Riff Tone

Limelight

Rush

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (black, modified with Schaller neck and humbucker in bridge position)

AmpMarshall JCM 800 (50-watt and 100-watt heads) with 4x12 cabinets (Celestion 25-watt speakers)

PickupsSchaller humbucker (bridge position), Fender single coils (other positions)

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb2.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

chorusUnknown Chorus pedal (model unknown, likely Boss CE-1 or similar)

Notes

Studio recording, 1980-1981, Moving Pictures album sessions. Guitar was a modified Strat with a humbucker in the bridge. Multiple Marshall heads and cabs were used, with some signal routed outside the studio for ambience. DigiTech 2101 and Palmer speaker simulator were used for signal processing. Chorus effect is a key part of the riff tone.

Tone Character(10)

bright and glassymodulated shimmertight and articulateBritish crunchclear note separationslightly compressedspatial stereo imagecutting upper midsdynamic strummingchorus-enhanced

Difficulty

The Limelight riff requires advanced rhythmic precision, fast chord changes, and clean articulation with chorus modulation, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

Sources

Alex Lifeson's Guitar Gear, Pedalboard & Amps | Equipboard Alex Lifeson breaks down 11 landmark Rush songs | Guitar World The Evolution of Rush's Alex Lifeson and How To Achieve His Sound Best chorus for a Alex Lifeson sound? : r/Guitar

This tone has been researched 10 times by the community

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