Geddy Lee recently chatted with Bass Player magazine's Joel McIver about the Rickenbacker 4001 bass - Ged's instrument of choice back in Rush's earlier days. Ged recalls the first time he ever saw a Ricky 4001 played - both on TV and live:

... "The first time I ever saw that bass was in a Beatles video - I think it was Hey Jude. I saw Paul McCartney playing it, and first of all it struck me as a great-looking bass. When you're a kid - and even today! - cool-looking basses have a particular value, ha ha! I don't know what colour it was, because our TV was black and white, but I think it was a solid colour." ... "The first time I saw someone playing one was Chris Squire, in the early days of Yes. John Entwistle played one for a short while too, but it was really Squire's use of the 4001 that made me fall in love with it. The tone he got out of it was so clear and crisp, and it had such great definition." ... "Let me say that I do love the sound of the Rickenbacker, but I will qualify that by saying that I love the sound that Chris Squire got out of it - and that's the sound that made me want to buy one. When we signed our first record deal in 1974, I got my share of our small advance and the first thing I did was buy a Rickenbacker. I think I paid about $400 for it. Much to my dismay, when I plugged it in, it didn't sound like Chris Squire!" ...

You can read the entire interview online here.