Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has announced a new signature model Epiphone Les Paul electric guitar and shared two new songs, “Kabul Blues” and “Spy House”. The tracks appear to be the first new music from Lifeson since the passing of Rush drummer Neil Peart in January 2020.
The Alex Lifeson Epiphone Les Paul Standard Axcess electric guitar is the culmination of an extensive collaboration between Lifeson and Epiphone’s parent company Gibson. The guitarist added his signature touches to the classic Les Paul design, improving on an already legendary guitar.
“The introduction of the Epiphone Alex Lifeson Axcess model based on my Gibson Les Paul Axcess model has all the same attributes and characteristics that I desired so much when we originally designed it,” Lifeson said in a press release on Rush’s official website. “The look, the sound, the playability and the utility – it’s all there for the player at any level. I’m very proud of this guitar.”
The new axe includes a Pro Bucker 3 bridge pickup and a Ceramic Pro neck pickup. It also includes coil-splitting options via push-pull volume controls and a Graph Tech Ghost Floyd Rose system. These features grant access to both traditional magnetic humbucker tones as well as realistic acoustic tones. You can further blend the acoustic and magnetic voices and route them through either a traditional mono output jack or use two cables to split the magnetic and piezo outputs for maximum flexibility.
You can get more spec details and purchase here.
Lifeson commemorated the announcement by releasing new music — a rare occurrence for the guitarist. The instrumentals showcase Lifeson’s skill and knack for inventive guitar phrases. They certainly make us miss the music Lifeson made with Geddy Lee and the late Neil Peart.
Below you can watch Lifeson’s Epiphone interview feature, which includes audio of the two new songs, followed by a promo video for the Les Paul Standard Axcess, and Consequence’s recent round-table discussion of Rush’s Moving Pictures, featuring drummers Mike Portnoy, Charlie Benante, Matt Halpern, and Arejay Hale.
To hear the songs in their entirety, visit Alex Lifeson’s official site.
