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Phil Lesh Appreciation Society: Enter the Philzone...

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#168
Can I get a number please?

In 1986 I joined a Dead cover band. we were actually pretty good but mostly because of the talent around me. I special ordered a 5 string bass to try and sound and play like Phil.

I chased the Phil sound for years with Various basses and gear and was always close to achieving something that sounded close to Phil but not quite close enough.

Then about 2 years ago I picked up a Tom Clement Jon 5 string with the Bartolini NTMB. It nails it.

I just joined a new band and we have a little Dead on the setlist and I love the sound I get and love jammin some Dead.
 
#169
The Bartender said:
Can I get a number please?

In 1986 I joined a Dead cover band. we were actually pretty good but mostly because of the talent around me. I special ordered a 5 string bass to try and sound and play like Phil.

I chased the Phil sound for years with Various basses and gear and was always close to achieving something that sounded close to Phil but not quite close enough.

Then about 2 years ago I picked up a Tom Clement Jon 5 string with the Bartolini NTMB. It nails it.

I just joined a new band and we have a little Dead on the setlist and I love the sound I get and love jammin some Dead.
Click to expand...

Bartender, what amp and cabs were you using while searching for the sound?
 
#172
walknbluez said:
Bartender, what amp and cabs were you using while searching for the sound?
Click to expand...

it's nice of you to ask but as a disclaimer I didn't have a ton of money to spend on gear until the last several years and also I used to be really clueless about gear(pre-internet) .

The first bass I got trying to get a Phil sound was actually a Steinberger XM2-5 with a low B. I had just seen the Dead in Buffalo (1986?) and Phil was dropping low B bombs during Jack Straw that shook the stadium.

My amp at the time was (I am laughing thinking back about this) some sort of Peavey P.A. head (???) running through a 2 x 15 cab. I used to cram that giant cab into pretty small cars.

The sound was pretty muddy.
I got my hands on a Crate head and bought a graphic EQ pedal and that setup through the 2 x 15 was ok.

The I got rid of all of that and used a gallien krueger RB400 head through a nice 15" JBL speaker. I got some aspects of Phil's sound out of that old rig with the Steinberger but it wasn't dynamic enough.

That was all from 1987 till about 2001 when I then joined an all original band playing a totally different kind of music so I put the Steinberger away and used a Fender P-bass for a few years.

About 2003 I discovered the amazing sound of a 4 x 10 cab. The GK head on the 4 x 10 sounded so dynamic and powerful and bright yet warm and great clarity and mid's etc... I could hear the Phil potential in that setup. Eventually I sold my Steinberger after owning it for 20 years and bought a Modulus Q5 from a TB member.

That Q5 with the NTMB Bartolini's through the 4 x 10 cab was pretty awesome.

But alas... I had to start downsizing and I was only playing in my church band.
I sold the 4 x 10 and the GK head actually burned out on me.

I am now playing in a band doing some Dead and playing the Clement 5'r through a Markbass CMD121p. Markbass kicks ass and I get a good Phil sound out of it. The preamp on the Clement is powerful so I can really dial in that sound.

I would love to play the Clement through a 4 x 10 but I also love carrying my bass and amp in one trip from my SUV.

I'd love to hear some others attempts at the Phil sound with various gear.
 
#176
The Phil Lesh sound.....which sound?,,, there have been several different "sounds" with the evolution of the GD. I like his early tone when he was using a stock Jazz Bass, then to the stock Guild Starfire bass, then the mods to that bass (and Jack Casady's) inspired many to look for new electric acoustic tones, myself included. These days, I think the Casady signature bass with TI or Pyramid flats can get you close to those pioneering S.F. electric bass sounds off the shelf without breaking the bank.
 
#178
Back in the late 80's, Phil was the main inspiration for me, for sure. Prior to him, Geezer Butler and Jack Bruce, and maybe John Paul Jones, were my heroes and influences. But when I heard Phil, a whole new vista opened up for me. Big, CLEAN sound, and lines that didn't rely on blues scales/minor pentatonics, or root based lines..what a revelation!

I worked on copping that feel and tone....and was able to approximate it, to some degree, by using my Westone bass, which had an active/passive EQ--two knobs--one with a center detent and bass boost/treble cut when turned "down," and the opposite when turned up, and a passive tone control as well. I'd boost the bass/cut the treble a bit, and turn the passive tone almost all the way down. Also, to get the attack, I'd play with a pick, but hit the strings in such a way as to avoid treble attack. Helps to have medium-high action as well, and to pick closer to the neck. This bass had one P-Bass pickup, as well.

In terms of feel, Phil is notably behind the beat, I think, in general, and he relies quite a bit on a moving mixolydian sort of approach, if that makes any sense.

One of the most unique players in rock history, for sure. Still love listening to him, though I'm no longer interested in trying to reproduce him.
 
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