Phil Lesh and his short scale Series ... Log Out | Topics | Search
Moderators | Register | Edit Profile

Alembic Club » Showcase » Artists and their Alembics » Phil Lesh and his short scale Series II 6-string bass « Previous Next »

Author Message
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 8525
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Thursday, May 21, 2015 - 11:11 pm:   Edit Post

Balerion hatch day

Phil is so happy about the muscle memory for this short scale length. Balerion was hatched on May 8.
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 4507
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 12:30 am:   Edit Post

So has Phil had two new basses from you Mica, a medium and a short scale 6 string bass?
mtjam
Advanced Member
Username: mtjam

Post Number: 310
Registered: 11-2011
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 1:42 am:   Edit Post

Another masterpiece!

Congratulations, Phil!
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 4198
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 2:15 am:   Edit Post

Congratulations Phil !

Surely in your hands " Balerion" will be in top form for a "Mighty Dragon" of a performance ! In the moment spontaneous counterpoint, blazing and roaring ! :-) Perhaps we will experience some impressive sounding bass chords with this scale length at your performances as well .

Sonic Regards,

Wolf

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Balerion ( I love that show as well )
jalevinemd
Senior Member
Username: jalevinemd

Post Number: 987
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 6:42 am:   Edit Post

Certainly making up for lost time.
moongerm
Advanced Member
Username: moongerm

Post Number: 206
Registered: 8-2013
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 8:08 am:   Edit Post

Wow! What is the Guage of the lowest string?
stephenr
Member
Username: stephenr

Post Number: 81
Registered: 9-2014
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 9:21 am:   Edit Post

Nice... figured Phil would be springing for a second Alembic.
5a_quilt_top
Senior Member
Username: 5a_quilt_top

Post Number: 526
Registered: 6-2012
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 11:15 am:   Edit Post

Hey, how cool is that - !

Just in time for the GD "mini tour" this summer.
stephenr
Member
Username: stephenr

Post Number: 82
Registered: 9-2014
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 11:26 am:   Edit Post

He played this bass at the "Dear Jerry" show in Maryland last week. Some great shots of Phil and the bass in this gallery as well as all the other performers. There are a ton of pictures, suggest using arrow keys to scroll through instead of waiting for the slideshow. If you go backwards you will get to some shots of Balerion more quickly.

http://www.erikkabik.com/dear-jerry-concert
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 8527
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 1:51 pm:   Edit Post

Yup, Vince, he's got both short and medium scale basses.

Brian, DR pulled through and made Phil custom gauges of Sunbeams like we used on Khaleesi: .040 .055 .070 .085 .100 .115 PLUS they made him some Pure Blues and Flatwound Legends in the same gauges.

Balerion
jalevinemd
Senior Member
Username: jalevinemd

Post Number: 988
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 4:53 pm:   Edit Post

So is a six string bass like this tuned like a guitar…

EADGBE (low to high)?
moonliner
Advanced Member
Username: moonliner

Post Number: 316
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 4:57 pm:   Edit Post

Sweet!!
That really is a beauty. Well done!
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 4201
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 5:08 pm:   Edit Post

Jonathan , there can be variations but many 6 string bass players tune ; BEADGC (low to high).
jalevinemd
Senior Member
Username: jalevinemd

Post Number: 989
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 5:20 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Wolf.
rv_bass
Junior
Username: rv_bass

Post Number: 29
Registered: 8-2014
Posted on Friday, May 22, 2015 - 6:26 pm:   Edit Post

A beautiful work of art, it must sound fantastic!
jseitang
Advanced Member
Username: jseitang

Post Number: 346
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Saturday, May 23, 2015 - 8:43 pm:   Edit Post

so sick
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 8549
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 - 3:50 pm:   Edit Post

Balerion sighting from June 12, 2015 at Terrapin Crossroads:
Balerion Sighting
Photo by Jay Blakesburg
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 8568
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Monday, July 06, 2015 - 2:37 pm:   Edit Post

From the soundcheck at Fare Thee Well / Soldier Field 07-04-15

soundcheck Soldier Field

One of the camera men for this show was the owner of the Heart in Sonoma bass. Patrick did a great job getting nice shots of Phil and his bass through the shows.
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 4317
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Monday, July 06, 2015 - 3:43 pm:   Edit Post

Kool ! It was a great show ! I got to see the 7/5/14 show on a swell big screen TV thanks to Bill ,tgo! Thanks Bill ! Thanks Mica for posting this .
These shows were part of a hugely emotional process for many , many folks . We all process this stuff differently in our minds .
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 11847
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Monday, July 06, 2015 - 6:58 pm:   Edit Post

That's a nice shot!

And yes, Wolf, I agree; an emotional process.
hieronymous
Senior Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 1624
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - 11:00 pm:   Edit Post

I got to see and hear Balerion in person Monday night - managed to score tickets to Phil & Friends with Stanley Jordan at Terrapin Crossing - my first time to see a show in the Grate Room. Bass sounded great - could have been a teeny bit louder to me but overall the mix was very good. Guitars could be a little loud, but it's a relatively small room.

One thing I noticed - I don't think Phil is using the Eden any more - there was an empty space in the rack. He did have a similar EQ curve though - this time it was showing on a computer screen - you could see that the high end was all rolled off!

phil's eq

The show was great – they played mostly Dead tunes but with a nice selection of other songs – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Proud Mary,” an instrumental version of “What’s Going On.” During Proud Mary I was kind of surprised – on the second chorus, Phil played way up high instead of in a lower register where a “normal” bassist would play to beef things up – it sounded thin instead – then I remembered that this is Phil! I’m in the Phil Zone! At least 75% of the time he doesn’t play what you expect a “bassist” to play. But when he does, it hits that much harder. Near the end of “Shakedown Street” he started pumping 8th notes – never heard him do that! I found an interview with him from around 1994 where he says, “I just try to do something different all the time.” It was nice, I felt like I got a picture of him as a player the other night.
elwoodblue
Senior Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 1829
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - 11:16 pm:   Edit Post

What Fun!
I gotta go south for the summer this year and hang out as long as I can :-) Thanks Harry
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 4913
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2016 - 2:07 am:   Edit Post

I'd be curious to see him play but I doubt if the band will get to this side of the pond anytime soon.
edwin
Senior Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 2204
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2016 - 4:10 pm:   Edit Post

Rob Eaton gave me a low down on Phil's EQ philosophy, from when he did a few shows with him. Unfortunately, we were setting up to soundcheck for a gig, so I wasn't paying all that much attention. I'll ask him next time I see him and try to remember.
hieronymous
Senior Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 1629
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2016 - 4:12 pm:   Edit Post

Yeah, you would probably be more likely to see "The Dead" - that's the other three surviving members of the Grateful Dead, currently with John Mayer on guitar and Oteil Burbridge on bass. Oteil is awesome - he was one of my favorite players in the '90s when I was still playing - but there is something about Phil. "Lesh is More" as the say!

Considering that he was diagnosed with cancer last year and took time off, it's wonderful that he is back and looks so good!

Here's my favorite picture from that night - low-res iPhone photo through an Instagram filter and it turned into something else!

instagramphil_sm.jpg
hieronymous
Senior Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 1630
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2016 - 4:18 pm:   Edit Post

Dang Edwin, we posted at the same time! Definitely looking forward to hearing about it!

As an update, here's the setlist from the show I saw:

Set 1: Shakedown Street, Jack Straw, Feelin' Alright, Proud Mary, Caution Jam, Revolution

Set 2: Playing in the Band, What’s Goin’ On, Dear Mr. Fantasy > How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) > The Wheel > Terrapin Station > While My Guitar Gently Weeps > Playing in the Band

Encore: Little Wing

I got this off of setlist.com and made a few corrections. I was hoping it would be available to purchase - they put out some of the shows on thumbdrives - but looks like maybe not :-(
hieronymous
Senior Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 1632
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Friday, February 19, 2016 - 10:02 am:   Edit Post

jazzyvee, I messed up - the current non-Phil incarnation is called "Dead & Company" - they were just on TV for the first time last night on Jimmy Fallon (Oteil Burbridge on bass):

http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/dead-companyshakedown-street/2988369

Add Your Message Here
Post:
Username: Posting Information:
This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here.
Password:
Options: Enable HTML code in message
Automatically activate URLs in message
Action:

Topics | Last Day | Last Week | Tree View | Search | Help/Instructions | Program Credits Administration