by Geddy Lee
First published 2018
Rush frontman Geddy Lee opens his personal vault of vintage electric bass guitars spanning three decades. Over seven years, Lee assembled hundreds of instruments from the 1950s through 1980s, selecting 250 for this comprehensive showcase. His collection ranges from pristine "beauty queens" that never left their cases to battle-scarred "road warriors" bearing the marks of countless performances. Lee examines legendary makers like Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, and Höfner alongside lesser-known craftsmen such as Antonio Wandr Pioli and Dan Armstrong. Richard Sibbald's photography captures each instrument in stunning detail. The book includes conversations with bass legends John Paul Jones, Adam Clayton, Robert Trujillo, Bill Wyman, and Les Claypool, among others. Lee traces the stories behind his instruments while documenting his own gear evolution from 1968 to 2017, including basses used on Rush's final R40 Tour. This collection serves musicians, collectors, and anyone fascinated by the instrument that anchors rock and roll.
Genres: biography, history, art, non-fiction, music
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: collectors, personal-collection
Period: 1950s, 1980s, 2017
408 pages · Hardcover · Harper Design/HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C.