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Phil Lesh Appreciation Society: Enter the Philzone...

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#541
My first show, and it was a goodun. Donna and Keith.

Boutwell Auditorium, Birmingham, AL (12/15/78)

Promised Land
Shakedown Street
New Minglewood Blues
Friend of the Devil
El Paso
>From the Heart of Me
Brown Eyed Women
Cassidy
Deal

I Need a Miracle
Bertha
Good Lovin'
It Must Have Been the Roses
Terrapin Station
Playin' in the Band
drums
Stella Blue
Truckin'
Playin' in the Band

U.S. Blues
 
#542
05/12/80 (Mon) Boston Garden - Boston, MA
Set 1: Jack Straw > Alabama Getaway > El Paso, Althea, Lazy Lightning > Supplication > Far From Me, Minglewood Blues, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider

Set 2: Feel Like A Stranger, Ship of Fools > Estimated Prophet > He's Gone > Drums > Saint Of Circumstance > Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia, E: U.S. Blues

This show has an average rating of 2.67 out of 6 votes.

This is my first show,, nice voting score!! Lol
 
#543
Whit Townsend said:
If I was to seriously get a better bass to cop an early Phil tone would the Jack Cassidy be a good choice? I'll prob never shell out for a high dollar custom active bass, but the Cassidy seems like it would get me in the ballpark and be versatile for a lot of other things as well.
Click to expand...

Kevin Rosen the ex-bass player for Dark Star Orchestra ended up getting a Casady bass to try and get closer to the early Phil tone. Think he ended up replacing the stock pickup with a Darkstar pickup. I never saw him play this bass so can't comment on how it sounded but the Casady bass is really nice and a good inexpensive instrument to start with if you are going to do a lot of mods. I never play four string anymore or I would have gotten one years ago, they sound great "stock" and have a variety of useful tones.

Phil Lesh also owns a Casady bass which he used onstage a few times for acoustic sets.
 
#544
I've seen Kevin play his Casady bass on many occasions, the last being a very fun gig in the Grate Room at Terrapin Crossroads on 4/1913. In the middle of this DSO set Phil came out and took over from Kevin:

Set 2 *w/ Phil Lesh *
China Cat >*
I Know You Rider*
Cryptical Envelopment>*
The Other One >*
We Leave The Castle *
Hard To Handle>
Alligator>
jam (mountain jam)>
The Eleven>
Going Down The Road
E: Brokedown Palace

With the Dark Star - that thing sounded great and though it's an opinion, and not a fact, I for one think Kevin was a very apt and capable stand in for Phil. Doesn't look like him and his technique is not the same (who can emulate Phil really?>) but Kevin put the off-kilter Leshness in DSO's GD Music... He's gone now though. Been replaced!

My First GD Show (I was 15 yrs old):
10/25/80 (Sat) Radio City Music Hall - New York City, NY

Set 1: Deep Elem Blues, The Race is On, I've Been All Around This World, El Paso, To Lay Me Down, Monkey and the Engineer, Bird Song, Heaven Help The Fool, Dire Wolf > Ripple

Set 2: Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo > Franklin's Tower, Me & My Uncle, Big River, High Time, Minglewood Blues, Ramble On Rose, Looks Like Rain, Deal

Set 3: Cold Rain & Snow > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Uncle John's Band > Playing In The Band > Drums > The Other One > Black Peter > Around and Around > One More Saturday Night, E: U.S. Blues

Comment: First Set Acoustic
 
#545
StephenR said:
Kevin Rosen the ex-bass player for Dark Star Orchestra ended up getting a Casady bass to try and get closer to the early Phil tone. Think he ended up replacing the stock pickup with a Darkstar pickup. I never saw him play this bass so can't comment on how it sounded but the Casady bass is really nice and a good inexpensive instrument to start with if you are going to do a lot of mods. I never play four string anymore or I would have gotten one years ago, they sound great "stock" and have a variety of useful tones.

Phil Lesh also owns a Casady bass which he used onstage a few times for acoustic sets.
Click to expand...

I did see Kevin play the JC with the DS and it slayed. Sounded perfect.
 
#546
Zootsuitbass said:
05/12/80 (Mon) Boston Garden - Boston, MA
Set 1: Jack Straw > Alabama Getaway > El Paso, Althea, Lazy Lightning > Supplication > Far From Me, Minglewood Blues, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider

Set 2: Feel Like A Stranger, Ship of Fools > Estimated Prophet > He's Gone > Drums > Saint Of Circumstance > Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia, E: U.S. Blues

This show has an average rating of 2.67 out of 6 votes.

This is my first show,, nice voting score!! Lol
Click to expand...

I was at this show and it was one of my favorites. The Estimated jam was stellar and the little transition out of drums and space into Saint was also really good. One of the alltime great Wharf Rats. I don't understand the low ratings.

I used to have two recordings. One from the mid floor and one from the back of the room. I set up two stereo in one room, each with one recording of the show and got myself a very respectable surround sound! it would drift after a bit but it just made the room sound bigger.
 
#547
Whit Townsend said:
Hey guys, late to the party but can you count me in?

Im mostly an upright player on bass so my playing is more traditional and Khan-like than Phil.

But Phil is the man! Just saw Sunshine Daydream and that was a Phil clinic.
The man was on fire that day.

I dont get to play much Grateful Dead other than at home, but I do enjoy strapping on my cheapo P/J with Labella Flats, grabbing a pick, plugging into my old Bassman head and just go crazy jamming along to some Live Dead or Dicks Picks!

If I was to seriously get a better bass to cop an early Phil tone would the Jack Cassidy be a good choice? I'll prob never shell out for a high dollar custom active bass, but the Cassidy seems like it would get me in the ballpark and be versatile for a lot of other things as well. Or maybe I should get a short scale of some kind?

Amps & speakers, well thats another issue. My stuff is great for a small room and fairly low volume, but if I was to get serious Id need a much bigger rig.

Anyway Im glad to see such appreciation for Phil here on Talkbass. The man never does what he's "supposed to" so a lot of bassists just don't get him.
Click to expand...


I think early Phil tone can depend on a short scale to a fair degree. Add Pyramids, a pick, a Fender tube amp with JBLs and you're pretty much there.
 
#549
Hi: Many, many posts about Hollow bodied basses, Jack Casady of course goes into great detail, main thing is the resonant sound of the body is changed with F-holes, and there
are differences if the bass has a center wood component (like a Guild Starfire) or is truly hollow (Epi JC bass, Gibson Les Paul Special and other)

I notice on mine that snappy highs are not as present compared to a bolt on Fender style, and as you go up the neck notes seem to swell and be more present. A million variables (short vs long scale), type of strings (round vs flat), pickups, bridge (massive brass versus rosewood saddles), etc.

You get the idea. What really got me into hollow bodied basses was watching Jefferson Airplane where Jack was able to get amazing controlled feedback tone with his Guild, and Phil Lesh in his hollowbodied phase with the Dead.
 
#551
andertone said:
You get the idea. What really got me into hollow bodied basses was watching Jefferson Airplane where Jack was able to get amazing controlled feedback tone with his Guild, and Phil Lesh in his hollowbodied phase with the Dead.
Click to expand...

I'll be damned if I can get my Starfire to feedback. It's really frustrating.
 
#552
andertone said:
No discussion about Phil's playing is complete without knowing his influences and musical training. This article covers it well, a pretty good read


http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2011/08/ives-touch.html
Click to expand...

Light into Ashes is one of the top GD historians out there on the interwebs. Its always nice to have him interject with some history and his blogs are good.

Anyone here spend anytime on GD forums?
 
#553
HI Edwin: Phil Lesh himself complained with the Godfather that it didn't feed back as well as the old Hagstrom BiSonics, but there are many tricks. I've had Bisonics, Alembics, and EMG's in my Starfire and this is what I've learned

EQ very important. Jack had his versatone set up so it emphasized the low mids, which then broke loose when he got close to his speaker. You can find exactly which frequency is needed with a little experimentation

Get a Versatone. OK, too, expensive, my solution was to get a Line 6 110 Combo, and dial in the feedback tone with drive emphasized and the gain up. Use a volume pedal when needed (ala Jack) and mic that cabinet and have a separate input on the FOH system. That way when you want to get crazy, you can still have your dialed in "cut through the mix" tone and then add some real craziness (go way past 11)
 
#554
wisconsindead said:
Light into Ashes is one of the top GD historians out there on the interwebs. Its always nice to have him interject with some history and his blogs are good.

Anyone here spend anytime on GD forums?
Click to expand...

I'm a longtime lurker and poster at rec.music.gdead, which got going probably in the late 80s. It's a mere shadow of its former self, now mostly inside jokes, abuse and spam. There's also a related facebook group.

Rukind.com also has some good discussions.

Since you're from Wisconsin, did you know about this?

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

There are some great photos of Phil in there.

0912000038-l.jpg
 
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#558
edwinhurwitz said:
I'm a longtime lurker and poster at rec.music.gdead, which got going probably in the late 80s. It's a mere shadow of its former self, now mostly inside jokes, abuse and spam. There's also a related facebook group.

Rukind.com also has some good discussions.

Since you're from Wisconsin, did you know about this?

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

There are some great photos of Phil in there.

0912000038-l.jpg
Click to expand...

I have seen this a few years ago, pretty interesting little snippet. Wish I was around for them days. The dead made there way to wisconsin pretty frequently over the years.

I hang around transitive axis. Its a pretty small community of probably ~20 regulars. Its the best sight i've been to with good people. I got sick of the people at archive and lack of in depth discussion.

ta.speedingarrow.net

on another note...

Thinking about picking up D-addario chrome flat wound strings today.

Do you think these will suffice?

Will they make a noticeable improvement from my ernie ball strings?

(let it be know i play on an indonesian squire P bass from the 90s and play through a guitar amp, forgive me, im broke)

Should I shell out for the pyramids (it seems i will have to order online) instead? or TI's?

also, is the gauge important? light, medium, heavy?
 
#559
wisconsindead said:
I have seen this a few years ago, pretty interesting little snippet. Wish I was around for them days. The dead made there way to wisconsin pretty frequently over the years.

I hang around transitive axis. Its a pretty small community of probably ~20 regulars. Its the best sight i've been to with good people. I got sick of the people at archive and lack of in depth discussion.

ta.speedingarrow.net

on another note...

Thinking about picking up D-addario chrome flat wound strings today.

Do you think these will suffice?

Will they make a noticeable improvement from my ernie ball strings?

(let it be know i play on an indonesian squire P bass from the 90s and play through a guitar amp, forgive me, im broke)

Should I shell out for the pyramids (it seems i will have to order online) instead? or TI's?

also, is the gauge important? light, medium, heavy?
Click to expand...

Skip the strings and save a few hundred bucks for a bass amp.
 
#560
the bass amp is coming in a few paychecks, figure i can afford some strings for now.

Any suggestions on a good practice amp? I think i'll get a decent amp (~$300) for the remainder of grad school then pay up the ass for some good gear once i get a real job.
 
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