans, I wanted to take it to South America and that wasn't going to happen, so it was truncated in my view, in my mind. And I had to swallow that because I had to think of my friend's needs and what he wanted. It was frustrating, and so we walked away from that and went to do our other things. I went travelling, Alex was golfing and then Neil got sick. So what do you do with all those feelings? You just throw them away because they don't mean anything anymore." 

Envy Of None's Alex Lifeson and Maiah Wynne on the post-Rush album that was Lifeson's "life-saver"

Geddy Lee confirms that he's still playing music but joked he's "forgotten how to turn on my tape recorder" and he's continuing work on a memoir. "Then I will have a free space in my mind and in a way it was a kind of therapy for me to work through all of these things and I think I will then be in a good state of mind to move forward [musically]." 

For Lifeson the year anniversary of Peart's death coincided with a turning point in his own grieving process and return to music. 

"I didn't really play much, didn't listen to music – I couldn't stop thinking about it and then it was almost after the anniversary it was like walking through a door and I was like, 'ok I'm just gonna think about the good stuff and look forward to doing something else. Then I got involved in the Envy Of None project and that felt really good because I was playing on a regular basis, doing something that I've always done. That felt like a really good therapy for me."

But one question for fans will linger now – and the pair address that too. 

The duo confirmed they haven't played together since the end of Rush but have "talked about it an awful lot". But it's only a matter of time for the two old friends. "That's a special thing we know we have," said Geddy Lee, "And one day we will."

"We spend so much time together anyways," added Lifeson. "We love spending time together, we do stuff."

"We did that about a month and a half ago," responded Lee. "We hadn't had dinner in a while and we just went out to dinner. I remember the feeling, we sat down at the table, we looked across the table and this is where we have been for 45/50 years together. And we both did a double-handed high five and continued the evening. And got pretty wasted, it was good."

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Alex Lifeson reveals his tone and playing secrets behind 11 landmark Rush tracks

In this classic interview from 1996, the Canadian guitar hero dissects Rush anthems from 2112 to Limelight and The Spirit of Radio

Alex Lifeson is often regarded as one of the most underrated electric guitar players of all time, but his progressive playing style and all-encompassing tone inspired generations of guitarists who followed.

In this archive interview, originally printed in Guitar World 's November 1996 issue, Lifeson dissects 11 key tracks from the Rush catalogue.

The candid conversation sees the Canadian great delving into the recording process, songwriting and the ever-changing arsenal of gear behind landmark songs such as 2112, Limelight, The Spirit of Radio and many more…

Fly By Night (Mercury, 1975)

“We were trying to be quite individual with Fly By Night, which was the first record that Neil [Peart, drums], Geddy [Lee, bass] and I did together. That song was the signature for that album. Coincidentally, the name of our record company, which is Anthem records in Canada, came from that song.

“Neil was in an Ayn Rand [author of The Fountainhead] period, so he wrote the song about being very individual. We thought we were doing something that was different from everybody else.

“I was using a Gibson ES-335 then, and I had a Fender Twin and a Marshall 50-watt with a single 4x12 cabinet. An Echoplex was my only effect.”

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2112 (Mercury, 1976)

“We started writing that song on the road. We wrote on the road quite often in those days. The Fountain of Lamneth, on Caress of Steel , was really our first full concept song and 2112 was an extension of that. That was a tough period for Rush because Caress of Steel didn’t do that well commercially, even though we were really happy with it.

“We wanted to develop that style. Because there was so much negative feeling from the record company and our management was worried, we came back full force with 2112 . There was a lot of passion and anger on that record. It was about one person standing up against everybody else.

“I used the ES-335 again, and a Strat which I borrowed for the session. I couldn’t afford one at the time. I used a Marshall 50-watt and the Fender Twin as well. I may have had a Hiwatt in the studio at that time, too, but I think it came a little later. My effects were a Maestro phase-shifter and a good old Echoplex. There were a limited number of effects available back then. The Echoplex and wah-wah were staples in those days.”

3. La Villa Strangiato

Hemispheres (Polygram, 1978)

“That was all recorded in one take. Because we were writing on the road, we used our soundchecks to run through songs that we were going to record. We would come off the road, have a few days off and start recording.

“It was all recorded at the same time with all of us in the same room. We had baffles up around the guitar, bass and drums and we would look at each other for the cues. My solo in the middle section was overdubbed after we recorded the basic tracks. I played a solo while we did the first take and re-recorded it later. If you listen very carefully, you can hear the other solo ghosted in the background.

“That was a fun exercise in developing a lot of different sections in an instrumental. It gave everyone the chance to stretch out.

“By that time I had my ES-355, and my acoustics were a Gibson Dove, J-55 and a B-45 12-string. I had my Marshall in the studio. I had the Twin and two Hiwatts, which I was also using live, but the Marshall was my real workhorse.

“The Boss Chorus unit had just come out at that time, but I think I used a Roland JC-120 for the chorus sound here. That was the first of many ‘chorus’ albums.”

4. The Spirit of Radio

Permanent Waves (Mercury, 1979)

“There was a radio station here in Toronto – it’s an alternative station now – and ‘the spirit of radio’ was that station’s catch phrase. That song was about the freedom of music and how commercialized radio was becoming.

“FM radio in the late '60s and early '70s  was a bastion of free music where you got to hear a lot of things that you wouldn’t have heard otherwise. It was much like MTV was in the beginning, before it became another big network that feeds a large but very specific segment of the viewing audience.

“Radio has become a lot more commercialized since then. The station that we wrote that song about won’t play our music.”

5. Limelight

Moving Pictures (Anthem, 1981)

“Limelight is about being under the microscopic scrutiny of the public, the need for privacy – trying to separate the two and not always being successful at it. Because we’ve never been a high-profile band, we’ve managed to retain a lot of our privacy. But we’ve had to work at it. Neil’s very militant about his privacy.

“My guitar was a different modified Strat with a heavier and denser body. We set up a couple of amps outside of the studio as well as inside, so we got a nice long repeat with the echoing in the mountains.

”The approach on that solo was to try to make it as fluid as possible. There was a lot of bending with lots of long delay repeats and reverb so notes falling off would overlap with notes coming up. I spent a fair amount of time on that to get the character, but once we locked in on the sound, it came easily.”

• Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee name 22 songs that shaped Rush's sound

6. New World Man

Signals (Mercury, 1982)

“Most of Signals was completed, but we wanted to add one more song. Neil had been fooling around with the lyrics, so we wrote and recorded New World Man in the studio all within one day. It has a very direct feel. Doing that in one day was a lot of fun. The pressure was on but off at the same time.

“It was almost compulsory to do solos at that time, but I didn’t want to feel that every song had to have that kind of structure. I wanted to get away from that, and to this day I feel that way. I enjoy playing solos and I feel that my soloing is quite unique to my style, but I’m bored with that structure.

“I used a Tele for the whole song through the Hiwatts with a little bit of reverb and chorus.”

7. The Big Money

Power Windows (Anthem, 1985)

“That was a tough one that took a long time to complete. It was recorded in Montserrat. The guitar was tuned up a whole step with the E string at F#, and I played a lot of open chords. I did a lot of drop-ins where I hit a chord and let it ring, then dropped in the next chord and let it ring and so on. When we started recording the song, it sounded too ordinary, so we tried dropping in those chords during the verses as an experiment.

“I remember doing the solo in this studio in England, SARM East, which is in the East End of London. We set aside a week for solos, last-minute vocals and mixing. The control room was tiny. There was barely enough room for me to turn my body around when I was playing. But I got a really great sound with the repeats and lots of reverb. I loved to be soaked in that kind of effect at the time.

“I used a white modified Fender Strat that I called the ‘Hentor Sportscaster’. The name came from Peter Henderson, who co-produced Grace Under Pressure . The amp setup was a couple of Dean Markley 2x12 combos, two Marshall 2x12 combos, two Marshall 100-watt JCM 800 heads and two 4x12 cabinets. I also ran a direct signal.

”By that time I had a pretty comprehensive rack with two TC Electronic 2290s and a 1210 that I used for phasing, and I had a Roland DEP-5.”

8. Time Stand Still

Hold Your Fire (Mercury, 1987)

“That was the year that I got the Signature guitars with single-coil active pickups. It’s very apparent on that song. The guitar has a clear, metallic sound to it that really sings. I got into that bright tone, and my sound was still very chorusy.

”I had gotten rid of all my Hiwatts and the Dean Markleys and was using primarily Marshalls again. I used 2x12 combos as well as the JCM800.”

9. Show Don't Tell

Presto (Atlantic, 1989)

“By then we were working with Rupert Hine as our producer. Oddly enough, I had been working on the basic ideas of that song at home and brought it to the studio when we started writing the record. We developed it from there. It was much heavier in the early version. The tempo had come up a little bit.

”Rupert’s approach to the guitar sound was a little lighter than I wanted. That was partly my fault, because I was still using the Signature a lot, which didn’t lend itself to a very thick sound. That amp line-up stayed the same as before, and effects would come and go. I was fiddling around with whatever was new at the time, as I’ve always done.

“We’d taken a seven-month break, which at that time had been our longest hiatus. We needed to clear the cobwebs and get away. We came into Presto feeling a lot more enthusiastic about working. The change to Atlantic Records was good because we felt like we needed a change all around. We were going into the '90s, and it made everything fresher.”

10. Stick It Out

Counterparts (Atlantic, 1993)

“We had gone back to working with Peter Collins, who produced Hold Your Fire . We used a much more direct approach to recording, moving back towards the essence of what Rush was about as a three-piece.

”In retrospect, Counterparts didn’t work as well as we’d hoped, but it led us in the right direction. We’re much more satisfied with Test For Echo , which we view as a progression from Presto .”

11. Test For Echo

Test For Echo (Atlantic, 1996)

“There’s a lot of different stuff on there. I tuned the entire guitar down a whole step to a D standard tuning. I got a new Les Paul Custom with beautiful sustain, a heavy tone and a compact, but not too small, sound. In the choruses I used a Godin Acousti-Caster, which has a really interesting sound that is at the same time almost acoustic but definitely electric.

”I used primarily Marshalls: 50-watt and 100-watt JCM 800 heads and two 30th Anniversary models, with four cabinets – two vintage 4x12s and two new 1950 cabinets with Celestion 25-watt speakers.

”I used a DigiTech 2101 to knit everything together. The important thing with that is to use it through a good speaker simulator, like the Palmer. The compensated outputs on the 2101 don’t quite do it for me, but through the Palmer it has nice body and width.

“I feel like we’ve arrived with this record. There’s a particular feel that I don’t think we’ve had before, a nice groove and a lot of really good Rush songs. I feel like we were all really together on this album. Although we strive for that all the time, it’s not always achievable. The mood was so good in the studio, and we were so unified in direction.”

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Chris is the co-author of Eruption - Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. He is a 40-year music industry veteran who started at Boardwalk Entertainment (Joan Jett, Night Ranger) and Roland US before becoming a guitar journalist in 1991. He has interviewed more than 600 artists, written more than 1,400 product reviews and contributed to Jeff Beck’s Beck 01: Hot Rods and Rock & Roll and Eric Clapton’s Six String Stories.

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Home » Guitarists » Alex Lifeson Guitars and Gear List (2024 Update)

Alex Lifeson Guitars and Gear List (2024 Update)

Aleksandar Zivojinovic, otherwise known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is the lead guitarist for the legendary virtuosic rock trio, Rush. 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 Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists list.

Lifeson is known for his outstanding riffing, odd chord structures, and electronic effects. There just isn’t another guitar player like him. His bandmates even call him “The Musical Scientist” because of his sound experimentation. Of course, to craft his iconic sound, Lifeson has amassed quite the arsenal of gear. Here’s a rundown of the guitars, amps, and effects that Alex Lifeson has used over his decades-long career.

What Guitars Does Alex Lifeson Play?

Alex Lifeson plays a Gibson Les Paul Axcess guitar. Lifeson has been back and forth with his main guitars over the years, but ever since he landed a deal with Gibson for his signature Les Paul Axcess, the model became his undisputed favorite six-string for both stage and studio.

See the full list of notable Alex Lifeson Guitars below.

Gibson Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess

In 2011, Alex Lifeson got to team up with his friends at Gibson once again to create another unique signature guitar. Since he already got his signature ES-355, this time, he opted for a solid body. Finally, Lifeson would get his own signature Gibson Les Paul!

The Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess is a very unique guitar. While most Gibson Axcess models include chambering (hollowing out parts of the body) for weight reduction, Lifeson’s model has no chambering. Instead, it’s thinner than standard Les Pauls, giving it that Axcess weight reduction without losing the incredible solid-body sustain. The neck also has a rounded Axcess profile to help Lifeson reach the higher frets more easily.

As for pickups, the Alex Lifeson Signature Les Paul features 496R and 498T humbuckers with push/pull series and parallel switching that’s activated with the standard tone and volume knobs. Of course, what’s an Alex Lifeson signature model without his favorite tremolo bridge: the Floyd Rose.

As if a Floyd Rose on a Les Paul isn’t unique enough, in addition to the two magnetic humbuckers, Lifeson also added a Piezo pickup into the Floyd Rose bridge. That’s what gives him that special “Life-O-Sound” that blends acoustic and electric sounds.

To make the guitar even cooler, it has two output jacks. The primary jack blends the magnetic and the piezo. 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!

All these amazing Lifeson-inspired features are finished off by an incredible figured maple top. Lifeson has several of these Les Paul Axcess in his arsenal, most notably in Black, Royal Crimson, and Viceroy Brown. The black one is exclusive to Alex, you won’t be able to find a signature model of that one in stores! Since its creation in 2011, this guitar has become one of Lifeson’s primary players. He even uses it during Rush’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Gibson EDS-1275 Double Neck Guitar

In the rock and roll world, there’s hardly anything cooler than a double-necked guitar. It doesn’t matter how skilled you are, if you’re holding a double-neck, you look like a guitar hero! Alex Lifeson knew that and following in the footsteps of one of his favorite guitarists Jimmy Page, he picked up a Gibson EDS-1275 Doubleneck in 1976.

Lifeson loved the way a 12-string sounded for certain songs, but being in a three-piece band, he couldn’t give up the ability to play lead on a six-string. The solution was a double-necked guitar that had both!

Lifeson’s main EDS-1275 is white and features humbuckers on both sides of the guitar. The neck pickup on the 12-string has a coil splitter that Lifeson installed himself. He wanted to be able to get a cleaner sound out of the 12-string, so he put the guitar under the soldering iron and “chainsaw,” as he said in an interview with Gibson.

The Gibson EDS-1275 is used any time Lifeson needs a 12-string—most notably, on the song “Xanadu.” As if one double-necked guitar wasn’t cool enough, Geddy Lee also plays a double-neck for that song. His guitar, however, is a Rickenbacker with a brass neck and a 12-string neck.

Lifeson’s original EDS-1275 Doubleneck was eventually donated to a museum in Toronto. Of course, a legendary rocker like Alex Lifeson can’t go on tour without an awesome double-necked guitar, so he replaced it with a Gibson Signature Alex Lifeson EDS-1275 Doubleneck prototype, which he nicknamed “Heavy Bastard,” for obvious reasons.

The prototype was eventually made into an official Gibson signature model and had a limited production run in 2015. It was such a close replica to the original that Gibson included all the scratches, knicks, and even the cracked headstock from Lifeson’s original!

1976 Gibson ES-355

After the demise of his prized ES-335, Alex Lifeson swapped to using some of his Les Pauls and a few Fender Stratocasters, but there was still a semi-hollow hole left in his heart that those solid-body guitars just couldn’t fill.

In 1976, Lifeson took a tour of the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He saw this beautiful, brand-new, white ES-355 that he just had to have, so he bought it! He fell in love with it right away. He thought it looked so unique with its bright-white finish, and the sound was incredible! It instantly became his primary player that graced both the stage and the studio for the next few years.

While his ’76 ES-355 might not be his primary player anymore, it’s still one of Lifeson’s favorite guitars and frequently goes on tour with him. When you think of Alex Lifeson, you either picture him with a Les Paul or his white ES-355.

You can see this guitar in action throughout most of Rush’s history, all the way from the 1970s in “The Trees” music video, through more recent tours, like on “Working Man” from the Time Machines Tour in 2011 (Lifeson really shreds on this one!).

In 2008, Alex Lifeson teamed up with his favorite guitar-makers to create a signature Gibson ES-355 that’s (almost) as good as his original 1976 model. It only came with a white finish (of course) and featured gold hardware. It also had a Tune-O-Matic bridge and a Maestro Long Vibrola tailpiece. The pickups were Alnico II replicas of the legendary 1950s PAF humbuckers that made Lifeson’s original 355 sound so good.

Unfortunately, the Alex Lifeson Memphis ES-355 is no longer in production, but if you’re lucky, you can still find a few for sale floating around the internet. This is easily one of the most iconic Alex Lifeson guitars ever.

1968 Gibson ES-335

After rocking on his Canora for a while and discovering that music was what he really wanted to do, Alex Lifeson decided it was time to buy his first “proper” guitar to get his new band Rush going. He bought a 1968 Gibson ES-335 for Rush’s first tour.

He loved the feel and tone of the guitar, and it easily became his primary player for years to come. Unfortunately, at a show in 1977, the band was opening for Blue Öyster Cult and one of the horns fell off the PA system. It smashed right into his prized ES-335 (and his double-neck EDS-1275, which we’ll get to later), cracking the headstock. The guitar had to be retired from touring after that.

This guitar made tons of appearances throughout the ‘70s. You can see it rocking on “Working Man” during this early Rush performance.

1974 Gibson Les Paul Standard

Shortly after he bought his first “proper” guitar, Alex Lifeson also picked up a 1974 Gibson Les Paul Standard following Rush’s first tour in 1976. The Les Paul and the ES-335 became his two primary players through the rest of the 1970s and cemented his love for Gibson guitars, hollow-bodies, and Les Pauls.

Over the years, Lifeson has used almost countless Gibson Les Pauls on stage and in the studio. In fact, it’s hard to even picture Alex Lifeson without a Les Paul in his hands! In his interview with Vintage Guitar Magazine, he says, “There’s nothing like having a low-slung Les Paul over my shoulder!” It’s nearly impossible to beat the tonality and playability.

Although he jumped around to a few different guitar manufacturers throughout Rush’s history, Lifeson always found his way back to the Gibson Les Paul. From about 2000 on, he used Gibsons almost exclusively, most of them being Les Pauls.

Most of Lifeson’s Les Pauls aren’t much different than the ones you can pick up from any Gibson dealer. He did, however, modify his 1958 Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Reissue to include a Piezo pickup in the bridge along with dual outputs—a configuration he later incorporated into his own Gibson signature model. You can see this model in action on “Far Cry” from the Snakes & Arrows tour.

Fender Stratocaster “Hentor Sportscaster”

For a good chunk of the 1980s, Alex Lifeson used a mysterious guitar called a Hentor Sportscaster. It looked like a Fender Stratocaster with a few stark differences. 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!

As it turns out, the whole Hentor Sportscaster thing was a joke. They were really just modified Strats that Lifeson renamed Hentor Sportscaster after Rush’s producer at the time, Peter Henderson. Despite not being a real guitar brand, the Hentor Sportscaster became one of Alex Lifeson’s most iconic guitars!

There were several main differences between a standard Fender Stratocaster and the Hentor Sportscaster. First, the Hentor Sportscaster’s pickup toggle switch was located on the horn of the guitar, similar to a Gibson. It also had only two knobs—one tone and one volume—unlike the three that you usually find on Strats. The pickups were swapped out with DiMarzios for the rhythm and bass positions and a Bill Lawrence L-500 in the back position.

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.”

Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion (HRF)

Alex Lifeson’s two true guitar loves are the Gibson ES-335 and the Les Paul. When he saw the Gibson Howards Roberts Fusion, he just had to have it!

The Gibson HRF looks like Gibson took a Les Paul and threw some ES-335 into it. It’s essentially an oversized hollow-body Les Paul. Lifeson said it had a really nice balance when he played it, and it had everything he looks for in a guitar.

Even though it’s technically a hollow body, the Gibson HRF has a maple spur that runs through the middle of the body, which gives it some weight. 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.

After he picked it up around 1980, the HRF became one of his primary players for the next few tours and albums. It’s such a great guitar that it still goes out on tour 30 years later!

Lifeson uses the Gibson HRF for songs like “Hemispheres,” “Tom Sawyer,” and “Camera Eye.”

Signature Aurora

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 signature was a Canadian guitar manufacturer located in Toronto. Legend has it that Lifeson was friends with the owner of Signature Guitars and helped him design the instruments.

Lifeson played a Signature Aurora almost exclusively for the Power Windows Tour and kept it in rotation for a few shows after that. Later, Lifeson admitted that he loved the sound of the Signatures, but he wasn’t a fan of how they felt. “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 .”

Although Lifeson helped propel Signature to new heights by showing off its capabilities on stage, the Signature Guitar Company ultimately closed its doors in 1990, and Lifeson switched back to Gibsons and PRSs. Although he doesn’t play his signatures anymore, he did install a signature pickup into one of his primary PRSs he still brings on tour.

1991 PRS CE24

In the early ‘90s, Lifeson picked up a black PRS CE24. It’s a double-cutaway, solid-body guitar with humbuckers—which is right in line with most of Lifeson’s guitars. As he said in an interview with Total Guitar, “There’s nothing particularly special about it, but it has 24 frets, and I needed it for a song.”

You can see Lifeson’s 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.

He also has another early ‘90s PRS in Tobacco Sunburst that has a signature pickup in the bridge position—from his old Signature Aurora days. He missed the sound of his old signatures and asked Paul Reed Smith to build him a PRS with one of the old pickups, so he did! Lifeson uses this guitar on songs that require that unique “twangy” sound, like “Time Stands Still.”

1952 Reissue Fender Telecaster

Although Alex Lifeson prefers (loves) Gibson guitars, he does dabble with some other manufacturers as well. In addition to his arsenal of Les Pauls and ES-355s, Lifeson also carried a 1952 Reissue Fender Telecaster with him on the road.

There isn’t anything special about Lifeson’s Tele. It has the same pickups, bridge, and hardware that you’d find on any ’52 reissue. The only difference is that the finish was taken off the neck to help with playability.

Lifeson’s telecaster doesn’t make too many appearances on stage or in the studio, but it is one of his primary writing instruments, so bonus points for intimacy. If you listen to any Rush songs written after 1982, there’s a decent chance the guitar part was originally written on Lifeson’s 1952 Reissue Tele.

Garrison OM-20 Mandolin

Alex Lifeson is always looking for new sounds to add to the Rush repertoire. In 2007 for the Snakes & Arrows tour, Lifeson added the Garrison OM-20 octave mandolin to his guitar arsenal.

Garrison Guitars was an instrument manufacturer in Canada founded in 1999. In 2007, the company was bought by Gibson and eventually closed in 2010. Lifeson picked up one of their mandolins to use for a handful of songs, and sometimes, for only part of a song. You can hear the Garrison in action during a small solo break on “ Working Them Angels .”

Kent Acoustic

Alex Lifeson’s very first guitar was a Kent steel-string acoustic his parents got him for Christmas when he was about 12 years old. As he told Guitarist magazine, “It wasn’t much of a guitar. I think it cost $10.” He recalled the string height was very high off the neck, making it difficult to play—as most beginner acoustics are.

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.

Unnamed Canora Electric Guitar

After a year strumming the Kent acoustic, Lifeson started begging his parents for an electric guitar. They went out to the store and picked up a $59 Canora the following Christmas. Lifeson thought that guitar was so cool because it was shaped like a Gretsch Country Gentleman.

With his Carnoa in hand, Alex Lifeson started learning solos from his favorite players. All he would do after he got home from school is go to his room and play guitar. He’d take only a quick break to eat dinner, then go right back up to keep playing until bedtime. From that moment on, all he wanted to do was play guitar.

Table Showing Each Guitar Alex Lifeson Has Played in His Career

Alex lifeson amplifier overview.

To power his arsenal of guitars, Alex Lifeson needs quite a few amps to project his sound to a stadium filled with thousands of people. Like with his guitars, Lifeson has gone through a few amps over the years. Here are a few of his most notable.

Fender Super Reverb

Years Used: 1975 to 1976

In Rush’s early years, Lifeson didn’t even own an amp. He borrowed most of his equipment from friends and relatives—as most budding musicians do. Once Rush started hitting it big, Alex Lifeson went out and bought a Fender Super Reverb amp.

Lifeson’s Fender Super Reverb would stick with him for a few albums , including Fly by Night and Caress of Steel. He would also use it in live shows, pushing a Marshall 4×12 cabinet.

Hiwatt Amps

Years Used: 1978 to 1981

For the Hemispheres tour, Lifeson swapped from his standard Fender Super Reverb to Hiwatt amps. Playing bigger gigs, he needed the extra power! Specifically, he used three Hiwatt 100s pushing four 4×12 Hiwatt cabinets.

In addition to the Hiwatt 100s, Lifeson also used a Fender J.B.L. Twin Reverb, but it was mostly used for PA miking.

This setup carried Lifeson all the way through the Moving Pictures tour in 1981.

Hughes and Kettner Coreblade

Years Used: 2010 to present

Looking for a bit more lead boost during live performances, Lifeson added the Hughes & Kettner Coreblade to his amp setup for the Time Machine tour in 2011. He uses this amp to add a little “extra” to his regular tone. 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 he’s looking for.

Hughes and Kettner Alex Lifeson Model

Years Used: 2010 to Present

In 2010, the sound experts at Hughes & Kettner gave Alex Lifeson his very own signature model amp. 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.

Alex Lifeson uses three of his signature Hughes & Kettner amps on stage. 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.

Lifeson controls which amp he wants to use with a foot pedal switcher. The sound engineer also blends the amps together to get the perfect sound from backstage.

Steampunk Hughes and Kettner Amps – Twin 12 cabinets

To project the awesome sound from the amps out into the audience, Lifeson three Hughes & Kettner 2×12 cabinets.

In 2010, the band wanted to go for a steampunk vibe. 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. He has three of these contraptions behind him on stage at all times.

Since Geddy Lee also uses steampunk contraptions to fill his side of the stage, these custom-made Hughes & Kettners look great to give the band a unified look on stage. You can see these cabinets in action on the Time Machines tour.

Alex Lifeson Pedals and Effects

There’s no guitar player that sounds exactly like Alex Lifeson. He has spent so many years experimenting with different guitars, amps, and effects, that it’s nearly impossible for anyone to recreate. To craft his signature sound, he uses a myriad of effects pedals. Here are a few of his favorites to take on tour and use in the studio:

Morely Volume Pedal

Alex Lifeson does a lot of fading to add some “dramatic” effect to his solo and rhythm parts. To do that, he has used a Morely Volume Pedal for almost his entire career. 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.

Cry Baby Wah Pedal

What would a lead guitarist be without an awesome wah pedal!? Lifeson prefers to use the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah to help his solo parts stand out. You can hear Lifeson rock the wah pedal on songs like Cygnus X1 and countless other riffs throughout the Rush repertoire.

Boss CE-1 Chorus

Chorus is a big part of Alex Lifeson’s unique sound. His go-to chorus pedal is the Boss CE-1 Chorus. It has been a staple for Lifeson since the A Farewell to Kings tour in 1977.

In the later tours, Lifeson swapped from having a chorus foot pedal to a rack-mounted chorus effect. That way, his sound engineer can manage the chorus instead of him having to worry about switching the pedal on and off while he’s rocking the house on stage.

TC Electronics 1210

For the Power Windows tour in 1985, Lifeson swapped out his chorus foot pedal for a rack-mounted TC Electronics 1210 . The 1210 is a spatial expander and chorus flanger that helps Lifeson create his unique Rush sound.

Lifeson loved the sound of the TC Electronics 1210 so much that he’s had the same exact unit in his rack for over 30 years!

Piezo Switcher

Alex Lifeson loves to have piezo pickups and dual outputs built into his guitars. He has them on many of his Les Pauls, including his signature Axcess Les Paul. To help him blend the acoustic-sounding piezo and the magnetic pickups, he has a piezo switcher on his pedalboard.

The second output jack on his guitar is just for the piezo pickup. 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. That way, he can easily blend in the piezo or use it for straight acoustic sound.

Moog Taurus Bass Pedal

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.

The Moog Taurus Bass Pedal looks like a small keyboard that fits on Lifeson’s pedalboard. The keys are elongated so Lifeson can press them with his feet while still playing guitar. Lifeson’s Moog is preset with a few bass sounds and some samples.

Geddy Lee also has a set of Moog Taurus Bass Pedals on his pedalboard, preset with different sounds. That’s how a three-piece rock band can produce sounds that even five-piece bands would struggle with!

Lifeson began his musical journey at a young age, playing the viola. When he was 12, he was given his very first guitar as a Christmas present and renounced the viola forever in favor of shredding the guitar. Growing up, his musical idols included other legendary rockers like Jimi Hendrix , Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend, Jimmy Page , and Eric Clapton .

Surprisingly, Alex Lifeson is mostly self-taught. 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. 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 Clapton’s solos much more approachable, so that’s how he learned to play.

In 1963, at only 10-years old, Lifeson decided to form a band with his neighbor John Rutsey, who played the drums. They recruited bassist and vocalist Jeff Jones and became The Projection, which eventually became Rush in 1968 . When Jeff Jones left the band, he was replaced by Lifeson’s high school friend Geddy Lee. Once Neil Peart replaced Rutsey as the band’s drummer in 1974, the trio stuck together and changed the musical world for the next four decades!

That does it for this overview of the Alex Lifeson Guitar collection. Let us know if you have any questions or comments below!

My name is Chris and I’ve had a passion for music and guitars for as long as I can remember. 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.

I’ve been playing guitar since I was 13 years old and am an avid collector. Amps, pedals, guitars, bass, drums, microphones, studio, and recording gear, I love it all.

I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. My background is in Electrical Engineering, earning a Bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University. With my engineering experience, I’ve developed as a designer of guitar amplifiers and effects. A true passion of mine, I’ve designed, built, and repaired a wide range of guitar amps and electronics. Here at the Guitar Lobby, our aim is to share our passion for Music and gear with the rest of the music community.

3 thoughts on “Alex Lifeson Guitars and Gear List (2024 Update)”

Hello Chris, great article but I’d like to bring some corrections to your information the Signature Guitars section: Alex started using the Signature Aurora Prototype built buy Russ Heinl (a personal friend of Alex’s) for the Hold Your Fire and Presto albums almost exclusively (this it the White Aurora, his #1), he had 5 Auroras on tour with him and used mostly his #1, #2 Charcoal grey & his #3 Dark emerald green metallic in the live performances. if you’d like more information, please contact me, as I own his #1 & #3 Aurora, and his H&K zenTera amp. Best regards! Lee

Hi Christopher, 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 addition of all the pictures and videos just awesome.

Frankly, I’m not even a die hard Rush fan, and before today could not even name the lead guitarist. Although I do like a lot of their music, I’m 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 they’re utilized, and just the history in general.

Your passion for many of the same things is obvious. Well done and keep up the great work! Sincerely, Keith

Wow, what an excellent rundown of Alex’s gear – and the videos were super entertaining!

I had the ultimate pawn shop find recently north of Toronto, a late 70’s Marshall 4×12 tour cabinet from the All The World’s a Stage era, as far as I can tell. But the cool thing is all the notes on the aged masking tape inside the cabinet, which I’m curious to discover more about: – the horizontal brace says ‘Feb 25th 1978 Carnaby Road’ – each Greenback speaker says ‘RUSH RH3’ and ‘Brigette Bardot 007’ (spelled wrong I know)

What I’ve figured out so far is that somebody (road crew / tech) changed the jack plates from the small plastic ones to hand-drilled metal ones, took off the grill cloth, put metal screening instead, and remounted the Marshall logo. Figure this was the bass cabinet (bottom) of the 3rd stack, I believe Alex used 4 stacks at the time.

The Bridgette Bardot reference? I have no idea. I mean I know some guys name their guitars, never heard of naming your speakers. Although I did have a pedalboard one time that I called ‘Kevin.’ 😉

Here’s a link to some photos for the curious: Rush Marshall cabinet photos

And if anyone has more info, I’d love to hear! [email protected]

cheers Kent

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Rush’s Revealing New Tour Doc ‘Time Stand Still’: 10 Things We Learned

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

In January of 2015, Rush announced that they would belatedly celebrate their 40th anniversary with a North American tour. “These not-to-be-missed concerts will highlight four decades of the band’s music,” they said in a press release. “It will most likely be their last major tour of this magnitude.” Notice all the qualifiers in that statement: “most likely,” “major tour” and “this magnitude.” That wording left them a lot of wiggle room to keep going, but the billing was more than enough to help them sell out arenas all over the country. It was also enough to justify a new Rush documentary, even though 2010’s Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage is one of the greatest rock docs ever created.

Unlike Beyond the Lighted Stage , Rush: Time Stand Still – in theaters nationwide Thursday for a one-night-only Fathom Events screening – takes place largely in the present. It’s the story of a band facing their own mortality as they attempt to pull off the ultimate final tour as a gift to their fans. It also delves into history a bit, as the members tell funny stories from tours past, and stops occasionally to introduce some of Rush’s most hardcore fans. 

Here are 10 things we learned from the film.

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1. Neil Peart didn’t want to go on the tour. With a young daughter at home, the 64-year-old drummer initially had no intention of going on a tour last year. The group had been on the road pretty consistently for more than a decade and each outing was becoming increasingly hard on his aging body. Rush took a year off after the Clockwork Angels tour with no clear plan for the future. “In November [of 2014], we all got together in Toronto and I was quite prepared to say, ‘Sorry, I’m done,'” Peart says in the film. “I realized I was kind of a solitary misfit in that context of being the one that wanted to pull that plug. I left one little window in my mind that if somebody wanted to do it one more time and didn’t know if they’d be able to, [I would do it].”

2. Alex Lifeson is beginning to suffer from arthritis. During the meeting, the guitarist revealed that he has arthritis and doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be able to play guitar. “It’s easy to blame everything on the drummer not wanting to go back on the road,” Geddy Lee says. “But there’s other factors at play here that can’t be ignored. One of those factors is Alex’s arthritis, which is kind of a ticking time bomb.”

3. Neil Peart went into a rage when he realized that he was cornered and would have to go back on the road. “The bastard pulled that exact card,” says Peart. “Alex said he has arthritis and said, ‘I’d really like to go out one more time and don’t know if I’ll be able to.’ That night in my hotel room, I had the worst attack of Tourette’s you’ve ever heard. I felt trapped. I was stomping around and cursing. But by the next day it was like, ‘It is what it is. Deal with it!'”

4. Their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction continues to reverberate in their heads. After years and years of fan outrage, Rush were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Hardcore fans flooded the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, and went absolutely nuts for minutes on end when Hall of Fame chairman Jann Wenner merely said, “and from Toronto …” during his introductory remarks. The entire ceremony paused while the fans cheered and cheered to the point where the members of the group had to stand up and take a bow. “If you were in that room, you understand what our music means to them and what they mean to us, in one incredible reaction that I’ll never forget,” says Lee.

5. Neil Peart dealt with agonizing foot pain on the tour. As always, Peart traveled from show to show on his motorcycle. “Of all the things I worried about before this tour, and I worried about my elbows and cardiac arrest, I didn’t worry about the bottoms of my feet,” says Peart. But as he rode through torrential rain with wet boots on his feet, he developed a fungus that grew into eczema psoriasis and bacteria infections. A topical ointment only made the condition worse and walking became nearly unbearable, let alone playing drums for three hours a night. “By the end of the second leg I was walking on two raw stumps,” he says. “So drumming, of course, was agonizing.” But he powered through it, and if that wasn’t enough he developed painful blisters all over his hands at the same time. “He’s such a stoic guy,” says Lifeson. “I can’t believe he played through that.” Adds Lee: “There were two weeks of utter hell for him, like really utter hell. ”

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6. Management wanted to add another leg onto the tour. The R40 tour lasted a mere 35 shows, all of which were in North America. (By comparison, the 2012-13 Clockwork Angels tour went to Europe and lasted 72 shows, the 2010-11 Time Machine tour was 81 shows, and the 2007-08 Snakes and Arrows tour was 114 shows.) Rush manager Ray Danniels was hopeful that Neil Peart would agree to more R40 gigs, and Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson were also extremely willing to see that happen. Peart didn’t budge. “It makes it hard that we’re not doing more and we’re not taking this to Europe,” says Danniels. “That we’re not doing another 20 shows in America. The other side of that coin is that we almost had nothing and 35 is a lot more than zero.”

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7. The tour finale in Los Angeles was an extremely emotional evening. They wrapped up the run at the L.A. Forum on August 1st, 2015. “I tried to absorb as much as I could,” Lifeson recalls. “The building, the crowd, the lights. I tried to be acutely aware of everything that was going on.” Fans flew in from all over the globe, waving flags from their home countries. “That made me feel good that so many people came from so far away,” Lee says. “All those places we knew we couldn’t get to … The closest I came emotionally to losing it was when I was saying goodnight. I got choked up and I got momentarily overcome.”

8. Neil broke one of his rules on that last night.  The Forum show ended with “Working Man” and a sprinkle of vintage rarity “Garden Road.”  When the gig wrapped, Peart shocked his bandmates by heading to the front of the stage to join them for a bow. “I’ve never crossed what I call the back-line meridian,” he says. “I stay behind my drums and cymbals for 40 years and never go out front, never. It’s not my territory. Eventually, I talked myself into it. … It was totally the right thing to do.”

9. A tour with anything less than the three members of the classic lineup is unthinkable. They may have had a different drummer on their first album. They may have toured with a string section for Clockwork Angels . Violinist Jonathan Dinklage (brother of actor Pete Dinklage) may have occasionally joined them for “Losing It” on this last tour. But Rush is Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart. They will never do a show without all three of them. “It’s not like you just get new members of a band and just go for it,” says Lifeson. “Rush has never been a band like that. We’d never, ever do something like that.” Adds Lee: “We always said that if the three of us aren’t on board, we don’t do a thing. There have been other decisions in our career where the three of us weren’t on board and we didn’t do it. Nothing as profound as ending our touring life, but fair enough. So one guy doesn’t want to do that thing anymore that I love to do. That hurts. But there’s nothing I can do about it and that’s part of the agreement.”

10. The group walked away with mixed emotions. “I’m sure down the road I’ll feel fine with it,” says Lifeson. “But I still lament the fact that it’s likely we won’t be doing a major tour anymore.” That feels like an optimistic statement. Judging from Peart’s statements throughout the film, even a single show in the future would be a big surprise. At least they went out with one amazing final tour and had the foresight to film everything.  

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Take a tour of Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson’s country home

This well-designed country home set amid forest provides refuge and a degree of simplicity for Rush's Alex Lifeson and his family

Charlene Zivojinovich sits in the living room of her and Alex Lifeson's country home, designed by architect Dimitri Papatheodorou. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

The kitchen provides a jolt of colour with cabinet doors lacquered in lipstick red. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

The flight of stairs leading to the upper levels of the home. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

A rug made of ties in one of the guest rooms. There are five bedrooms that can accommodate adult kids, two grandsons and the occasional guest. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

The wine cellar. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

One of the bathrooms. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

The living room accommodates large gatherings and provides views of the gardens and forest. A two-sided fireplace stands between the living room and dining room. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

The house uses geothermal energy in the ground for heating and cooling, supplemented by propane and electricity. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

Charlene Zivojinovich and Dimitri Papatheodorou stand in the living room of Ms. Zivojinovich and Alex Lifeson’s country home. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

The staircase of glass, wood and metal sits on the east-west axis of the home. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

The home’s position on a ridge offers vistas of nearby farms from the second-floor master suite and family bedrooms. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

Sandstone and ipe surround the swimming pool, which is set on a terrace overlooking the forest. photos by Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

The house sits on a natural belvedere, set back from the road and surrounded by pine trees. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

On the second floor, a master suite provides privacy in a far corner of the house. There, Mr. Lifeson can retreat to his office and find quiet time away from guests and kids. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

A smaller family room sits next to the kitchen and inevitably becomes the place where the kids hang out. Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail

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