Interesting description of Jerry's guitars.
Culled from the GDH digest...
From: pharrer <p_harrer@bc.sympatico.ca Subject: Jerry's Gear Date:
Sun, 29 Mar 1998 01:28:18 -0800
Here's and attempt to condense a vast, yet very interesting subject.
According to Steve Parish, his longtime guitar tech, Jerry had about
25 guitars, but 70% of his time in the spotlight he played just 3,
all custom built by the same luthier. His first was a Danelectro (age
15). His acoustic in the days with Robert Hunter prior to his switch
to the banjo is uncertain. With the Warlocks in '65 he used a red
Guild Starfire, also used on the 1st Dead album. After a series of
Gibsons SGs, Les Pauls, and a couple of Teles (+ a Strat the
"Alligator" from Graham Nash) he declared: "I don't like any guitars
that are available. I'm trying to have a guitar built." Hence, the
Travis Bean. He laughed upon first seeing it, but quickly changed his
mind when he tried the custom aluminum-neck guitar made in San
Francisco.
In '72 he received the his first custom Doug Irwin (Sonoma, CA)--the
"Wolf". Description: 25.5 in maple neck, 24 fret ebony fingerboard,
blonde Western "quilted" maple body with at purpleheart (amaranth)
core. Guts like a Strat, but with a clever effects bypass circuit
Jerry designed himself. He used the Alligator, Bean, and Wolf
exclusively up to '78. In the late 80's Jerry mounted a GK-7 synth
interface on the Wolf. Mated to the GK-50 controller, this allowed
him to sound like a trumpet player and bass flautist. San Francisco
repair expert Gary Brawer later retrofitted it internally.
But still not completely satisfied, Irwin delivered him the "Tiger"
(pearl coverplate) Description: Seven years to make, ebony
fingerboard on maple neck, an arched cocobola top and back, vermilion
neck and body striping, and W. flamed-maple body core. Meticulous
scrolled inlay finger position markers and hand-crafted brass
hardware; Strat approach, but with one DiMarzio SDS-1 single coil and
two DiMarzio Super 2 humbuckers that were easily removed 'cause Jerry
thought their ouput weakened after a year or two. Also had Jerry's
effects bypass loop (he knew his electronics!), as well as an op-amp
buffer/amp to maintain the high end during effects "on". Result:
Garcia's favorite guitar for the next ll years & most played. In 1990
Garcia changed guitars when Irwin completed "Rosebud" named for the
inlaid dancing skeleton on the ebony coverplate. Lighter than the
Tiger, it became his fulltime Dead guitar, but he used the Tiger in
the JGB for a another year.
Then in '93 came the coup de gras: Deadhead woodworker Stephen Cripe
from Florida custom built the "Lighting Bolt" using photos of the
Tiger and a well worn "Dead Ahead" video. He fashioned the body out
of a peice of E. Indian rosewood recycled from a small 19th-cent.
Asian bed for opium smokers. Built "totally by feel", the cocobola
through-body neck has a recycled Brazilian rosewood fingerboard
(note: Jerry's interest in the rain forest) with an unusual accuracy
in the higher end allowing him to play where he usually avoided.
Predictably, Garcia made a few intonation changes and installed a
Roland MIDI system. In April of '95 Jerry ordered the backup "Top
Hat". Others:
Guitar Year Played On
Martin D-18 "American Beauty", "Workingman's Dead" ZB pedal steel
70-74 Takamine acoustics 1980 acoustic shows & benefits
Alvarez-Yairi "Garcia/Grisman" + live shows
Jerry used "Rosebud" at the last Grateful Dead show in Chicago. On
Aug 4, 1995 Jerry recorded "Blue Yodel # 9" using a mint condition
1939 Gibson Super 400N acoustic that seen in the video for the movie
"Smoke". Its likely the last guitar Jerry ever graced... (Source:
Guitar Player, Dec. '95
Footnote: At the '94 Seattle show I witnessed near the stage, I
noticed Garcia was using Boss foot pedals (distortion, delay, etc)
mounted vertically behind him. Also, a quotable source informed me
that the Dead members each used a specific PA system on their
instruments and the loudspeakers were very much customized. Nice. |
