I always doubted Phil would ever put this one back on the road again. He is not known for his loyalty to equipment (even stuff most of us would consider to be first cousin to the holy grail). Here's a link to a discussion of the Godfather, the Osage and other related stuff:
http://p096.ezboard.com/fthedudepitfrm32.showMessageRange?topicID=420.topic&start=21&stop=40. Check out the pix and story about the pu's from Phil's Osage bass. At least they are in pretty good hands now.
I don't recall where I heard this, but some of you may know that the bass Phil played on Skullf**k and other albums was not the Godfather in either it's pre- or post-Alembicized. It was a modded Gibby EBO with hotrodded bisonic pu's out of a Guild Starfire. Here's a picture (check out the early Alembic bridge hardware):
The EBO was stolen at a gig and disappeared. Following this, the Godfather was created, but the bass responsible for the classic sounds on Bertha, Playing in the Band and Not Fade Away/Goin Down the Road got lost. I always assumed it was the Godfather on Skullf**k till I bought the CD in reissue and it included a picture of the EBO.
To make a looooong story short (sorry), some friendly soul came across the EBO in a pawnshop some years after the theft, picked it up for nothing and offered it to Phil for the couple of hundred paid for it. Phil is reputed to have turned it down. Not interested. Not sentimental about equipment.
Oh well. Phil and Friends are playing Sunday night down the street from here. Maybe I'll check it out...
(Message edited by bassman10096 on November 26, 2005)