Phil Lesh

Lesh can be seen playing an EB-0 in this photo.

"From there, a modified Gibson EB-3 (1969) preceded what became his main bass for several years..."

"From there, a modified Gibson EB-3 (1969) preceded what became his main bass for several years: an Alembic-modified Guild Starfire known as "The Godfather.""

"Phil briefly started out playing a Gibson EB-0, but eventually switched to a Fender Jazz Bass in 1968."

In this image, Lesh can be seen playing an Epiphone Jack Casady bass.

Phil Lesh is listed on Ritter Basses website as using this custom made, 6 string bass he calls EYE OF HOURS. Phil Lesh talking about his instrument in BASSPLAYER Magazine:

"This instrument is teaching me to play in an entirely different way." Lesh says of his radical new Ritter bass. "This bass is like a revelation to me. It's like a Stradivarius- it speaks."

"It was made by Jens Ritter in a little town outside of Mannheim, Germany. That's in Hesse, which is actually the part of Germany my ancestors came from. I am not sure of the trail that led me to his website, but I was just surfing the Web - I wasn't looking for a new instrument- and I came across some reference to his instruments. I went to his website and was stunned by the look of these instruments. I saw this and just said to myself, that is the coolest-looking instrument I've ever seen - I want that! At that point I was just praying that it would sound good. I talked to Jens on the phone, and went down to meet him at last year's NAMM show. I played a few of his instruments, and I loved their sound and how easy they were to play. So I commissioned two basses from him. The first one has a shiny black finish - I got that back in July- and this second one came just a few weeks ago."

"It's a unified concept, and very German his detail and execution. The work is absolutely first-class. He fixes the neck to the body with ten humongous bolts. It's a very solid instrument that stays in tune very well, even though it's made out of wood. That's something I've been seeking for years and years. It's amazingly easy to play."

By the early 1980s Lesh had moved to a Modulus 6 string. The Modulus story also sports some Grateful Dead / Alembic links. After attending a Grateful Dead concert in 1974 – and being impressed by Lesh’s Alembic basses – Geoff Gould started experimenting with lighter and stronger materials for guitar construction. Gould had a background in the aerospace industry and used this experience when developing hollow carbon fibre necks. In 1977 a collaborative project resulted in Alembic launching a bass model that featured one of Gould’s graphite necks. Gould went on to form Modulus guitars and now builds instruments under his own name.

Listed here as using this amp in his rig.

From the 'fare thee well' tour, 2015.

From the 2015 'Fare Thee Well' tour.

From the 2015 'Fare Thee Well' Tour.

From the 2015 'Fare Thee Well' tour.

From the 2015 'Fare Thee Well' tour.

From the 2015 'Fare Thee Well' tour.

From the 2015 'Fare Thee Well' tour.

Can be seen on Phil's board during his 2018 'Duo' tour.

Can be seen on Phil's board during his 2018 'Duo' tour.

Can be seen on Phil's board during his 2018 'Duo' tour.

Can be seen on Phil's board during his 2018 'Duo' tour.

Can be seen on Phil's board during his 2018 'Duo' tour.