NAMM 2024: “It’s not just a reissue of that very special instrument. This was an opportunity to showcase 40 years of evolution”: Alex Lifeson partners with Godin for the LERXST Limelight – a new take on his legendary Hentor Sportcaster
NAMM 2024: Alex Lifeson unveiled his LERXST amp range in collaboration with MojoTone last year and, at the time, he promised us big things were afoot – hinting at a full range of pedals and guitars to follow.
What we did not expect was that they’d be with us within mere months, but lo and behold, here we are amid NAMM 2024, witnessing the introduction of Lifeson’s own LERXT Limelight S-style electric guitar.
This time, it’s being produced in collaboration with another great Canadian export: Godin. The signature guitar (named after the track from Rush’s 1981 album Moving Pictures), is based around the Hentor Sportscaster S-style build favored by Lifeson in the 1980s, but has been refined by Godin and Lifeson into something a little more contemporary.
In this case, that means a contoured swamp ash body – which looks to be very similar to Godin’s Session S-style – paired with a maple neck and an ebony fretboard (complete with hard-wearing stainless steel frets).
Meanwhile, over on the pickup front, Lifeson has once again involved his partners at Mojotone, which has produced a custom-wound HSS set for the Limelight, simply dubbed the Lerxst humbucker and Lerxst single coil.
There’s no spec or further explanation of these yet, but we love the look of that rail-style ’bucker in the bridge position and it’s complemented by a straightforward control set of volume, tone and three-way toggle switch (albeit it with the latter unusually located on the lower horn).
In terms of hardware, you can expect a choice of Floyd Rose tremolo or Vega Trem, with the Vega option equipped with 18:1 locking tuners and a GraphTech nut. Finally, the Limelight is, appropriately, finished in high gloss.
“The original Hentor brought together a mix of tone and playability that empowered me to explore sounds and styles of playing that I had never attempted before,” explains Lifeson.
“Ultimately these things became signature parts of my style. When the idea came to reimagine this guitar it made sense to partner with innovators like Godin who I knew I could trust to utilize the advances in technology and manufacturing skill to create something that could power a new generation of players looking to push their own boundaries.”
“It was not quite enough for me to just develop a reissue of that very special instrument. This was an opportunity to showcase 40 years of evolution within that solid platform. Well, Axe and you shall receive!”
The only downside is the price – which, in keeping with his Mojotone-made LERXST amps is on the premium end of the scale. Indeed, the LERXST Limelight is coming out of Godin’s Canadian facility, and as such, is set to retail for around $3,999.
That said, LERXST did offer a more affordable pedal amp take on the Omega head tone, in the form of the By-Tor drive/boost pedal, so we wonder if Lifeson might have something else up his sleeve for, er, down the line.
In the meantime, for those looking for a more affordable Lifeson signature model, we point you toward Lifeson’s Epiphone Les Paul Custom Axcess...
For more information, head to Godin.
To keep up to date with all gear releases ahead of NAMM 2024, head over to our guide to the latest NAMM 2024 news.
