Clean Tone
Freewill
Rush
BassProgressive rock1980s
Original Gear
BassFender Jazz Bass (1972 model, pawnshop purchase)
AmpSpeakerless rig: Avalon U-5 tube DI, Palmer PDI‑05 speaker simulator, Tech 21 SansAmp preamp
PickupsUnknown (likely standard Jazz Bass pickups)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass6
mid6.5
treble7
presence5.5
compression4
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Geddy Lee favored his 1972 Fender Jazz Bass during the Permanent Waves era for its punchy bottom end; he ran his bass through a speakerless rig mixing DI, speaker simulation, and SansAmp both live and in studio.
Tone Character(3)
punchy bottom endclear midrange presencetight and defined tone
Difficulty
The bass part in “Freewill” features rapid, intricate fingerstyle passages across shifting time signatures, requiring precision and coordination with vocals.
Sources
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
Create Free AccountBassProgressive rock1980s
Original Gear
BassFender Jazz Bass (1972 model, pawnshop purchase)
AmpSpeakerless rig: Avalon U-5 tube DI, Palmer PDI‑05 speaker simulator, Tech 21 SansAmp preamp
PickupsUnknown (likely standard Jazz Bass pickups)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass6
mid6.5
treble7
presence5.5
compression4
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Geddy Lee favored his 1972 Fender Jazz Bass during the Permanent Waves era for its punchy bottom end; he ran his bass through a speakerless rig mixing DI, speaker simulation, and SansAmp both live and in studio.
Tone Character(3)
punchy bottom endclear midrange presencetight and defined tone
Difficulty
The bass part in “Freewill” features rapid, intricate fingerstyle passages across shifting time signatures, requiring precision and coordination with vocals.
More Rush tones
- Limelight · riff
- Fly By Night · riff
- Tom Sawyer · riff
- The Spirit of Radio · riff
- Far Cry (Live) · riff
- Limelight · riff
- Working Man (Remastered 2013) · riff
- 2112: Overture / The Temples Of Syrinx / Discovery / Presentation / Oracle / Soliloquy / Grand Finale (Remastered 2012) · riff
- Clockwork Angels · clean
- Clockwork Angels · distorted