San Francisco, CA (April 16, 2012) – Nearly 17 years after the passing of Grateful Dead lead guitarist, singer and songwriter Jerry Garcia, worldwide auction house Bonhams will present its Visions of Garcia auction, May 8 (the 35th anniversary of the famous 5-8-77 Cornell show) in San Francisco, the band's home town. The highly anticipated auction, also simulcast in New York, will offer one-of-a-kind memorabilia, including original and rare works by Garcia and guitars designed specially for him.
Instruments on offer will include a well-known Garcia acoustic Takamine guitar, as seen on the album covers for Pure Jerry Vol. 8 and Ragged But Right, played from 1985-1988 for acoustic shows (est. $100,000-$150,000); an Ibanez guitar, designed for Jerry Garcia by Ibanez and Bob Weir in 1977 (est. $50,000-$60,000); and a Billy Kreutzmann drum set (est. $10,000-$15,000).
Here are more details on the guitars, courtesy of Bonhams:
3021
A Jerry Garcia stage-played, acoustic guitar made by Takamine, ca. 1985
6-string acoustic guitar, Serial Number 84111605, Rosewood back and sides, spruce top. Includes case, Jerry's guitar strap, pick and two discs featuring the guitar on the covers.
The first disc, Ragged but Right is the second live album by the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and was recorded in October and December 1987 at the Lunt Fontanne Theater in New York City, the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles and the Warfield Theater in San Francisco. It was released on November 16, 2010, twenty-two years after the band's first album, Almost Acoustic. The second disc is Pure Jerry Vol. 8. Also included in this lot is a DVD of the December 17, 1987 performance at the Warfield Theater with John Kahn, Bob Weir and Joan Baez featuring the Takamine acoustic guitar.
Jerry played this guitar from about 1985 until 1988, including during the famous Lunt Fontanne shows in October of 1987, The Christmas show on December 17, 1987 and the Bridge School Benefit in 1988. This was his main guitar with the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band.
The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band existed from the summer of 1987 to the summer of 1988, and played fewer than 30 concerts. Led by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, the band included three members of the 1964 bluegrass band the Black Mountain Boys - Garcia on guitar and vocals, David Nelson of the New Riders of the Purple Sage on guitar and vocals, and Sandy Rothman on mandolin, dobro, banjo, and vocals - plus long-time Garcia collaborator John Kahn on acoustic bass, Kenny Kosek on fiddle, and David Kemper on snare drum. This is also the acoustic guitar featured on the recently released Almost Acoustic.
41 x 15 x 5 in.
Est. $50,000-$100,000
3096
A guitar designed by Ibanez in conjunction with Jeff Hassleberger and Bob Weir, ca. 1977
6-string electric guitar by Ibanez, MC500/SP, light and dark woods, with mother-of-pearl inlay, brass, black plastic and mother-of-pearl fixtures. Original aluminum guitar case lined in green velvet, with silver clasps, showing wear.
MC500/SP, presented to Jerry at the 1978 North American Musicians Show, being the "Tree of Life" prototype guitar for the Musician Series produced thereafter by Ibanez. With letter of provenance written by Bob Weir and witnessed by Jeb Scherb. 38 x 13 in. (guitar); 43 x 20 x 8 in. (case); 16 x 13 1/2 in. (frame for letter)
Est. $50,000-$60,000
3004
A Jerry Garcia modified practice guitar
A six-string, small, blue solid body electric guitar, with "Steal Your Face" logo on head, including Jerry's blue guitar strap and amplifier cord, with brown and white leather and plastic guitar case lined in red velvet, Simple Minds and The Pretenders backstage laid in case. With autograph letter signed by Rock Scully detailing the history of the guitar.
Provenance: Rock Scully
35 ½ x 11 ½ in. (guitar); 38 x 12 x 4 in. (case)
Est. $10,000-$15,000
An illustrated catalogue for the sale will be available online in the preceding weeks, for review and purchase at www.bonhams.com.
Auction preview: May 4-7 in San Francisco and April 11-16 in New York
Auction: May 8, San Francisco, simulcast in New York
Announced at the 2025 NAMM show, Cory Wong’s new collaboration with Ernie Ball Music Man scratched an itch—namely, the itch for a humbucker-loaded guitar that could appease Wong’s rock-and-R&B alter ego and serve as complement to his signature Fender Strat. Inspiration came from no further than a bandmate’s namesake instrument. Vulfpeck bassist Joe Dart has a line of signature model EBMM basses, one of which uses the classic StingRay bass body profile. So, when Wong went looking for something distinctive, he wondered if EBMM could create a 6-string guitar using the classic StingRay bass body and headstock profile.
Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II ReviewErnie Ball Music Man StingRay II ReviewDouble the Fun
Wong is, by his own admission, a single-coil devotee. That’s where the core of his sound lives and it feels like home to him. However, Wong is as inspired by classic Earth, Wind & Fire tones and the pop-punk of the early ’90s as he is by Prince and the Minneapolis funk that he grew up with. The StingRay II is a guitar that can cover all those bases.
Ernie Ball has a history of designing fast-feeling, comfortable necks. And I can’t remember ever struggling to move around an EBMM fretboard. The roasted maple C-shaped neck here is slightly thicker in profile than I expected, but still very comfortable. (I must also mention that the back of the neck has a dazzling, almost holographic look to the grain that morphs in the light). By any measure, the StingRay II’s curves seemed designed for comfort and speed. Now, let’s talk about those pickups.Hot or Not?
A few years ago EBMM introduced a line of HT (heat-treated) pickups. The pickups are built with technology the company used to develop their Cobalt and M-Series strings. A fair amount of the process is shrouded in secrecy and must be taken on faith, but EBMM says treating elements of the pickup with heat increases clarity and dynamic response.
To find out for myself, I plugged the StingRay II into a Fender Vibroverb, Mesa/Boogie Mark VII, and a Neural DSP Quad Cortex (Wong’s preferred live rig). Right away, it was easy to hear the tight low end and warm highs. Often, I feel like the low end from neck humbuckers can feel too loose or lack definition. Neither was the case here. The HT pickup is beautifully balanced with a bounce that’s rich with ES-335 vibes. Clean tones are punchy and bright—especially with the Vibroverb—and dirty tones have more room for air. Individual notes were clear and articulate, too.
Any guitar associated with Wong needs a strong middle-position or combined pickup tone, and the StingRay II delivers. I never felt any significant signal loss in the blended signal from the two humbuckers, even if I could use a bit more midrange presence in the voicing. The midrange gap is nothing an EQ or Tube Screamer couldn’t fix, though. And not surprisingly, very Strat-like sounds were easy to achieve for having less midrange bump.
Knowing Wong’s love for ’90s alt-rock, I expected the bridge pickup to have real bite, and it does, demonstrating exceptional dynamic range and exceptional high-end response that never approached shrill. Nearly every type of distortion and overdrive I threw at it sounded great, but especially anything with a scooped-mid flavor and plenty of low end.
The Verdict
By any measure, the StingRay II is a top-notch, professional instrument. The fit and finish are immaculate and the feel of the neck makes me wonder if EBMM stashes some kind of secret sandpaper, because I don’t think I’ve ever felt a smoother, more playable neck. Kudos are also due to EBMM and Wong for finding an instrument that can move between ’70s George Benson tones and the hammering power chords of ’90s Blink-182. Admittedly, the nearly $3K price could give some players pause, but considering the overall quality of the instrument, it’s not out of line. Wong’s involvement and search for distinct sounds makes the StingRay II more than a tired redux of a classic model—an admirable accomplishment considering EBMM’s long and storied history.
Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II Cory Wong Signature Electric Guitar - Charcoal Blue with Rosewood Fingerboard
