DIGITAL MAN
After so many years of using Gibson
guitars, Lifeson would finally get two
signature models from the company.
First was an Alpine White ES-355, based
off the same model he’d brought on so
many tours. Next would be the Les Paul
Axcess, equipped with a Floyd Rose
bridge, Alnico humbucker pickups, and
a piezo circuit for acoustic sounds.
Lifeson would favor gain-heavy Hughes
& Kettner amps for most of the decade
before producing his own signature
amp: the Lerxst Omega. Based off a
Marshall Silver Jubilee he used for
most of Rush’s 2012 LP Clockwork
Angels, he’d pair this 50-watt wonder
with a Mesa Mark V for clean sounds,
a Hughes & Kettner Coreblade for
heavier sounds, and a Macbook running
Apple Mainstage software. The Spatial
Expander still remains a large facet of
his sound, though now it’s paired with
a trio of the ubiquitous Fractal Audio
Axe-FX units.
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TONE TALK //
The Working Man: The Evolution of Rush’s Alex Lifeson and How to Achieve His Sound