Grateful Dead Music Forum

Hello fellow deadheads. This is my first post. I've been "lurking" for a bit and I gotta say you have an awesome thing going here. My question is, during those earlier rehearsal photos of the dead (later 60's) you see pigpen with a keyboard style organ. Does anyone know the make and/or model? Just curious. Thanks!

May a suggest Blair Jacksons...

"The Grateful Dead Gear"

I received as a gift for X-Mas and it's just a great resource. He does a great job explaining in detail early Dead gear. I'm pretty sure it's in there but I'm at work and don't have it on me.

?...

First of all, welcome to the board. Pig played a Farfisa electric organ. Not sure what model though.

Thanks for the welcome and for the book suggestion. Sort of random, I know, but, despite what some may say, I love that early sound pig got on the organ parts. Very thick, full, and heady. I look forward to some good times on the board...

"theres this really heady lake at the top of this mountain, man"

is heady a term used on the west coast? it seems like everyone and everything in Vermont is heady. heheheh stoners

[quote="BuddhaGis heady a term used on the west coast?[/quote]

That's Headly........Headly Llamarr

that organ sounds like junk...especially because pigpen was no good at playing it...



the views expressed in this posts are fact

IamDocWatson wrote:that organ sounds like junk...especially because pigpen was no good at playing it...



the views expressed in this posts are fact

Nice of you to contribute to the thread, Doc. It wouldn't be a real discussion without you. I'd start a slow clap for ya, but...

no problem

i like to try to help ya know....

"what organ did pig use"



"dont worry about it, it sucks!"



"thanks for nothing doc"




that sums up my typical thread

but honestly though i can not stand alot of the early stuff with pig on organ...i dont knwo how well its been documented but seriosuly could he even really play that thing? or was he just wingin it

like the birth of the dead stuff it sound slike he is detracting from the rhtym if anything, and bob hasnt gotten into his zone yet himself so the dynamics just seem like a clusterfuck compared to the sweet amazing full band interplay of u know...71-73 and beyond but specifically that time period is some of my favorite styel of the dead...stretching definately into 74 and as far as 78....so compared to that stuff, its just doesnt work the same for me

He plays organ on Europe '72, right? Some of his riffs complement the piano nicely. I would assume he's using a typical hammond/leslie set up by that time. But on stuff like DDB and DTR of Aoxo, there are some pretty funky little pig riffs (unless that's TC?) I know there was recently a discussion about The Festival Express DVD, which I saw myself just recently. Pig's only apparent role on that DVD seem to be that of the blues harp player/singer. Not bad at all. Just a few thoughts.

Keep the time era in context, Pig's Farfisa sounded no more funky than Paul Revere and the Raiders. Don't get me wrong, as soon as players started using the Hammonds I liked organs alot better.