I just rewatched "Festival Express" on cable after catching it in the theater when it came out in the early oughts. This time, I saw a brief shot in the beginning of Jerry on a Tele, and thought that was cool. Then it dawned on me that it was a rosewood Tele, and that's another story altogether. Had to wait the entire movie to see him playing it in the jam with Ian & Sylvia. Delaney Bramlett is in that jam and on that trip, and that's the connection. George Harrison gave Delaney the rosewood Tele in 1969 (after using it all over Let It Be), and Delaney must have had it with him in 1970. Pretty freakin' cool, in my book.
Interesting, too, that the rosewood Tele was a sandwich of two rosewood layers with a thin maple layer between. Any possible influence on Alembic "hippie sandwich" type builds and/or Wolf or Tiger??
Also, I wonder if the Dead were inspired to play "Goin Down the Road Feeling Bad" from Delaney and Bonnie, because it joined their repertoire in October 1970, just 3 months after the Festival Express ....
In the past couple of years, I've gotten into G&L ASATs (with the great jumbo MFD pickups) and the more traditional ASAT Classic. They sound great for Dead tunes, with the bright, clear, biting tone that's part of Jerry's signature tone, and work so well clean or dirty.
Interesting, too, that the rosewood Tele was a sandwich of two rosewood layers with a thin maple layer between. Any possible influence on Alembic "hippie sandwich" type builds and/or Wolf or Tiger??
Also, I wonder if the Dead were inspired to play "Goin Down the Road Feeling Bad" from Delaney and Bonnie, because it joined their repertoire in October 1970, just 3 months after the Festival Express ....
In the past couple of years, I've gotten into G&L ASATs (with the great jumbo MFD pickups) and the more traditional ASAT Classic. They sound great for Dead tunes, with the bright, clear, biting tone that's part of Jerry's signature tone, and work so well clean or dirty.
