2 question!!! (what basses are played by...)

Les plays Carl Thompsons. I'm not really sure about Phil.

 

right now phil plays a modulus 6 string...he also used to play alembic and the (guild?) starfire i think

 

The Colonel(les claypool)plays a bunch of carl thompsons(the fretless six string called rainbow is his most popular)they really stand out because their horn looks like a scroll check out carl thompsom's site it's www.ctbasses.com i think.Apart from the cts he also played live a rickenbaker4001(try slapping on that!!!ultimate nightmare)and jazz basses(either mid-70's or geddy lee signtures)he plays ns electric uprights,an old upright,a kramer eight string(never seen that one!)and the Whamola(a weird one string instrument played with drum stick that changes pitch via a pulling handle)Phil Lesh used to play with an alembic-modified guild starfire,but now uses a custom modulus quantum 6

 

I have read that Phil Lesh's Brother bought Modulus .


Pete

 

Les plays and records with Carl Thompson's pretty much exclusively (how many does he have now? Five?). However, he often talks in interviews about his Rickenbacker(s), and I have some awesome live footage of him playing Tommy the Cat on a red fretted Fender Jazz. It might only be a soundcheck though.

 

I too have heard the red-fretted Fender jazz story, but never have seen a picture, so I'm not too sure I believe it.

I just thought I'd let you be aware, that I believe ol' CT is due to stop producing his basses sometime in the near future. I think '06 will be the last 'production' run year. I do know Les has put in one last order, so that'll make about 6, lol.

~Ryan

 

I've never had any problems slapping on a Rick 4001.

 

nor I on my 4003. Actually, with ultra light rotosounds... it was one of my favorite basses to slap.

 

i thought he was already finished?

 

He's not taking orders anymore, but he is finishing his backlog. So he's technically still building.

 

It's not just a story. Les got tired of playing the fretless six (he was having trouble playing it) and started using a red early 70's Jazz Bass with a mapole finger board. He apeared on a Bass Player magazine cover with the thing and there's footage of him playing it live on the "Humans Should Not Behave Like Animals" CD/DVD.

Just a follow up to the fretless thing, Les sent it back to Carl before the "Tur Du' Fromage" and had the neck narrowed to make the thing easier to play. Carl also put some sprezel tuners on the bass to lighten the headstock and make it balance better.

~Paul

 

Good to know it's not a myth... I'd love to see the cover of the mag tho!

~Ryan

 

In the early days, Phil played a Gibson EB-O. Eventually, he and the gang outfitted a hollow body Gibson with quadrophonic pickups and an early, somewhat crude version of active electronics.