Geddy Lee Interviewed Your Favorite Bass Players For His New Book

Big Beautiful Book of Bass

Leo Fender had re-imagined a 1930s version of an electric bass and made it available commercially in 1951. Since that time, Rush’s front man Geddy Lee has been a passionate bass cognoscente, not just an instrumentalist. Seems obvious given the fact that he’s one of the world’s premiere bass players, right?

Though it’s logical that Lee probably hoards basses, his collection didn’t really start until he retired from his career with Rush. The Canadian rock supergroup performed their final show in 2015 at the end of their R40 Live Tour. Starting then, Geddy Lee’s collection sky-rocketed and he decided to publish a book focused on the heart and soul of the matter- the bass guitar.

Switching Roles

Geddy Lee is no stranger to interviews. His position in Rush as a front man was held for nearly 50 years and has answered thousands of questions for eager interviewers. Now, he has decided to talk about the last seven years he has spent studying the chronology of the instrument. His collection has blown up into an arsenal of over 250 basses that he has bought from around the world.

He has compounded all his knowledge in 408 pages and published that work in the hardcover, Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass. Within the enormous book Lee covers every genre the bass has ever been included in- from jazz to country. There are chapters filled with history and images of every company that has made it’s mark in the bass world.

Lee has added interviews with his friends and contemporaries, all of whom are superstar bass players. The major players inside are John Paul Jones, Adam Clayton, Les Claypool, Jeff Tweedy, Robert Trujillo, Bob Daisley, and Bill Wyman.  This isn’t only a bass lover’s book. Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass is an art piece of music history.