| Author | Message | ||
| catfish_john
New Username: catfish_john Post Number: 10 Registered: 9-2007 |
Given the natural tone replication of the Activator pickup, I am curious why Garcia never used them, to my knowledge, on any of his guitars. I believe that he used a stratoblaster in one of his early 70's strats however. Did Ron ever have a conversation with him about the "ultimate pickup". My sense is that Jerry was always looking for ways to deliver the cleanest sound from his guitars. Seems like a natural. | ||
| brb9911
New Username: brb9911 Post Number: 10 Registered: 10-2007 |
I believe I read somewhere (probably here, lol) that Jerry thought the Alembic sound was "too bright." I've always been curious about this as well, as the Alembic tone seems to me to be extremely adjustable. I'd also be interested in hearing more about this from someone that really knows the story. | ||
| edwin
Advanced Member Username: edwin Post Number: 268 Registered: 5-2002 |
I believe that at some points his strat pickups were rewound by Alembic, so I guess you could call those Alembic pickups of sorts. Edwin | ||
| blazer
Intermediate Member Username: blazer Post Number: 173 Registered: 12-2003 |
Well he had this strange set up of a humbucker by the bridge and in the middle with a single coil neck pickup (The same which Alembic offers on the Tribute models) and his pickups most certainly were DiMarzios. I find it rather odd that people consider him a strat man because let's be honest, prior to his "Wolf" and "Tiger" custom guitars he mainly played Gibson Les Pauls and SG's and Travis Bean TB2000 guitars which are humbucker guitars. And the sound of those humbuckers was fat and creamy. I suppose he had the stratoblaster fitted to his Fender strat to get more "Oomph" from its single coil pickups. I guess that was also the issue with the Alembic pickups, they probably were too bright for Jerry because he was used to the fat sound of his Gibson and Travis Bean guitars Anyway to get back on that unusual pickup set up, the only company other than Alembic which offers a model with Humbuckers in the bridge and middle position and a single coil at the neck is ESP with their Stephen Carpenter model.  I wonder what Jerry would say about the Stephen Carpenter signature (Message edited by Blazer on December 30, 2007) | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2808 Registered: 7-2004 |
Alligator was a Strat. Bill, tgo | ||
| grateful
Advanced Member Username: grateful Post Number: 254 Registered: 12-2004 |
The Wolf originally had Strat pickups. Mark | ||
| blazer
Intermediate Member Username: blazer Post Number: 174 Registered: 12-2003 |
Seeing as how there weren't direct replacement pickups in those days I wouldn't be surprised if those "Strat" pickups in the "Wolf" actually were Dimarzio "Fat strat" humbucking pickups. | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 1322 Registered: 12-2002 |
During 1969 Ron developed the Alembic electronics and pickups (before they made they're own guitars). they first installed them in David Crosby's 12-string Guild guitar (which he still uses to this day) and then into Phil Lesh's SG bass that had been hand painted by Bob Thomas in his trademark renaissance/psychedelic style. After several more experimental designs, both Phil Lesh's and Jack Casady's hollow-bodied Guild basses were renovated with new low-impedance pickups and new active electronics. Bobby Weir's and Jerry Garcia's guitars were done as well. Slowly all aspects of the Dead's gear for the road and the studio were becoming "Alembicized!" (Message edited by keavin on December 31, 2007) | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Advanced Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 238 Registered: 10-2006 |
I've always heard that bit about Jerry wanting the cleanest sound possible, and have never understood it, as his p/up of choice was, as noted above, D(irt)'Marzios - whose entire stock-in-trade in those days was crunch. Peter | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 2227 Registered: 9-2003 |
Originally they were Fender Strat single-coils, replaced by SDS-1 DiMarzio's (he may have also dabbled with HS-1 H.O. SC's as well..the Yngwie pick-up, LOL!). For Humbuckers, he vasillated between Super II's and Dual Sound DiMarzio's (may have used Super Distortion's as well...they were indentical to Dual Sounds, but W/O the coil tap). This is according to dozin.com (from Doug Irwin) and jives with what I remember from Jerry's '78 Guitar Player Mag cover story interview (I have the mag still, just have to find the d*mn thing). Apparently, Jerry was never quite satisfied with anything and was always looking to improve his sound via experimentation. | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1850 Registered: 3-2004 |
You may as well ask why anyone chooses any component, speaker, amplifier or effect. You can carry it further to neck construction, wood selection, string gauges, materials, and construction. It's all about the sound and feel you're looking for. Though I'm no Garcia biographer, Jerry must have been playing guitar for over ten years when Alembic pickups came on the scene. By that time, I suspect he had developed some sense of how things should sound. Look at the trouble some people have today when they get their first Alembic guitar. I recall a variety of reports from people that their effects didn't sound right with the Alembic as compared to their previous "normal" pickups. In any case, we can all hear what they sound like today and make our own decisions about the sounds we're looking for. | ||
| paulman
Advanced Member Username: paulman Post Number: 268 Registered: 2-2005 |
Happy New Year! I believe the TB-500 that Jerry tested the effect loop design in had 3 single coils. From what I read Jerry would experiment with a lot of things but almost always returned to his faves. I also think I read somewhere (Doug Irwin interview?) Jerry was wayyy into what his guitar was doing. He'd come to the Alembic shop and tear down his guitar in the morning and rebuild it for that night's performance. Jer knew about capacitors and wiring so I'd assume he just liked what he liked for his tone. Gawd, just think of the palette for experimentation he had available. | ||
| blazer
Intermediate Member Username: blazer Post Number: 175 Registered: 12-2003 |
Yeah sometimes it pays to be a rabid gearhead. | ||
| edwin
Advanced Member Username: edwin Post Number: 269 Registered: 5-2002 |
As far as Dimarzios being dirty pickups, that depends on the amp and preamp you are using. With Jerry's rig, there was a lot of headroom. It might be that he felt the higher number of winds gave him less highs and more level (ie better signal to noise). Or maybe he just liked them. He also spent a lot of time on a strat before he got into the custom stuff. Edwin | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 1289 Registered: 10-2003 |
Keep in mind also that many peoples' idea of "clean" tone is the wonderful sound of tubes being pushed near the edge... ;) John | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Advanced Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 242 Registered: 10-2006 |
True, John - I once read an interview with Seymore Duncan in which he related the frustation he had trying please a customer who wanted "clean" humbuckers - after several failures to please, he found out that by "clean" tone, the dude meant Carlos Santana! Peter | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2830 Registered: 7-2004 |
Here' a chronological history of Jerry's guitars. It seems fairly accurate except for the references to Irwin's No. 1 and Wolf as Irwin-built guitars. These were actually Alembics. Notice that he used many single coil instruments over the years, including Les Pauls (P-90s), Strats, and Travis Bean. Bill, tgo | ||
| spose
Intermediate Member Username: spose Post Number: 170 Registered: 5-2002 |
I sent the webmaster of dozin a photo of Garcia playing a strat built by Dan Erlewine. It doesn't look like he added it to the page as of yet. Bill, any idea when this photo was taken?  | ||
| spose
Intermediate Member Username: spose Post Number: 171 Registered: 5-2002 |
note the Tuna-matic and stop tail.. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2831 Registered: 7-2004 |
Early photo from the tie dye. 60's or very ealry 70's. As for the guitar, I've never seen pics of Jerry playing one like this. I'd be surprised if he really wore those fugly inlaid numbers. Was Erlewine doing his thing 35-40 years ago? Do I smell photo shop? Bill, tgo | ||
| spose
Intermediate Member Username: spose Post Number: 172 Registered: 5-2002 |
it's the real thing..I've talked to Dan about it..and yes Dan was doing his thing back then. He built Albert King's "LUCY" as well. Dan played in a band with Iggy Pop(before he was IggyPop) on drums...I believe they played winterland in the late 60's. That's when he owned the LPburst he sold/traded to Bloomfield. I have some old pics somewhere.. | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Advanced Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 244 Registered: 10-2006 |
Judging by the look of Jerry and, even more, the equipment, I'd guess '71, when they back to the original quintet (just saw a pic yesterday from then, those sure look the same amps). Peter | ||
| paulman
Advanced Member Username: paulman Post Number: 270 Registered: 2-2005 |
This guitar is mentioned in the Grateful Dead Gear Book as the "Homely brown" strat with numbers on the fretboard, however no pics were in the book. That's a nice picture. I think they put it at '70-'72 usage. | ||
| elwoodblue
Intermediate Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 192 Registered: 6-2002 |
reminds me of the ox's inlays...vaguely |
