Grateful Guitars Foundation Loans Jerry Garcia Tribute Instruments to Garcia’s in Port Chester

Photo: Geoff Tishman

Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., has received a pair of Jerry Garcia tribute guitars on loan from the Grateful Guitars Foundation. The instruments pay tribute to the Grateful Dead guitarist’s musical legacy and cultural significance in the jamband community. 

Now on loan is luthier Bob Fishman’s “Rosebud,” a tribute to the Doug Irwin original that Garcia began using in 1989 and into the dawn of the ‘90s. The reconstruction is meant to model a so-called “hippie sandwich” using various materials, including Granadillo, Western Big Leaf Maple, Padauk, and Ebony.

Also included is Kevin Burkett’s “Tiger” recreation, another piece based on an Irwin original that was bestowed on Garcia in 1979. The instrument became his primary guitar in the 1980s and is made of acrylic with an aluminum neck and OBEL wiring.

All loaned instruments come courtesy of Andy Logan, founder of the Grateful Guitars Foundation. Now, artists playing at Garcia’s will receive a chance to use the axes and channel the Dead’s iconic licks. 

Notably, during Garcia’s weekly Grateful Dead tribute night, known as DeadCenter, the instruments will be available for use. “DeadCenter celebrates the improvisational spirit, community, and musical exploration that define the Dead’s legacy, and serves as a nod to the legendary Grateful Dead–inspired nights at New York City’s historic Wetlands Preserve.”