Emulating Alex Lifeson’s Rush guitar tone
Back in the day, I ran a series of Classic Chords for Lifeson, Hendrix, The Manics, Oasis, and many others. I attempted to emulate the various guitars of the artists highlighted so I could demo the chords more authentically. Anyway, with the advent of large language models, such as ChatGPT, there is now the option to utilise their training to find a better way to describe how to get a particular guitar tone.
I asked ChatGPT to explain how I could emulate the guitar tone Alex Lifeson uses on one of my favourite Rush song’s Freewill, from their 1980 album Permanent Waves. That was the first tour on which I saw the band live so it holds a special place for me.
Here’s the specific prompt I used to get it to describe how I might emulate the tone:
You are to act as an expert in VST plugins for music mixing including Guitar Rig. Analyse the Rush song Freewill and tell me how to set up Guitar Rig to emulate the guitar tone used by the band’s guitarist Alex Lifeson in that song. You should provide all details in terms of amp model I should use, and the amp head, reverb, EQ, chorus, and any other effects.
This is what it came back with:
In “Freewill,” Alex Lifeson’s guitar tone is characterized by a crisp, clean sound with a touch of chorus and reverb. To get started with Guitar Rig, you’ll want to follow these steps:
- Amp Model: For this tone, you should look for a clean amp model with some headroom. Lifeson is known for using a mix of clean and slightly driven tones. In Guitar Rig, consider using the “Tweedman” or “Citrus” amp models. Both offer a good clean base tone.
- Amp Head and Cabinet: Pair your chosen amp model with a suitable cabinet simulation. Lifeson often used Marshall and Hughes & Kettner amps, so you could select a corresponding cabinet in Guitar Rig. The “Jazz 120” or “British Double” cabinets are good options.
- Reverb: Add a touch of reverb to give your guitar sound space and depth. Lifeson’s tone usually has a subtle reverb. In Guitar Rig, you can use the “Guitar Rig Pro Reverb” effect or experiment with other reverb presets.
- Chorus: Lifeson occasionally used chorus to thicken his tone. Add a gentle chorus effect to your signal chain. In Guitar Rig, try the “Chorus & Flanger” module or “Vintage Chorus” to dial in the right amount.
- EQ: Lifeson’s tone is well-balanced, so consider using a parametric EQ to make subtle adjustments. Boost the mids slightly and cut or boost the treble and bass as needed. Keep the adjustments modest to maintain clarity.
- Noise Gate: Use a noise gate to reduce unwanted noise, especially if you’re using any drive or distortion. Set it to a threshold where it only engages when you’re not playing.
- Compression: While not always present, a light compression can help even out your dynamics. Use the “Studio Compressor” in Guitar Rig or a similar plugin.
- Guitar: It’s worth mentioning that the guitar you use plays a significant role in achieving this tone. Alex Lifeson used a variety of guitars, but for “Freewill,” he used his famous, white Gibson ES-355. These semi-hollow body guitars contributed to his signature sound.
Remember that tweaking these settings will be necessary to get your tone as close as possible. Alex Lifeson’s tone evolved over the years, so it may also vary slightly from live performances to studio recordings. Use your ears as your best guide and make subtle adjustments until you achieve the desired result.