Throughout his time in Rush, Alex Lifeson’s guitar sounds had been as meticulous and purposeful because the music itself. All through the band’s assorted discography, his virtuosic taking part in is offered via clear, vivid and clearly thought-about tones – his look after the sound clearly exemplified by his fixed experimentation with totally different results, amps and guitars.

And so though it’s a variety of drugs bearing his title (nicely, his nickname a minimum of), calling any given Lerxst product an “Alex Lifeson signature” feels a bit redundant – the model’s amplifiers, cupboards, pedals and loaded pickguards are one thing else totally. Lerxst is as an alternative a brand new model in its personal proper – however one which’s completely devoted to that library of sounds the Rush guitarist spent the higher a part of 50 years establishing.

Whereas it was late final 12 months that it started to ramp up the brand new merchandise, the Lerxst model first began over a decade in the past, again when Rush had been touring the Clockwork Angels album. The band was already collaborating with amp and pickup maker Mojotone for some staging features of the tour, and so when Lifeson had the thought of constructing his personal amplifier, the answer was apparent – Mojotone, in addition to being a model in its personal proper, can be an OEM. Collaboration is its bread and butter.

And so in 2012, the Lerxst Omega was born. The limited-edition run of 50-watt amplifier heads was primarily based on the Marshall Silver Jubilee Alex used for the Clockwork Angels album and tour. Nonetheless, the tweaks that had been made to the circuit represented the tonal preferences he had developed over his profession taking part in with Rush.

“I used a number of amps over that fifty 12 months interval. I knew what I appreciated and I knew what I didn’t,” Alex tells us. “My sound developed lots, and positively within the final 10 or 15 years, it settled into what it was on the finish of Rush’s touring profession.” The Omega amplifier evidently succeeded in capturing what Lifeson did like – even with the refresh of the model final 12 months, its circuitry has remained unchanged since that first restricted run in 2012.

Approaching design

When it got here to truly capturing the issues Alex appreciated, Mojotone CEO Michael McWhorter tells us {that a} wholesome appreciation of Rush throughout the enterprise helped get issues happening the best tracks: “I’m an enormous Rush fan, and have been ceaselessly. And all of our designers listed below are too. So having that information of the discography, of how Alex’s tone has modified over time, and of the totally different gear that he’s used – that basis gave us an thought of the place to begin from.”

Michael additionally paints an image of the particular amp design course of as fairly seamless and pleasing. “Sending an amp to Alex, and getting his suggestions after he performed it for a number of weeks, seeing if he wished it to vary extra or if he was glad – that was actually an thrilling time, a extremely enjoyable course of,”

Alex echoes this sentiment. “Mojotone has at all times been wonderful to work with. We have now an excellent, pleasant relationship. It’s not only a enterprise factor – we’ve carried out some work collectively, individual to individual, the workers got here up for reveals and so forth.”

“I do not forget that they had been at all times very open to something that I wished modified, or something that I used to be searching for. They had been actually encouraging me, saying ‘inform us what you need’ as we went forwards and backwards. So we did do a few prototypes that means, however actually I used to be glad proper from the beginning – it was simply minor tweaking that it wanted.”

A brand new look, and a brand new amplifier

The brand new search for the amps, launched final 12 months, takes some cues from some traditional Rush imagery, as Michael explains. “It was the fortieth anniversary of Transferring Footage, so we took our cues from that with, particularly with the purple, and the best way we refreshed the Starman brand. Alex is a automobile man, too, so we sort of introduced in a few of these aesthetics, and combined them in with the Transferring Footage look.”

Alex provides that it’s a “good, good-looking amplifier” – however out of the Lerxst vary, essentially the most visually imposing product must be the Omega 4×12 cupboard. It nearly has the proportions of a 6×12, with an extra-tall design. “I believe it simply seems to be unbelievable,” Alex says. “If I used to be to exit on the street once more, I believe I want to have about 15 of them throughout the stage, that might look good. Perhaps even stack these!”

Nonetheless, with the addition of the Chi (pronounced “kai”) combo amplifier to the Lersxt lineup, comes some acknowledgement that, for the typical gig you or I would play, an extra-tall 4×12 cab may be a bit a lot. “The combo is nice as a result of you’ll be able to carry it your self,” Alex says. You don’t must have your tech, you probably have one, carry it round. You possibly can take it your self, which is what I do, and set it up and go. It’s nice.”

However aside from its heft, what separates the Chi from the Omega? “The largest distinction is that we use 6L6s as an alternative of EL34s,” Michael explains. “The amp continues to be in the identical vein, it nonetheless has the identical kind of flavour because the Omega, however the Chi has obtained just a little extra headroom. It’s just a little extra clear, perhaps just a little extra articulate. In case you hit that well-known ‘Alex Lifeson chord’, with all six strings, you’ll be able to actually hear all six strings.

“So the Chi is certainly in the identical household, but it surely’s totally different sufficient. We additionally wished to place it right into a smaller package deal – not all people wants a 4×12 and a 50-watt head. It’s a grab-and-go package deal that you would use in your bed room or take onto a stage.”

However it’s removed from second fiddle within the lineup – Alex tells us that each amps get a superb quantity of use by him. “I exploit the Omega on a regular basis for my recordings right here at dwelling. However once I play reside, I take the Chi combo with me. It’s an ideal amp for that kind of gig. It’s good and light-weight, it sounds superior, it seems to be superior – all people loves it.”

Sound manipulation

Late final 12 months Lerxst launched its first foray into results, with two pedals named after the pair of canine antagonists within the Fly By Night time tune By-Tor And The Snow Canine – the previous, a drive, the latter, a fuzz. “I’ve been into results since I first began taking part in guitar with my first Fuzz Face that I plugged into my mother and father’ TV,” Alex says. “And over time I progressed from stomp bins to high-end rack-mounted models. However I’ve at all times been desirous about that sound-shaping facet of guitar.”

“I like the thought of making totally different sounds that don’t actually sound like a guitar in any respect. That’s one of many issues I like concerning the Envy Of None venture – 70 or 80 per cent of the guitars on these data don’t sound something like a guitar. That’s actually a number of enjoyable for me. And naturally, you want to have the ability to manipulate these typical, straight-ahead guitar sounds with all these nice results.”

The 2 pedals provide one thing fairly totally different – the By-Tor is an amp-in-a-box-style drive primarily based on the Omega, with the addition of a lift. “I discover that I exploit it on a regular basis,” Alex says. “It’s not only a distortion pedal, and it’s not only a enhance pedal – that tone sweep is actually efficient, the distortion is simply actually saturated and heat. It seems like a very nice amp that’s been overdriven, moderately than a typical stompbox with a really linear sort of distortion.”

The Snow Canine, alternatively, is an aggressive octave fuzz, which was impressed by Lifeson’s tone on the solo of The Weapon. “I used an MXR octave divider pedal for that tune, and introduced it on tour at any time when we performed it. However I didn’t use it lots aside from that one observe,” Alex explains. “However once we got here up with this concept for the Snow Canine, I believed it was actually cool to return and reprise that entire character of that sound. It’s a extremely wild, enjoyable pedal that you should use to create a number of cool sounds which might be actually off the wall.”

Alex says that the 2 choices work nicely collectively – “we’ve the mix of 1 actually straight-ahead pedal that you should use for something whenever you need a good, creamy sound that’s managed, and one thing that’s completely uncontrolled. It’s nearly Yin and Yang with the Lerxst pedals.”

Michael additionally notes that their interlocking design is properly illustrated by the Rush canon their names draw from: “Within the battle between By-Tor and the Snow Canine, it wouldn’t have made sense for the Snow Canine to have been, say, a refrain pedal. It needed to be one thing that was equally highly effective.”

An all-analogue strategy

Though he retains schtum concerning the specifics, Alex teases that the model has “a few different results concepts coming alongside”, within the comparatively close to future – results that may “take a look at the parameters of what you are able to do with sound manipulation on a guitar.” In order Lerxst seems to be ahead, and to some extent onto the ground the place your pedalboard goes, I’m curious as to how Alex and Michael see the model’s relationship to digital gear. It’s an simple a part of the trendy guitar panorama, however is it one thing Lerxst would wish to embrace? The reply is a powerful “no”.

“You realize, purchase no matter amp you need,” Alex says. “However the one which we make sounds actually good, and it’s primarily based on a extra conventional lineage. Digital is turning into a a lot better platform inside itself. However whenever you’re utilizing a plugin in comparison with an amp that’s mic’d, the distinction is so noticeable – I hear depth within the amp that’s mic’d, I hear inside dynamics, I hear a lot that I don’t hear within the digital plugin, which appears nearly pasted onto the display.”

Apart from tonal high quality and consistency, Alex explains that he and Michael are pleased with Lerxst’s scope – it’s not about being the largest amp firm on the earth. “We simply do what we do,” he says, “and we prefer to consider in it. We don’t make one thing that we expect goes to be an enormous vendor as a result of we wish to make a bunch of cash. We do it as a result of we’re having enjoyable with it.”

The long run

Alex Lifeson has, after all, already gone down the extra conventional “signature gear” route – most just lately together with his Gibson and Epiphone Axcess Les Pauls – but it surely’s clear that what he’s doing with Lerxst has a really totally different motivation. “I used to be at all times concerned within the design and the discharge of these guitars. However with Lerxst, it’s totally different – having a superb relationship with Mojotone, for a very long time, and with an thought of the place we’re going – that’s good. For one factor, it’s enjoyable. I’m not a enterprise man. I’m simply an artist, and I hear issues the best way I hear them, and I believed it’d be cool to have some gear that mirrored my expertise, and issues that I’d play.

“I exploit all of the guitars that I’ve been concerned with. I undoubtedly wasn’t simply slapping my title on it. However ahead, we’ve another plans for another pedals and we’ll see the place all of that takes us. However it’s undoubtedly enjoyable to have your individual factor, and work collectively in a small group to make it occur.”

The setting is clearly a productive one – the Lerxst lineup now additionally contains, on high of the amps, cupboards and results – a guitar, made in collaboration with Godin, and primarily based on Lifeson’s Hentor Sportscaster. It incorporates a set of electronics that’s additionally obtainable as a loaded pickguard, that means you probably have a suitable S-type, you’ll be able to immediately Sportscaster-ify it.

Alex praises Godin’s work on the instrument as an entire, however is especially effusive about Mojotone’s electronics work: “I’ve been utilizing the Lerxst guitar primarily for them as a result of they’ve such a shiny, clear high quality that I believe is actually distinctive. I don’t hear it in a number of guitars. And the humbucker is good and clean, with out being overpowering. So it’s a extremely balanced mixture.”

So whereas Lerxst doesn’t wish to take over the world, it may feasibly take over your sign chain – from guitar to speaker, and the whole lot in between. So what’s subsequent? “I believe our motto going ahead is that this: to construct one thing that’s very helpful as a inventive software, one thing that folks will actually reply to, and develop to like,” says Alex. “Nothing flashy, simply one thing actually stable that basically works nicely.”

“Alex hit the nail on the pinnacle,” Michael provides. “We’re not essentially attempting to compete with Fender, Gibson or Marshall– we’re simply simply having enjoyable and attempting to place out cool gear that’s nicely made, that a number of musicians can discover a use for and be inventive with.”

Yow will discover out extra at lerxstamps.com.