Jerry Garcia's Rosebud Guitar: The Ultimate Evolution
The Birth of Rosebud (1989)
Doug Irwin crafted Rosebud as his third custom guitar for Jerry Garcia, delivering it in 1989. While sharing Tiger's basic shape, Rosebud was designed to be lighter and incorporated advanced MIDI capabilities. The guitar earned its name from the distinctive dancing skeleton inlaid on its ebony cover plate.
Iconic Design and Specifications
Body
Top and back: Carved cocobola
Core: Hollowed flamed maple (for weight reduction)
Body dimensions:
Waist width: 8.875"
Ear width: 11.375"
Outer edge thickness: 1.42"
Custom ebony oval plate: 5.35" width × 3.77" length
Neck and Headstock
Neck: Maple with vermilion stripe
Fingerboard: 24-fret ebony
Headstock: Ebony face over layered flame maple core with vermilion and maple
Dimensions:
Nut width: 1.65"
String spacing: 0.250" equidistant
Fretboard width at base: 2.11"
Headstock upper width: 3.845"
Headstock lower width: 3.15"
Headstock thickness: 0.645"
Electronics and Hardware
Three DiMarzio Super II split coil humbuckers
Five-way selector switch
One volume control, two tone knobs
Built-in Roland GK-2 guitar synthesizer interface
Custom brass hardware:
Tailpiece (with cocobola)
Switch plate
Pickup plate assembly
Jack mounting plates
Schaller components:
Bridge (Harmonic model)
M6G tuners
Control knobs
MIDI Capabilities
Built-in Roland GK-2 interface
Connected to GR-50 synthesizer rack unit
Lake Butler Midigator foot-controller integration
Capability for:
Independent guitar/synth operation
Simultaneous guitar and synthesizer sounds
Access to approximately 500 sounds
Remote patch switching via mini-momentary action switches
Physical Specifications
Length: 40.375"
Width: 13.375"
Weight: 11.5 lbs (2 pounds lighter than Tiger)
Performance History
Rosebud became Garcia's primary guitar from 1990 onwards for Grateful Dead performances, while Tiger continued briefly with the Jerry Garcia Band. The guitar was featured prominently on the albums "Built to Last" and "Without a Net," where its extensive MIDI capabilities can be heard.
Historical Notes
After Jerry Garcia's passing, Rosebud, along with his other custom Irwin guitars, became part of a legal dispute regarding ownership. The guitar is currently maintained as part of the Garcia estate's collection of historic instruments. Like its predecessors Wolf and Tiger, it represents a pinnacle of custom guitar craftsmanship and remains one of the most technologically advanced instruments of its era.
