Jerry Garcia's Tiger

About

Jerry Garcia's Tiger is a custom-built guitar crafted by renowned luthier Doug Irwin. Commissioned in 1973, it took nearly three years to complete. The guitar features a unique "hippie sandwich" body, composed of layers of wood laminated together, including cocobolo, vermilion, and maple, with solid brass binding and hardware. This design results in an unusually heavy instrument, weighing about 13.5 pounds. The Tiger is adorned with a distinctive tiger inlay, which inspired its name. Tiger was Garcia's main guitar from 1979 to 1989 and was known for its versatility and rich tone. It features a five-way pickup selector, a master volume control, and two separate tone controls. The electronics include an onboard effects loop, allowing Garcia to experiment with various sounds. Tiger was played at numerous iconic performances, including the Grateful Dead's final concert in 1995. After Garcia's death, it was sold at auction to Jim Irsay for $957,500, and it remains a celebrated piece of music history.