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Thread: Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass

  1. #1

    Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass

    Anyone got this?

    I was put off by the pre-order price of over £50, but then the price plummeted on Amazon UK to £16.65 a couple of weeks ago - so it was an instant buy for me. That said, it is on delayed delivery of around 4 weeks, so it hasn't arrived yet!

    I've noticed the price has crept up to £21.50 on Amazon UK now (still great value IMHO) though I see it remains at over $50 on Amazon US & €60 on Amazon Germany.
    Last edited by zzorchering; 01-22-2019 at 11:20 AM.

  2. #2
    Member Yodelgoat's Avatar
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    I will own it one day, but I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Seems like it will be a great read. Now how about making some noise again? Interesting to see how anything will be without the professors input.

  3. #3
    Member Paulrus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yodelgoat View Post
    Now how about making some noise again? Interesting to see how anything will be without the professors input.
    This recent interview (Alex was the interviewer) at the R&RHOF is mostly about the bass book, but also includes some info on current and future plans. Geddy also talks a bit about what it was like performing with Yes at their induction.

    I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.

  4. #4
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    I've ordered it from E Bay for £27, its marked as despatched and is supposedly coming from London but might take until Feb 12 to get here (England south coast), I've chased up the supplier, looking forward to getting it but wont hold my breath..

  5. #5
    Member gearHed289's Avatar
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    I got it for Christmas. It's pretty great, and the heaviest book I've ever owned! The selection of basses is interesting. There's the usual Fender, Gibson, Ric coverage, along with lots of other misc. stuff like Hofner and Ampeg. I'm not 100% sure where he was going with this. It seems part "history of the bass guitar" and part "here's what I like". There's zero coverage of late 70s/early 80s "hippy sandwich" basses pioneered by Alembic and BC Rich, which lead to the "boutique bass" movement. Also nothing about active electronics. Just seems odd that a book so huge totally bypasses these developments. The photography is outstanding, though there are a number of places where I think they should have used something other than a black background. I don't mean to sound super critical, I'm really happy with it, these are just the few negatives to me. I've been a bit of a collector for about twice as long as he has, and the info inside is generally pretty accurate with just a few minor inaccuracies that I've found. My FAVORITE chapter is the one covering the basses he used during his career with Rush. A couple of mysteries solved!

  6. #6
    Ah... I was really hoping to read about Alembics and was about to shell out before I read your piece. So nothing about them, strange as such an exotic species ( Greg Lakes 8 String sound 😝&#128541 . But I guess Geddy doesn’t cover off everything.






    Quote Originally Posted by gearHed289 View Post
    I got it for Christmas. It's pretty great, and the heaviest book I've ever owned! The selection of basses is interesting. There's the usual Fender, Gibson, Ric coverage, along with lots of other misc. stuff like Hofner and Ampeg. I'm not 100% sure where he was going with this. It seems part "history of the bass guitar" and part "here's what I like". There's zero coverage of late 70s/early 80s "hippy sandwich" basses pioneered by Alembic and BC Rich, which lead to the "boutique bass" movement. Also nothing about active electronics. Just seems odd that a book so huge totally bypasses these developments. The photography is outstanding, though there are a number of places where I think they should have used something other than a black background. I don't mean to sound super critical, I'm really happy with it, these are just the few negatives to me. I've been a bit of a collector for about twice as long as he has, and the info inside is generally pretty accurate with just a few minor inaccuracies that I've found. My FAVORITE chapter is the one covering the basses he used during his career with Rush. A couple of mysteries solved!

  7. #7
    I've had this for a little over a month and I'm still trying to get through it. It's pretty amazing and I'm just taking my time with it and admiring the stories and the detailed photos. It's a very readable book. Can't believe it's already reached a 4th printing but I don't know much about the parameters of the publishing industry these days.

    I really hope he decides to write the Rush bio. He's definitely up to the task. I'm still pouring through the Fender Jazz Bass section. Definitely learning a lot of context and history.

    The original manuscript was something like 847 pages. I would have loved to have gotten my hands on that!

  8. #8
    NEARfest Officer Emeritus Nearfest2's Avatar
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    Got it for Christmas, but I need time to sit down with it.
    Chad

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nearfest2 View Post
    Got it for Christmas, but I need time to sit down with it.
    Not a book you want to read standing up

  10. #10
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    I hope this inspires some of you to buy a bass! It might just weigh less than the book!

  11. #11
    NEARfest Officer Emeritus Nearfest2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve983 View Post
    Not a book you want to read standing up
    No doubt!
    Chad

  12. #12
    I'm waiting for it to come out on audible.com. I hope Geddy is the reader.

  13. #13
    Got it and met Geddy with my son (also a bassist) in New Jersey last month. Basically smiled at Geddy...and then spent double on his book than if I had bought it WITHOUT meeting him. I read through the whole Fender Precision section only thus far. Really nice photos and some nice writing in there too.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by gearHed289 View Post
    I got it for Christmas. It's pretty great, and the heaviest book I've ever owned! The selection of basses is interesting. There's the usual Fender, Gibson, Ric coverage, along with lots of other misc. stuff like Hofner and Ampeg. I'm not 100% sure where he was going with this. It seems part "history of the bass guitar" and part "here's what I like". There's zero coverage of late 70s/early 80s "hippy sandwich" basses pioneered by Alembic and BC Rich, which lead to the "boutique bass" movement. Also nothing about active electronics. Just seems odd that a book so huge totally bypasses these developments. The photography is outstanding, though there are a number of places where I think they should have used something other than a black background. I don't mean to sound super critical, I'm really happy with it, these are just the few negatives to me. I've been a bit of a collector for about twice as long as he has, and the info inside is generally pretty accurate with just a few minor inaccuracies that I've found. My FAVORITE chapter is the one covering the basses he used during his career with Rush. A couple of mysteries solved!
    As a Steinberger XL-2 owner I agree he sort of skips past anything "modern" but for Steinberger and Wal-and the silver bass he used on "Losing It". What I've read about his looking back on the Steinberger was not the nicest. He liked it for its size (me too) but not much else beyond that.

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    Here in the UK Amazon has dropped the price to a ridiculous (in a good way) £15 + £2.99 p+p but delivery will likely be Feb sometime. I cancelled my order with E Bay as it turns out he didn't actually have it in stock. This is not the first time I benefited from Amazon likely getting their wires crossed - but perhaps it might be a softback version which would make it cheaper but even so its still a crazy good price

  16. #16
    Member gearHed289's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 3RDegree_Robert View Post
    As a Steinberger XL-2 owner I agree he sort of skips past anything "modern" but for Steinberger and Wal-and the silver bass he used on "Losing It". What I've read about his looking back on the Steinberger was not the nicest. He liked it for its size (me too) but not much else beyond that.
    The silver bass is one of his two Zemaitis basses. He used the other on DEW. I'm pretty sure one is a reissue and the other is vintage. I played a reissue a couple of years ago. It was nice but very pricey.

    Cool that you've got an XL-2! I wouldn't mind having one just for fun. One of my fav players from the 80s, Dan Brown of the FIXX, played one, along with a 5 string fretless Wal.

  17. #17
    Member Paulrus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gearHed289 View Post
    One of my fav players from the 80s, Dan Brown of the FIXX, played one
    During the early-mid 80s it seemed like pretty much every bass player out there had one (except for Chris Squire, natch ) I remember first seeing one on Ross Valory in Journey's "Separate Ways" video.
    I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.

  18. #18
    Member chalkpie's Avatar
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    I have a 'Berger XL-2 also! Still love the thing....more versatile than some people realize.
    If it isn't Krautrock, it's krap.

    "And it's only the giving
    That makes you what you are" - Ian Anderson

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by 3RDegree_Robert View Post
    As a Steinberger XL-2 owner I agree he sort of skips past anything "modern" but for Steinberger and Wal-and the silver bass he used on "Losing It". What I've read about his looking back on the Steinberger was not the nicest. He liked it for its size (me too) but not much else beyond that.
    That's cuz he never learned to tame it like you did.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by 3RDegree_Robert View Post
    Got it and met Geddy with my son (also a bassist) in New Jersey last month. Basically smiled at Geddy...and then spent double on his book than if I had bought it WITHOUT meeting him. I read through the whole Fender Precision section only thus far. Really nice photos and some nice writing in there too.
    Wow, did he have a book signing? Wish I knew about it!

    I might have to pull the trigger on this book at that low price.

  21. #21
    I got my Steinberger at the perfect time: Used and when they were falling out of favor. $800 in ’93. You’ll be lucky to find one under 3 grand unless it needs serious work nowadays.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by 3RDegree_Robert View Post
    Got it and met Geddy with my son (also a bassist) in New Jersey last month. Basically smiled at Geddy...and then spent double on his book than if I had bought it WITHOUT meeting him. I read through the whole Fender Precision section only thus far. Really nice photos and some nice writing in there too.
    But it was totally worth it, right?

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by yamishogun View Post
    I'm waiting for it to come out on audible.com. I hope Geddy is the reader.
    Being a book with a lot of great photos, it's as much a visual experience rather than and auditory one (as much as I'd love to hear the guy talk.)

  24. #24
    Member Vic2012's Avatar
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    If I find it at B&N I'll get it. I'm a bass freak so I should have it. I just watched a Geddy interview on YT. I can't post the link but it's pretty interesting, despite one of the interviewers coming off really dumb. But he sounds like he's going to get with Alex and make some noise at some point. Right now he's busy touring the big, fat, book of bass.

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve983 View Post
    Here in the UK Amazon has dropped the price to a ridiculous (in a good way) £15 + £2.99 p+p but delivery will likely be Feb sometime. I cancelled my order with E Bay as it turns out he didn't actually have it in stock. This is not the first time I benefited from Amazon likely getting their wires crossed - but perhaps it might be a softback version which would make it cheaper but even so its still a crazy good price
    Bought for this price, thank you very much for the tip.

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