Author |
Message |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 6:42 pm: | |
Check out Weir playing the 2681 along w/ Garcia playing his Travis Bean: http://www.youtube.com/w/Grateful-Dead---Dancin-in-the-Streets--1976?v=YhjFI5NCT gc&search=Grateful%20Dead mk |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 6:46 pm: | |
There are some other '76 & '77 videos with more 2681 action. There also a '78 video from Duke University with Weir playing one of his Cowboys. This one has the inlay like the fancy Custom Agent. The quality of the videos vary. mk |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 8:05 pm: | |
Last one: also some 80's including Saturday Night Live videos w/ various Cowboys. |
Strings
Username: Strings
Registered: 01-2005
| Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 12:15 am: | |
Hey MK, any chance that disc is on its way? I look forward to seeing it! Best, EJ |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 8:07 am: | |
I'll get to it soon. I filled my hard drive with videos. It's time to burn! |
Russellhodgson
Username: Russellhodgson
Registered: 01-2006
| Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 3:10 pm: | |
Do any of you guys know which model of Ibanez guitar Bob Weir is playing in the Dead Ahead DVD? Is it an Ibanez BWSM1? |
Johns
Username: Johns
Registered: 02-2001
| Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 3:56 pm: | |
Russell: Is it dark with floral inlay on the body (BWSM1) or blonde with a Tree of Life inlay on the neck only (2681)? |
Russellhodgson
Username: Russellhodgson
Registered: 01-2006
| Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 5:56 pm: | |
Johns, Its looks like the BWSM1... Only it has a pickguard but no floral inlay on the guitar itself. The switches look like the setup on the BWSM1.. I wish I had a picture of it... |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 6:13 pm: | |
Dead Ahead is from 1981. Bob is playing one of his Cowboy guitars, however, it may not be the exact one that the newly release Cowboy was modelled after. mk |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 9:18 pm: | |
It neither the 2681 or the floral inlay. It's another one. Think of it as the Cowboy w/ the Tree of Life, except: - no fancy inlay on the body (looks like an AR-500 AV) - only 3 toggles up top (instead of 4) - I think there may be one less knob (tone/volume). There are 3 EQ knobs. - the pups look different than the 'Cowboy' Bob had several of these guitars and he was always changing them. mk |
Russellhodgson
Username: Russellhodgson
Registered: 01-2006
| Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 1:08 pm: | |
Ok.. Thanks.. It just didn't really look exactly like any of the others I've seen.. It kinda looked like a combination! |
Johns
Username: Johns
Registered: 02-2001
| Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 1:36 pm: | |
If someone could post a picture of this hybrid Cowboy, it would be much appreciated. Thanks, |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 2:59 pm: | |
Johns: I estimate he had about 6 Cowboys. I've seen at least one more ornate than the Cowboy (think of the 2674/2675 inlay) and ones less ornate (like the AR-5000). I've seen pictures of guests (ie: Steven Stills) playing a Cowboy at the same time as Weir playing a Cowboy. I have many in print. I'll see what I can come up with digitally. I'm sending Strings a DVD with the '78 very ornate model. Maybe he can capture a frame and post it. mk |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 3:22 pm: | |
OK...here are some examples: Dec '77 (also used in '78): Very fancy inlay (more than the official 'Cowboy'), notice how the volume/tone knobs are EQ knobs are reversed. There's also one knob missing?? I cannot tell how many pup toggles it has. In the background, you can see an Ibanez AD-230. Nov '78: Less fancy than previous. Looks like official 'Cowboy'. Volume/tone/eq knobs in correct place, however, still missing one knob. Aug '79: no body inlay. Looks like only three toggles up top. For the official Cowboy, the eq toggle was moved next to the pup toggles, and thus there are four toggles. There are probably more... mk |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 3:25 pm: | |
This one from October '80 looks like the last one.
|
Russellhodgson
Username: Russellhodgson
Registered: 01-2006
| Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 5:40 pm: | |
That's the one in the Dead Ahead vid.. In October 80.. I believe that the Dead Ahead vid was shot in New York Around Halloween in 1980.. The last pic you have there is exactly the one I was talking about.. I like it the most! I wish there was a production model like that one! |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 5:56 pm: | |
Yes, this photo is from the Oct '80 Radio City run. Why do you prefer the latter one the most? Personally, I prefer '77/'78 version in terms of sound, however, that may not be a function of the guitar vs. signal processing and playing style. I think his sound was more compressed starting in '79. I'm really curious what the recently release Cowboy sounds like. I have a very discerning ear for Weir's sound and I really want to know if the guitar itself can faithfully reproduce the sound, or, do the effects and/or playing style contribute more to the sound than the guitar itself. FWIW...he played with a VERY light touch. Quite the opposite of most players and I know for a fact that it contributed significantly to his sound. I guess the only way to know is to play one. mk |
Frank
Username: Frank
Registered: 01-2006
| Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 9:58 pm: | |
MK I will do my best to answer your question about the sound of the Cowboy when it arrives.I too feel that I have a good ear for Weirs sound as I have been chasing it down for years as well! Wish I could tape it somehow and let you hear it. I have Line 6 Flextone III XL and also a Mesa Boogie Mark II that I had custom made around 1980. If your ever close to CA again let me know and I'd be glad to let you ck it out for yourself. |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 10:14 pm: | |
Cool. I had an Original Mesa Boogie (Mark I) head like the one pictured above. Very nice! mk |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 9:39 am: | |
OK folks - check out this Cowboy picture. It's probably the earliest Cowboy picture I've seen. I'm convinced it's from early 1977 as during the spring tour, Weir had facial hair. I'm pretty sure he had shaved by 9/3/77 (Englishtown). Anyway...it's the 'fancy' Cowboy and notice the lack of EQ! You can clearly see the Super 80 neck pup and single coil. Compare this with the other pics of the fancy Cowboy. Did the 1st version fancy Cowboy ever have eq?? In other pictures, it looks like the knobs were changed to possibly EQ knobs, however, it cannot tell for sure if the guitar has the EQ. When was the 1st commercially available guitar with EQ? Was it the 2622? mk |
Ibanezfreak1960
Username: Ibanezfreak1960
Registered: 03-2004
| Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 10:40 am: | |
That doesn't look like a neck through either! |
Johns
Username: Johns
Registered: 02-2001
| Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 10:45 am: | |
MK: Cool! Did you notice that it has a pickguard? |
Jeffm725
Username: Jeffm725
Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 12:51 pm: | |
FYI - that Picture is from 4/26/77 |
Jeffm725
Username: Jeffm725
Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 1:08 pm: | |
Actually, Allow me to correct myself, that picture above is even earlier. 12/31/76 (he wore the same shirt on 4/26/77 but there were other differences) It is definitely New years 76 |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 1:51 pm: | |
I ask: - not a neck-thru? Can you really tell? - when did the first Artist with EQ appear? Was it the 2622? I wonder if Weir was the catalyst for the EQ system of if he just wanted it after it came out? - the Cowboy has a 25.5" neck scale as opposed to the normal Artist 24.75" neck. Did any/all of the original Cowboy(s) have a 25.5" neck? Weir has huge hands so the larger neck probably worked well for him. - JeffM: do you have access to more 76,77,78, etc. Cowboy pics? Can you please post them? mk |
Ibanezfreak1960
Username: Ibanezfreak1960
Registered: 03-2004
| Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 3:49 pm: | |
I can tell by looking at the top! |
Jeffm725
Username: Jeffm725
Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 2:19 pm: | |
MK, I do have a bunch, and I will post them. I find this to be a useful thread for dating the different cowboys. I will sort through what I have and order them chronologically. FYI- The first cowboay pic I have is from 7/18/76 |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 4:04 pm: | |
7/18/76?? Really! That's earlier than I thought. I assumed Weir was still playing the 2681 around that time. btw...is 7/18/76 the final Orpheum run show??? If so, it's one of my favorites. Sweeeeeeeet! mk |
Jeffm725
Username: Jeffm725
Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Thursday, February 01, 2007 - 10:44 am: | |
yes, it is the final orpheum show. Great show. The next shows in August 8/2, 8/4/76 (Colt Park Hartford, Roosevelt Stadium, NJ) Weir is back on the 2681. You wanna hear something really weird? I have a pic from 4/23/77 Springfield with a Cowboy. Then on 5/5/77 He is in New Haven playing his 2681! Then on 5/28/77 in Hartford he is back to the Cowboy. Why that brief reappearance of the 2681? Could be something as simple as a broken string or repair issue, but I found it intersting. I came across that as I have been organizing the pics to post here for you. |
Michaelkaufman
Username: Michaelkaufman
Registered: 11-2002
| Posted on Thursday, February 01, 2007 - 12:52 pm: | |
Interesting... I was at 8/4/76, 4/30/77, 5/5/77, 5/8/77 and others. That stretch in '77 was something else. I don't recall ever seeing the 2681 at that time, however, there are lots of things I don't remember from back then. Can't wait to see the pics. mk |