Riff Tone

The Spirit of Radio

Rush

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

Guitar1976 Gibson ES-355

AmpHiwatt DR103 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet

PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock ES-355)

Amp Settings

gain5.5

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

flangerElectro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress Flanger/Filter Matrix

chorusBoss Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble

Notes

Studio recording, 1979 (Permanent Waves album). Lifeson used his ES-355 for the main riff, through a Hiwatt DR103 head and Marshall 4x12 cab. Effects included Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress flanger and Boss CE-1 chorus. No evidence of Hughes & Kettner or later amps for this era. Pickup selector likely in bridge or middle position for clarity. All info specific to studio recording, not live rigs.

Tone Character(10)

bright and glassymodulation-richtight and articulatedistinct flanger sweepchorus shimmerdynamic and percussiveclear note separationslightly compressedBritish-voiced crunchnot high-gain

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, syncopated picking, complex chord shapes, and precise timing to maintain clarity with heavy modulation effects, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

Alex Lifeson breaks down 11 landmark Rush songs | Guitar World FX for Rush Hemispheres-Permanent Waves-Moving Pictures era ...Spirit of Radio Tone | The Gear Page

This tone has been researched 3 times by the community

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