HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. PHIL LESH !

[sonicus]

Happy Birthday Phil !

[edwardofhuncote]

Indeed, Happy Birthday +1... 

I've developed an appreciation (however belated) for his playing from hanging around you guys here. I can't remember which show it is... obviously sometime in the late 70's, where he goes on a 5 minute bass ride on "Dancin' in the Streets"... (the Harwell-Grice guys have piles of tapes in the band van) but that one just blows me away every time.   

And even if I didn't care for his playing, the guy has really good taste in bass guitars. 

[tx196059]

Happy Birthday Mr Lesh!

Does anyone know how his 6 string bass was tuned? Was it guitar tuning, one octave lower? I saw that Musicman made a 6 string guitar/bass awhile back, and I have a 6 string Modulus bass from the 80's, with a very narrow neck, and wondered if it should also be tuned like that. The previous owner mentioned it was Phil Lesh inspired, but had it set up like a regular 6er. All that heavy metal on the low end seems a bit crowded and does not feel right. The graphite neck does not seem to happy about it either. Since I know Modulus and Alembic collaborated in the past, just wondering. Thanks!

Joe

[adriaan]

AFAIK it's tuned like most 6 string basses, with a low B and a high C added to the regular 4 string set. The first of his new Alembics is a medium scaale (32") and the next one, which he appears to favour, is a short scale (30.75") - that's the one with the black hardware.

I suspect the spacing is a little tighter on these two than on mine, but doesn't he play with a pick most of the time? (Jimmy Johnson has been playing fingerstyle with mucho narrow spacing for aeons, so there you go.)

Happy birthday from me too!

[ed_too]

Happy, HAPPY! Phil
     and as someone who was inspired to pick up a bass by your playing - thanks
     and as someone who discovered Alembic through your's "back in the day" - THANKS
Ed

[elwoodblue]

Happy Philday !

[dead_head]

Happy 77th Birthday, Phil! May you have many more!
From a longtime fan...

Rob 

[mica]

Happy birthday, indeed! Dad will catch up in a few days

[edwin]

Happy Birthday Mr Lesh!

Does anyone know how his 6 string bass was tuned? Was it guitar tuning, one octave lower? I saw that Musicman made a 6 string guitar/bass awhile back, and I have a 6 string Modulus bass from the 80's, with a very narrow neck, and wondered if it should also be tuned like that. The previous owner mentioned it was Phil Lesh inspired, but had it set up like a regular 6er. All that heavy metal on the low end seems a bit crowded and does not feel right. The graphite neck does not seem to happy about it either. Since I know Modulus and Alembic collaborated in the past, just wondering. Thanks!

Joe

It's tuned like a standard 6 string bass. Low B and high C. I also have an early 80s super tight spacing Modulus that is now sporting Alembic pickups and sounds all the better for it!

[edwin]

Oh, yeah, happy birthday, Phil!

[tx196059]

Putting in Alembic pickups and filters is the plan, but I need three. Mica, what do you have for me? The string spacing is only 12mm! Geof Gould recommended lighter gauge for this bass, and I got some open core strings to lower them. The previous heavy gauge tended to bow the neck a bit. Pictured is with the heavy gauge. Cheers!

[edwin]

Putting in Alembic pickups and filters is the plan, but I need three. Mica, what do you have for me? The string spacing is only 12mm! Geof Gould recommended lighter gauge for this bass, and I got some open core strings to lower them. The previous heavy gauge tended to bow the neck a bit. Pictured is with the heavy gauge. Cheers!

Is this the one that was for sale in Texas? I was thinking about pulling the trigger on that. I have a somewhat similar version with two pickups that now has Alembic pickups and one filter. Sounds very nice.

[edwin]

We got to go to the songs and stories at Terrapin Crossroads this weekend. It was a lot of fun! Phil's looking good.

[tx196059]

I have another 6 string Modulus that looks similar that I am selling in Texas. I am keeping the through neck, because the spacing is tighter.

There is a nice documentary on the Grateful Dead that Netflix just came out with.

[pauldo]

We got to go to the songs and stories at Terrapin Crossroads this weekend. It was a lot of fun! Phil's looking good.

I would look good also if I was holding that bass!