Jerry Garcia's Wolf Guitar: A Historic Rock and Roll Icon
The Birth of Wolf (1972-1973)
Doug Irwin began building Wolf (Serial #007) in May 1972, completing it in 1973 for USD 1,500. The guitar's asymmetrical design was specifically chosen to address balance issues Irwin had observed in Alembic guitars. Its first appearance was during a private performance for the Hell's Angels aboard the SS Bay Belle in New York City Harbor on September 5, 1973.
Iconic Design and Specifications
Wolf featured several innovative design elements:
Body core: Amaranth (purpleheart) from Northeast South America
Body lamination: Four 1/28" thick sheets of maple and purpleheart on each side
Top and back: Bookmatched curly western maple
Neck: Through-body design with fiddleback maple and purpleheart lamination
Peghead: Multiple 1/28" thick maple and purpleheart sheets with alternating grain direction
Fingerboard: Gaboon ebony with 24 frets, bound with maple, purpleheart and ebony
Scale length: 25 inches
Inlays: African ivory (except first fret in mother-of-pearl)
Sterling silver marker dots and holly marquetry on left side
Electronics and Hardware
Original configuration: Three Fender Stratocaster pickups (later changed)
Mid-1978 upgrade: DiMarzio pickups (Dual Sound bridge/middle, SDS-1 neck)
Five-position pickup selector
Master volume control
Individual tone controls for middle and front pickups
Dual subminiature coil switches
Built-in effects loop with toggle switch
Schaller tuning machines and bridge (West Germany)
Solid brass plates with chrome-nickel plating
Notable Modifications
Original peacock inlay replaced with Irwin's signature eagle design
Peghead facing changed from Brazilian rosewood to ebony
Wolf inlay added during refinishing
September 1977: Added buffer/effects loop
1988: Briefly used for MIDI synthesizer experiments
Performance History
Wolf served as Garcia's main guitar from 1973-1979, appearing in countless Grateful Dead performances including:
The closing of Winterland Arena (December 31, 1978)
Egypt concerts at the Great Pyramids (September 1978)
Saturday Night Live performance (November 18, 1978)
Garcia continued to use Wolf sporadically in the late 1980s for MIDI synthesizer experimentation. Its final performance occurred on February 23, 1993.
Historical Notes
The guitar survived a 15-foot fall onto cement during a European tour with no damage, though a subsequent incident caused a minor peghead crack that prompted some of the modifications mentioned above. The guitar appears on the cover of Garcia's solo album "Compliments of Garcia" with its original peacock headstock design.
After Jerry Garcia's passing, Wolf was returned to Doug Irwin following a legal dispute with the Grateful Dead organization. In 2002, Wolf was sold at auction for close to $1 million. In 2017, it was auctioned again at Brooklyn Bowl for over $1.6M, with matching donations raising over $3M for the Southern Poverty Law Center. The guitar remains one of the most significant instruments in rock history.
Recent Appearances
Wolf is currently being featured in various exhibitions celebrating Jerry Garcia's musical legacy. Most notably, the guitar was recently displayed at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum as part of the "Jerry Garcia: A Bluegrass Journey" exhibition, which opened in late 2023 and continues through 2025.
