“These items represent fifty years of memories and experiences with the Grateful Dead”: Following the record-breaking sale of Jerry Garcia’s “Tiger,” more Grateful Dead and Garcia guitar gear is coming up for auction

Jerry Garcia performs at the Squaw Valley ski area in Squaw Valley, California on August 25, 1991
Jerry Garcia with his custom Alvarez-Yairi DY 74CJG acoustic guitar (Image credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

Following the record-breaking sale of Jerry Garcia's “Tiger” at the Jim Irsay auction earlier this month, Julien’s Auctions has just announced Treasures From The Golden Road Featuring The Property From “Big Steve,” “Ram Rod” & Trixie Garcia, an “extraordinary offering” of more than 300 pieces from the inner circle of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia.

Sourced from the personal archives of Grateful Dead crew chief and Jerry Garcia Band manager “Big” Steve Parish, longtime family associate “Ram Rod,” and Garcia’s daughter Trixie Garcia, the auction includes its own fair share of guitars and gear.

These include Garcia’s studio- and video-played pre-war Gibson Super 400N, used on non-Dead projects including Not for Kids Only and Been All Around This World, and estimated to sell for between $80,000 and $120,000, as well as his custom Alvarez-Yairi acoustic, labeled “Custom Made for J. Garcia,” which is predicted to fetch between $70,000 and $100,000.

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His stage-used 1975 Mesa Boogie Mark I, part of his 1975–76 live rig and later kept in his living room, is also up for grabs – with an estimated value of $30,000 to $50,000 – alongside a 1988 Dobro Model 64 square neck resonator guitar in a walnut finish with a “Tree of Life” fretboard inlay that reportedly never made it to the stage, estimated at $25,000–$30,000.

“These items represent fifty years of memories and experiences with the Grateful Dead – from the early days to the final shows in Chicago. Each piece tells a story of the music, the journey, and the community that made it all possible”, comments Parish.

“Being part of that community for all these years has meant everything to me, and I’m proud to continue representing what the Grateful Dead stood for. Now is the time to share these with the fans and collectors who understand what they mean.”

These Deadhead heirlooms and gear will be heading to auction on April 22, live at The Box SF in San Francisco, and online via the official auction house website.

For more information, head to Julien's.

Janelle Borg

Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.

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