Rush – Power Windows

Geddy Lee recorded Power Windows, Hold Your Fire and Presto with the Wal MK 1. There are tons of pictures of Geddy with his black Wal Mk 1 from this era

Geddy started playing an L2 right before the Signals Tour, where he went on to record Grace Under Pressure with it. He then switched to the XL2 around 1985, and only used it live during the Power Windows Tour (photo). The last time Geddy used a Steinberger bass was in 1987 on the Hold Your Fire Tour.

Many people mistake the XL2 for the L2 and assume he only owned 1 Steinberger, this is false. In fact he owned 3 Steinberger's, a black L2, a black XL2 and a white XL2. The difference between the L2 and the XL2 basses are slight. The XL2 was an improved version of the L2, such as the face plate bolts being positioned on the back of the bass and a different "headpiece" that only allowed double ball end strings. In his Big Book Of Bass he only mentions the black XL2.

(Photo from the Power Windows Tour, Rosemont Horizon - Rosemont, Illinois March 21, 1986)

It is mentioned in the Power Windows tour book that Geddy used a bunch of Emulator II Synthesizers.

"So! I had to go and get a bunch of Emulator II Computerized Synthesizers, and a DX 7 (Yamaha) and a QX-1 Sequencer (also Yamaha), along with my regular PPG 2.3 and JP 8 (Roland) Oy!! And, if that wasn't enough, I have to keep these offstage, so Jack Secret can load the Emulator computer disks during the show while I play them with remote keyboards (two Yamaha KX 76 Remote Midi Controllers!) Get it ! But wait!! Who's going to load Jack Secret!"

Geddy used a QX1 on Power Windows tour and a pair of them on Hold Your Fire tour.

In this interview with Guitarworld, Alex talked about his gear on previous albums. He mentions a 100W Marshall JCM 800 he used on " Power Windows" and " Hold Your Fire" albums.

The amp setup was a couple of Dean Markley 2x12 combos, two Marshall 2x12 combos, two Marshall 100-watt JCM800 heads and two 4x12 cabinets.

I had gotten rid of all my Hiwatts and the Dean Markleys and was using primarily Marshalls again. I used 2x12 combos as well as the JCM800.

As seen in this Gallien-Krueger ad. This amp was used on the "Power Windows" album.