Phil Lesh bass timeline

[mgod]

That's a new headstock. RT chopped the sides and top off and turned it into an Alembic shape.

 

[lungimsam]

Which bass did he use on this show?
I’m listening mobile right now and can’t hear enough to guess.

 

[mgod]

The all-Alembic, with the superfilters. Wall of Sound show.

 

[lungimsam]

Anyone know which strings he used back in the day and what he uses now?
Starfires get that really nice tone when he plays up high on the fingerboard. They do that Phil tone very well with a pick and flats.

 

[mgod]

“In the day” he allegedly used Pyramid Golds. I don’t know what he could do about the problematic low E though.

 

[Minnesota Flats]

More recently...

 

[mavuser]

do not trust any bass player that forms his own band with less than 3 guitarists, harp, violin and sax...also must play a six string bass

 

[Minnesota Flats]

do not trust any bass player that forms his own band with less than 3 guitarists, harp, violin and sax...also must play a six string bass

...and wear a stylish hat.

 

[mavuser]

heady SF-bass footage, the last 5 minutes of this (but the whole thing is pretty insane):

 

[lungimsam]

Mavuser, your above link went to Facebook toxic videos. Can you relink it? Need to see Starfires!!!

 

[mavuser]

Mavuser, your above link went to Facebook toxic videos. Can you relink it? Need to see Starfires!!!

sorry not sure what happened, its gone on FB. try the new utube link

 

[mavuser]

More recently...

this set is incredible

 

[lungimsam]

Wondering about the close spaced six stringer and gloves. Ergonomic? Wonder if the gloves are supportive. Must be tough to play so long every day at 80. I know my hands are touchy and I’m only 54.

 

[Minnesota Flats]

Those look a lot like braces I've seen people who have carpal tunnel syndrome wear.

Here's why You Tube teacher "Scott" wears gloves (fast forward to about 04:25 if you're in a hurry):

 

[mellowgerman]

Now here's something super epic! On the Dead site, they've taken some of the soundboard recordings from the legendary 1972 Veneta OR (Sunshine Daydream) recordings and they allow you to balance the mix however you want... including, of course, isolating Phil's bass parts! So you can really zoom in on his modified Starfire's tone: https://www.dead.net/playingintheband

 

[edwin]

Is that a new neck on there? Like, did Alembic remove the Guild neck and put on their own so that only the body is Guild?
I think his tone is great with the Starfire both pre and post Alembic. I haven't listened enough to the other basses to know about them.

I may be wrong, but I think that when the bass became Big Brown, it had the original rosewood fingerboard with the dot inlays. Later, it got some more work done and the fingerboard was replaced with ebony with the big inlays. I kind of like the tone with the first fingerboard better, although it's hard to tell what changes caused what differences in tone because there were also changes in amplification, etc.