Author Topic: Alembics sounds - CD/DVD recommendations  (Read 486 times)

the_mule

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Alembics sounds - CD/DVD recommendations
« Reply #15 on: June 13, 2004, 12:18:29 AM »
I hope anyone can clear this up for me: I've always understood that The Grateful Dead's first studio recording featuring the Alembicized Starfire bass was 'AoxomoxoA', but what was the last one with the beloved Alembic sound, 'Shakedown Street'? Why did Phil Lesh switch from Alembic to Modulus anyway? Are there reliable sources (interviews perhaps) available about this subject?
Wilfred

1997 Orion 4 walnut

David Houck

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Alembics sounds - CD/DVD recommendations
« Reply #16 on: June 13, 2004, 06:59:03 AM »
Well here's what I've been able to find in answer to Mule's question.
 
According to an interview Phil did with Bass Player magazine, June and July of 2000, at some point he went back to basics and played a Music Man bass for a while.  Then around '81 he heard that Modulus was making a fiber-graphite, neck-through-body 6-string bass, and he's played Modulus ever since.
 
In a 1982 article for Musician magazine, David Gans says after years of using sophisticated, custom-made basses, Lesh recently turned to simpler instruments -- but only temporarily. A chance encounter with a '57 Jazz bass caused him to shelve his Doug Irwin (a twin to Garcia's six-string), and he subsequently switched to a new G&L bass.  But then he writes that the G&L will soon be replaced by Lesh's dream bass.  Here he's talking about a six string that will incorporate a filter developed by Lesh and Alembic for the modified Guild Starfire II that Lesh played from 1971 to 1974.
 
Edwin Hurwitz, a member of our forum, in a bio piece for the Philzone.com, writes the short story is this: Phil started out on a Gibson EB0, then moved to a Fender Jazz Bass which he used until '68. After that he played a not very modified Guild Starfire (preamps and some magnet changes in the pickups) through late '69 or so (Live Dead is a great example of this sound). The next bass was a heavily modified Gibson EB3 (I think it was a long instrument) which had new hardware, preamps and Guild single coil pickups installed by Alembic. This bass can be heard on Skullf*** and other recordings of the time (DP from the Fillmore '70 show is an excellent example of this instrument). This instrument was stolen (anybody out there seen it?) and was followed by the Starfire, but this time it had it's front removed and replaced with all new pickups and electronics, including an Alembic superfilter and quadraphonic pickup. The headstock was also replaced. It was called the Godfather. This is the bass heard on Europe '72 and in a lot of ways my favorite of Phil's various sounds. It can be seen at Alembic's website. In '73 he received his first Alembic 4 string bass that was also quite an instrument, it was also quad and is seen in the Grateful Dead movie. It interfaced quite well with the Wall of Sound. This bass was followed by a Doug Irwin and then a G&L as well as Flirtations with an old Fender Jazz. Finally, in the early 80s he got his first Modulus 6 string.

the_mule

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Alembics sounds - CD/DVD recommendations
« Reply #17 on: June 13, 2004, 11:15:04 AM »
Well Dave, thanks for the info. I think it's safe to say that around 1977/1978 the relationship between Phil and Alembic faded, which brings me to the next additions to the list of Alembic(ized) recordings:
 
Grateful Dead
- Aoxomoxoa
- Live/Dead
- Workingman's Dead
- American Beauty
- Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses)
- Europe '72
- Wake Of The Flood
- Grateful Dead From The Mars Hotel
- Blues For Allah
- Steal Your Face
- Terrapin Station
Wilfred

1997 Orion 4 walnut

son_of_magni

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Alembics sounds - CD/DVD recommendations
« Reply #18 on: June 14, 2004, 05:23:18 PM »
I suppose you could just put most of the SC discography on the list (at least after Chick told him to can the upright, or was it when the upright fell off the stage and 'blew up').  But one of my first SC albums was Journey to Love, which has some nice Alembic sounds.
SoM

dadabass2001

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Alembics sounds - CD/DVD recommendations
« Reply #19 on: June 15, 2004, 05:14:08 AM »
CD recommendation: Andy West with Dixie Dregs
   (I got a compilation CD called 20th Century Masters - kind of a greatest hits)  
 
Mike
"The Secret of Life is enjoying the passage of Time"
 - James Taylor

thebass

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Alembics sounds - CD/DVD recommendations
« Reply #20 on: June 15, 2004, 06:15:24 AM »
...and Jason Newstedt/Metallica.
 
On-Stage he uses: Alembic - Elan - Black (5 strings) Alembic - Europa - Black (6 strings) Alembic - Europa - Black (5 strings) Alembic - Europa - Black (4 strings) Alembic - Spoiler - Black (4 strings) (x2) Alembic - Spoiler - Natural colored ESP Bass - Red ESP B-1 - Black Guild among others.
 
For Recording/Non-Stage he uses Alembic - Europa - Black (4 strings) Alembic - Europa - Black (10 strings) and other Non-Alembic Basses.

haddimudd

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Alembics sounds - CD/DVD recommendations
« Reply #21 on: June 29, 2004, 05:51:17 AM »
Duncan,
 
The Grupo Mark King Live 2000 DVD is not region code 2 but indeed region code free.  
 
It is in PAL video though, not NTSC (maybe that's what you meant).
 
A great Alembic reference DVD that is, no doubt!
 
Hartmut

dannobasso

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Alembics sounds - CD/DVD recommendations
« Reply #22 on: June 29, 2004, 04:12:50 PM »
In addition to the other wonderful selections
Jimmy Johnson with Allan Holdsworth.
Metal Fatigue
Wardencliff Tower
 
Andy West w/ The Dregs
Styx
Nazareth
 
(Jason now uses Sadowsky 4's and 5's. I know, I don't get it either)
 
Me with Doomtree to be released late July on @ntidote Records. Excel 5 - F1x, Spoiler 4 BEAD
There will also be a limited edition European release that I used a Distilate 5 on.  
Danno

haddimudd

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Alembics sounds - CD/DVD recommendations
« Reply #23 on: June 30, 2004, 10:27:17 AM »
I watched a Weird Al Jancovic DVD again today and to my surprise realized an Alembic (Series I?) in a few of the videos. It was at least in Ricky and Living with a Hernia...  
 
Does anybody know anything about Al's bassist and the Alembic he plays?  
 
Hartmut

alembic76407

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Alembics sounds - CD/DVD recommendations
« Reply #24 on: June 30, 2004, 10:55:32 AM »
Steve Jay is weird Al's bass player,the video I have Stvev plays a SC and he has 2 on stage with him.his web site is , Stephenjay.com    
and there's some stuff on steve Weird Als web site
 
David T (a big Weird Al fan)