“You can have the same amp, the same guitar, but five guys — it’ll sound different.”

Rush legend and prog rock guitar master Alex Lifeson recalled how he was initially inspired by jazz virtuoso Allan Holdsworth to switch guitars.To this day, Lifeson is known as being a Gibson guy. However, at some point in the early 1980s, he began using the Hentor Sportscaster. Although not a Fender, it was clearly inspired by Stratocasters, giving them a somewhat of a “Super Strat” kind of twist. And earlier this year, Alex teamed up with Godin to bring this model back to life as the Godin Lerxst Limelight.During his recent interview with American Music Supply, Lifeson was asked about how he ended up using a Strat-style guitar with an HSS pickup combo back in the day. He replied (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar):

“That guitar kind of sat around and didn’t have much of a purpose other than being that Fender kind of character. And I wanted to play it more.”

“I found that I liked how the body felt,” the guitarist said. And this was a major change compared to his usual Gibson stuff. He continued:

“Going into the 355, I loved those big bodies. They were very comfortable and comfortable to sit and play, and standing. Just something about that body, the way it fit against my increasing stomach. [Laughs]”

“But that other platform, that Fender sort of platform — I thought I could make more out of it.”

And, as it turns out, it was Allan Holdsworth who inspired him to try something like this. Lifeson explained:

“I’ve been listening to Allan Holdsworth. I was so impressed with his style, particularly with the vibrato and his left hand, the way his left hand worked. And I wanted to sort of get into some of those moods and tones that this provides in your playing.”

“And it just seemed like such a smart thing to do, to create that thing that I was really looking for.”


Speaking further of this choice to go with the Hentor Sportscaster, Lifeson reflected on his feelings about guitars in general. As he says, they’re mere tools allowing guitar players to add a different twist to their music and style of playing. In a way, this is in line with the “means to an end” stance that Devin Townsend also has. Alex said:

“You know, they’re all tools, right? We love them, we collect them, we hang on to them, but at the end of the day, they’re just a bunch of tools. So they do different jobs. You don’t use a screwdriver for what a hammer is going to do.”

“And all the guitars have their own characteristics. One to the next will always have something that’s not very different but is different.”

What’s more, Lifeson also adds that the core of your sonic output lies in you. Sure, guitars and other gear are there to be your expressive tools. But the final tone that you get out of them depends on the way you approach it.

“You can have the same amp, the same guitar, but five guys — it’ll sound different,” he said. “Just because of the way you pick and the way your left hand works.”

Going back to the newly released Godin guitar, Lifeson added:

“So this was just another platform. I love the way the necks feel. These necks — when I had got the prototypes, I was so pleased because they feel great. For me, they are just perfect. In the way my hand processes the movement up and down the neck and then the back of the neck is great.”

Alex was also recently interviewed for Ultimate Guitar’s “On the Record” podcast. You can check out the full episode below.