Phil lesh and his machines ( Pictures! )

[Phil Lesh101]

60's phil


70's phil

80's phil, Fender Jazz


Phil with his jerry Bass, This one is for Rusty The Scooob.



First Modulus!







One of my Most Favorite basses this is A black Jerry Figured Bass







Same mold as other one, different color


THE SMITH BASS! 1990-91

1990.. Modulus Number 4?

Coolest thing phil ever played!Used from 92-95?


Phil sweet modulus, Same as other^ but with a cool black pick gaurd

GD

Not shure what year this is.



Similar to his 93 mold




Ritter Bass Custom LED Blue Fret Board Lightings
Hope you Enjoyed!

[Chasing Light Beams]

awesome post!

[jdsmodulus]

Very nice pictoral.

[Grateful Dad]

thanks for the pix.

As Harry Kalas would have said, "Phillip Lesh,....you are THE MAN!!"

[Rusty the Scoob]

Good stuff. The pic with the sunburst 4-string G&L is most definitely 82. He never went back to 4 once he tried 6 in Dec '82. Plus he looks very young there.

[Phil Lesh101]

Compaired to the other 82 picture, I Though He looked older, But I Guess 82 is corect
Scoob- Did you see the Jerry Bass^

[Phil Lesh101]

"Phillip Lesh,....you are THE MAN!!"

My new Favorite Saying, Thanks!

[Rusty the Scoob]

Yep, I'm familiar with that bass. Made by Irwin and crew, not specifically for Phil but he ended up with it. He played it mostly in 1980 only, I believe. It's on that video from Radio City Music Hall where they do the acoustic set before the electric show... I only have it on VHS so I forget the name and haven't seen it in a while. Somebody privately owns the bass now and has let DSO use it from time to time. I'm pretty sure those are DiMarzio quarter-pounder pickups, so it's a pretty easy sound to duplicate if you really want to.

[Phil Lesh101]

Yep, I'm familiar with that bass. Made by Irwin and crew, not specifically for Phil but he ended up with it. He played it mostly in 1980 only, I believe. It's on that video from Radio City Music Hall where they do the acoustic set before the electric show... I only have it on VHS so I forget the name and haven't seen it in a while. Somebody privately owns the bass now and has let DSO use it from time to time. I'm pretty sure those are DiMarzio quarter-pounder pickups, so it's a pretty easy sound to duplicate if you really want to.

I knew DSO Had one But never knew It Was Acctually Phil's!
Dont you have A 5 String Bass like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNSs78Li4PI&feature=related
3/28/81

[Rusty the Scoob]

Yep. DSO had access to that exact bass. There's a few threads about it here and there with some great insider info.

My 5-string is similar but a little different, we didn't carve the top into that rounded Les-Paul-PRS-archtop shape, just left it flat. And I stretched the upper horn out a little for balance and to echo the shape of the headstock. Really it was kind of an emergency build, I didn't have anything that even remotely sounded like a Phil bass at the time. Great bass though, I still use it on the 80's/90's stuff.

[jefkahn]

He never went back to 4 once he tried 6 in Dec '82.

I wonder how he made the adjustment in terms of what he played (let alone the huge difference in feel between two two necks). Once he went to 6-string did he only use the top and bottom strings once in a while at first and gradually work the two new strings into his playing over time? Or did his playing on some songs get revolutionized at once (for example by playing his typical stuff an octave higher or lower than would have been possible on the 4-string, by extending the length of his runs)? In other words, what effect did the two extra strings have on his choice of what to play?

[Phil Lesh101]

Phil didnt play it an octive higher or lower, he started using 6 strings for it had the low E on the B String. He playes everything In the regular 4 string octive range but he just always had the opption to hit a Low Note (B String) to punch you in the face or a high note ( C String ) To melow everything

[Rusty the Scoob]

He never went back to 4 once he tried 6 in Dec '82.

I wonder how he made the adjustment in terms of what he played (let alone the huge difference in feel between two two necks). Once he went to 6-string did he only use the top and bottom strings once in a while at first and gradually work the two new strings into his playing over time? Or did his playing on some songs get revolutionized at once (for example by playing his typical stuff an octave higher or lower than would have been possible on the 4-string, by extending the length of his runs)? In other words, what effect did the two extra strings have on his choice of what to play?

I get the impression he transitioned gradually, playing it at first "like a 4-string with an extra string on top and bottom". He even now still plays a few things like a 4-stringer, like the intro to the Other One for example. He talks about it in interviews here and there.

He didn't really move any parts up or down a full octave that I've noticed, he's traditionally gravitated to the true midrange of the bass rather than the lowest octave like most bass players. The added range just gives him more options while improvising.

[Phil Lesh101]

He never went back to 4 once he tried 6 in Dec '82.

I wonder how he made the adjustment in terms of what he played (let alone the huge difference in feel between two two necks). Once he went to 6-string did he only use the top and bottom strings once in a while at first and gradually work the two new strings into his playing over time? Or did his playing on some songs get revolutionized at once (for example by playing his typical stuff an octave higher or lower than would have been possible on the 4-string, by extending the length of his runs)? In other words, what effect did the two extra strings have on his choice of what to play?

I get the impression he transitioned gradually, playing it at first "like a 4-string with an extra string on top and bottom". He even now still plays a few things like a 4-stringer, like the intro to the Other One for example. He talks about it in interviews here and there.

He didn't really move any parts up or down a full octave that I've noticed, he's traditionally gravitated to the true midrange of the bass rather than the lowest octave like most bass players. The added range just gives him more options while improvising.

Agreed, like stated above he played it just like a 4 string, except he always had The Extra 2 stings to Mingle with

[zambiland]

Thanks for the great pictorial! It's cool to see it all summed up like that.