Buffalo Grove, IL (January 22, 2014) -- The Nuno Bettencourt N4 has long been a popular model in the Washburn line. The combination of the Stephens Extended Cutaway with a Floyd Rose has proved irresistible to shredders the world over. Now Washburn ups the ante with the addition of a carbon fiber fretboard and stainless steel frets.
The N4CV’s 22 stainless steel frets are silky smooth and will last the life of the owner without needing replacement. The carbon fiber fretboard is extremely fast and slippery so bends and dives never bind your fingers.
The N4CV is made in the Washburn USA Custom Shop and features a vintage matte finished alder body with a Seymour Duncan '59 neck pickup and Bill Lawrence L-500 bridge pick-up complemented by a Floyd Rose bridge & locking nut system and Grover Exclusive 18:1 tuners. One of the hallmarks of the N4 is the Stephens Extended Cutaway on the maple neck which allows for unprecedented upper fret access. The Buzz Feiten Tuning System allows for perfect musical intonation at every point on the neck. The stripped down control layout features a 3 way pickup selector and 1 volume control.
The N4CV comes with a Washburn GCN4 hardshell case and retails for $3,999.90
Washburn Guitars announces the addition of 3 new parlor sized guitars to its broad line of acoustic guitars. The new parlors are based on designs Washburn used over 100 years ago.
All 3 parlor guitars are 24.75” scale and feature a natural stain finish, solid cedar top supported by quarter sawn scalloped sitka spruce bracing, abalone rosette and standard Washburn rosewood bridge. The mahogany neck features a rosewood fingerboard with 44mm nut and gold open gear tuners. These specs produce a nicely balanced tone perfect for fingerpicking and singer/song writers. The clarity of the parlor sized body is especially suited to recording and mic’d performance.
The WP26SNS features beautiful rosewood back and sides with highly stylized pearl fingerboard inlays and retails for $712.90.
The WP21SNS specs are identical to the WP26SNS with the exception of pearl dot inlays on the fingerboard. It retails for $622.90
The WP11SNS features mahogany back and sides for a slightly more focused, articulate tone and has pearl dot fingerboard inlays and retails for $533.90.
Washburn Guitars is pleased announce a new addition to its Idol family of solid body guitars, the WI40NM. The Idol series has been a popular line in the Washburn family for over 15 years and the new model builds on the Idol’s solid feature set and sexy looks.
The WI40NM features a solid 2 piece mahogany satin finished body with a Canadian maple set neck with recessed heel for upper fret access. The 22 fret ebony fingerboard accentuates the pearloid block inlays and the gloss black capped headstock features pearloid Washburn logo and stylized W inlay. The all black hardware compliments the mahogany and maple and features a tune-o-matic bridge with stop tailpiece and Grover 18:1 tuners with keystone buttons. The electronics are what make this guitar a real star. A hot alnico bridge humbucking pickup wound to 16k has been chosen to excel at rock tones and soloing. The neck alnico humbucker is wound to 8k for pristine jazz or rhythm tones. Both are controlled by separate volume and tone knobs. Taken together, this pickup combination makes for an incredibly versatile instrument.
The WI40NM comes equipped with D’Addario EX-120 strings and retails for $1069.90.
Washburn Guitars is proud to announce a new signature series with legendary Six Feet Under and Feared guitarist, Ola Englund. The new Solar Series is part of Washburn’s recently introduced Parallaxe Series. It consists of 6 and 7 string, 25.5” scale guitars offering standard Parallaxe features for the most demanding metal players with the addition of Evertune or Hipshot/style bridges. The Parallaxe Solar Series will feature 9 models, 5 of which will be built in Washburn’s USA Custom Shop just outside of Chicago and will cover a wide range of price points.
Parallaxe is Washburn’s recently introduced metal guitar series focusing on the worldwide rock/metal market and aiming to serve it with dedicated and advanced guitar technology. The line includes features that the most demanding rock/metal players have requested for years. It is stage & studio ready and packed with unique features such as the Stephen’s Extended Cutaway, Buzz Feiten Tuning System, Spring Silencers, big brass trem blocks, super jumbo frets, EverTune bridge and USA hardware & electronics.
Ola Englund is widely known for being the guitarist for legendary bands such as Six Feet Under, Feared and recently joined Swedish melodic death metal band The Haunted. He is also highly respected by the worldwide metal community for his professional YouTube demos and reviews for countless manufacturers.
Due to the success of last year’s USA Custom Shop P4 Princess, Washburn is adding another, more affordable model, the P2 Princess.
Like the P4, the P2 features a single cutaway solid mahogany bound body and is an exceptional value with premium hardware and electronics. It features USA Seymour Duncan pickups, Tune-o-matic bridge with Schaller fine tuning tail piece and Grover 18:1 chrome tuners, the combination of which provides unparalleled tuning accuracy and stability. The set mahogany neck features a 22 fret ebony fingerboard with tear drop inlays. The pickups are controlled by single volume and single tone knobs and selected with a 3 way toggle and the body shape is complimented by a 3 ply white/black/white pick guard.
The P2 is ideal for producing thick, meaty tones perfect for classic rock, blues and jazz. It is available in Black Sparkle and Silver Sparkle, comes equipped with D’Addario™ strings and includes a premium Washburn gig bag. The P2 retails for $1065.33
Washburn Guitars is pleased to add a new and unique parlor sized resonator to its line of resonator guitars, the R360K. With the current popularity of Folk and Americana music styles, the R360K brings a unique voice to the genre, thanks to its smaller body. Players looking to add new colors to their tonal palate via slide or fingerstyle will find the R360K to be the ideal instrument.
The R360K is a parlor guitar with a biscuit resonator cone. It has the look and feel of a guitar that would have been made in the early 20th century and played well since. It features a spruce top and Trembesi back and sides with a mahogany neck. The old style slotted headstock features distressed classical style tuners and classy pearl inlaid Washburn logo and design. The rosewood fingerboard showcases period correct traditional pearl inlays and has a 48mm nut width to facilitate fingerpick or slide styles. A custom cover plate with antique bronze finish matches the tailpiece and tuner hardware. Mirror image f holes adorn both sides of the fingerboard extension.
The R360K is equipped with D’Addario strings and includes a Washburn hardshell case. It retails for $1,069.90.
Washburn is pleased to announce the arrival of three new Idol models at this year’s NAMM in Anaheim, CA.
The flagship Idol, the USA Custom Shop WI68XVCG, makes its triumphant return in the stylish Cognac finish. It features a mahogany body with flame maple cap showcasing a reveal binding that lets the beauty of the flame show through. The mahogany neck sports a 22 fret rosewood fingerboard containing beautiful offset figured maple block inlays. Accented with classic gold hardware that includes Grover® 18:1 Rotomatic tuners, Tone Pros Tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece and gold knobs. Gold covered coil tapped Seymour Duncan SH1N neck and SH11 bridge pickups complete this tonally versatile package.
The WI68XVCG is equipped with D’Addario strings and comes with a Washburn GC5 hardshell case. It retails for $3,999.90.
Continuing with our vintage finish inspired guitars comes the WI60V Idol. It features a solid mahogany spruce veneer capped body and a mahogany set neck with recessed heel for upper fret access. The 22 fret rosewood fingerboard accentuates the pearloid block inlays and the matte black capped headstock features pearloid Washburn logo and stylized inlay. The vintaged hardware compliments the finish and features a tune-o-matic bridge with stop tailpiece and Grover® 18:1 tuners with ebonite buttons to tie in with the ebony control knobs. Dual humbuckers give the guitar a warm, creamy tone.
The WI60V comes equipped with D’Addario EX-120 strings and retails for $890.90.
Originally introduced 15 years ago, the WI64 was the very first Idol model. The 2014 model WI64TRK reproduces every detail of the original right down to the revolutionary VCC tone controls. VCC varies the humbucker pickups from full humbucking mode to coil tapped mode and every tonal color in between. Go from thick crunchy tones to near single coil pristine tones by just rotating the knob. The WI64 features a thin mahogany body with set mahogany neck. The 22 fret rosewood fingerboard has dot inlays and the headstock features a gloss black cap with pearl Washburn logo and stylized W inlay. Hardware includes smooth operating chrome Grover 18:1 tuners, tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece.
The WI64TRK comes in Trans Red, is equipped with D’Addario strings and includes a Washburn GB4 gigbag. It retails for $890.90
Washburn Guitars introduces the WCG66SCE acoustic/electric guitar. The newest addition to the Comfort Series is highlighted by deluxe features and stunning visual appeal.
The WCG66SCE is a Grand Auditorium style acoustic/electric guitar with a venetian cutaway for superior upper fret access. A highlight of the Comfort Series is the beveled strip of mahogany at the lower bout which becomes part of the mahogany top binding. The guitar features a book matched solid Cedar top, spalted maple back and sides, mahogany/maple bound body and headstock. The satin finished mahogany neck has an ebony fingerboard devoid of inlays and in tandem with the mahogany bound ebony bridge adds an aura of understated elegance. A maple/mahogany/maple strip splits the book matched spalted maple back as well. The spalted maple capped headstock features a pearl inlaid Washburn logo and stylized W as well as Grover 18:1 tuners with ebonite buttons. The gorgeous rosette is made of alternating maple and mahogany.
The WCG66SCE is a fantastic sounding acoustic guitar in its own right but the addition of premium Fishman electronics makes for an outstanding stage performance guitar. The Fishman Presys+ is an integrated tuner/preamp system for versatile amplified tonal shaping.
The WCG66SCE is strung with D’Addario strings and is an amazing acoustic/electric guitar as well as an outstanding value. Suggested Retail Price is $1,247.90.
Washburn is proud to introduce the new Willie Kahaiali’I, “Willie K”, Signature Jumbo Acoustic Guitar model WJ55SCENS. Willie is known throughout Hawaii as a legendary vocalist/instrumentalist who excels at a plethora of instruments and styles from traditional Hawaiian music through Blues and Rock to Opera!
With a slightly wider than standard nut of 44mm, the WJ55SCENS is a 25.5” scale Jumbo Acoustic Guitar with a cutaway and Fishman Electronics. It features a solid spruce top with quarter sawn scalloped Sitka spruce bracing for strength without weight, Koa back and sides and maple neck. The beautiful abalone binding ties in nicely with the abalone rosette as does the rosewood fingerboard with the rosewood bridge. A satin finish brings out the beauty of the wood and adds to a smooth playing feel. A rosewood capped headstock showcases a pearl Washburn logo and stylized W inlay and features gold tuners with black ebonite buttons. Included is the Fishman Presys+ Tuner/Preamp system for superior live sound.
Says Uncle Willie, “This guitar was built for men with big hands and big fingers and you know what they say about men with big hands, they play better!”
Washburn is pleased to be associated with a musician of such high a caliber as Willie K who also chooses the Washburn HB36 for his electric performances.
The WJ55SCENS, with its player friendly wider nut, is the ideal performance acoustic guitar. The WJ55SCENS retails for $1,158.90
Long a staple in Jazz, Blues, and Rock circles, and loved for its fat, meaty tones, the hollowbody has been ubiquitous in 20th and 21st century music. Washburn has contributed to much of that music and is proud to introduce the HB45WH double cutaway hollowbody guitar which is based on our best-selling HB35 model.
The HB45WH features a double cutaway maple body and includes a solid maple block in the center, increasing sustain and reducing susceptibility to feedback in high volume situations. Additionally, we’ve removed the F holes traditionally found on guitars of this style to further reduce susceptibility to feedback and contributing to an overall cleaner look. It features a maple neck capped with a 22 fret rosewood fingerboard with split block inlays. The gold hardware includes a tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece with Grover® 18:1 Rotomatic tuners for exceptionally smooth tuning and stability. Humbuckers in the neck and bridge are selected by a three-way switch and provides players with a wide range of tones.
The HB45WH comes in Gloss White and is equipped with D’Addario™ strings and a Washburn hardshell case and retails for $1,247.90.
For more information:
Washburn
Last year, Taylor Guitars capped its 50th Anniversary by introducing a new guitar collection celebrating the contributions of co-founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug to the guitar world. The Legacy Collection revives five of Bob Taylor’s classic acoustic models, curated by the legendary luthier and innovator himself. “To imagine that we’re doing guitars that harken to our past, our present and our future all at the same time,” Bob says, “I really like that.”
In developing the collection, Bob preserved the essence of his originals while integrating performance and playability upgrades introduced during his tenure as designer-in-chief. “It’s an up-to-date version of what those guitars would be,” Bob explains, “but with the same sound.”
Visually, these guitars feel classic—clean, understated and unmistakably Taylor. While Bob’s original aesthetic preferences are showcased in his Legacy models, the nod to the past runs deeper than trade dress.
From his earliest builds, Bob favored slim-profile necks because he found them easier to play. That preference set a design precedent that established Taylor’s reputation for smooth-playing, comfortable necks. Legacy models feature slim mahogany necks built with Taylor's patented New Technology (NT) design. “My first neck was a bolted-on neck but not an NT neck,” Bob says. “These are NT necks because it’s a better neck.” Introduced in 1999, the NT neck allowed for unprecedented micro-adjustability while offering a consistent, hand-friendly Taylor playing experience.
What makes this collection unique within the Taylor line is Bob’s use of his X-bracing architecture, favoring his time-tested internal voicing framework over more recent Taylor bracing innovations to evoke a distinctive tone profile. Since Andy Powers—Taylor’s current Chief Guitar Designer, President and CEO—debuted his patented V-Class bracing in 2018, V-Class has become a staple in Taylor’s premium-performance guitars. Still, Bob’s X-bracing pattern produces a richly textured sound with pleasing volume, balance and clarity that long defined the Taylor voice. All Legacy models feature LR Baggs VTC Element electronics, which Bob says “harkens back to those days.”
The team at Taylor thought the best way to demonstrate the sound of the Legacy guitars was to ask Andy Powers, Bob’s successor, to play them. A world-class luthier and musician, Andy has spent the past 14 years leading Taylor’s guitar innovation. In addition to V-Class bracing, his contributions include the Grand Pacific body style, the ultra-refined Builder’s Edition Collection, and most recently, the stunning Gold Label Collection.
Below you’ll find a series of videos that feature Powers playing each Legacy model along with information about the guitars.
Legacy 800 Series Models
First launched in 1975, the 800 Series was Taylor’s first official guitar series. Today, it remains home to some of the brand’s most acclaimed instruments, including the flagship 814ce, Builder’s Edition 814ce and new Gold Label 814e.
The Legacy 800 Series features the 810e Dreadnought and two Jumbos: the 6-string 815e and 12-string 855e. Each model serves up a refined version of the Dreadnought and Jumbo body shapes Bob inherited from Sam Radding—the original owner of the American Dream music shop where Bob and Kurt first met. “I was making my guitars in the molds that Sam had made at American Dream,” Bob recalls. “There was a Jumbo and a Dreadnought. That’s all we had.”
All three Legacy 800 Series guitars feature one of Bob’s favorite tonewood combos. Solid Indian rosewood back and sides are paired with a Sitka spruce top, yielding warm lows, clear trebles and a scooped midrange.
Aesthetic appointments include a three-ring abalone rosette, mother-of-pearl Large Diamond inlays, white binding around the body and fretboard, and Bob’s “straight-ear” peghead design. Both Jumbo models also showcase a mustache-style ebony bridge—a nod to Bob’s early Jumbo builds.
Legacy 810e
The 810 Dreadnought holds a special place in Bob Taylor’s heart. “My first 810, the one I made for myself, was a thrilling guitar for me to make,” he says. “It’s the one and only guitar I played. It didn’t matter how many guitars we made at Taylor, that’s the one I took out and played.” The Legacy 810e brings back that bold, room-filling Dreadnought voice along with the easy playability expected from a Taylor.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 810e | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 855e
Taylor’s first 12-strings found an audience in 1970s Los Angeles. “I was making guitars that would find their way to McCabe’s in Santa Monica and Westwood Music,” Bob says, “and these guitars were easy to play. Twelve-strings were a popular sound in that music. It was a modern country/folk/rock music genre that was accepting our guitars because they were easy to play. They also liked the sound of them because our guitars were easier to record.” The Legacy 855e, with its resonant Jumbo body, slim neck and gorgeous octave sparkle, carries that tradition forward.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 855e | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 815e
The Legacy 815e revives Taylor’s original Jumbo 6-string, delivering a big, lush sound with beautifully blooming overtones.
Legacy Grand Auditoriums
In the early 1990s, Bob Taylor heard a consistent refrain from dealers: “Not everybody wants a dreadnought guitar anymore.” Players were asking for something with comparable volume but different proportions—something more comfortable, yet still powerful. This feedback inspired Bob to design a new body style with more elegant curves, more accommodating proportions and a balanced tonal response. The result was the Grand Auditorium, which Taylor introduced in 1994 to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Thanks to its musical versatility and easy playability, Bob’s Grand Auditorium attracted a wide variety of players. “We came into our own with our Grand Auditorium,” he says. “People were describing it as ‘all around.’ It’s a good strummer and good for fingerstyle, but it’s not totally geared toward strumming or totally geared toward fingerstyle.” Also referred to as the “Swiss-Army Knife” of guitars or the “Goldilocks” guitar, the GA quickly became a favorite among guitarists across playing styles, musical genres and different playing applications including recording and live performance. “That guitar made studio work successful,” Bob says. It gained a wider fanbase with the debut of the “ce” version, which introduced a Venetian cutaway and onboard electronics. “That became one of our hallmarks,” says Bob. “If you want to plug in your guitar, buy a Taylor.”
Today, the Grand Auditorium is Taylor’s best-selling body shape.
The Legacy Collection features two cedar-top Grand Auditoriums inspired by past favorites: the mahogany/cedar 514ce and rosewood/cedar 714ce. Both models incorporate Bob’s original X-bracing pattern for a tonal character reminiscent of their 1990s and 2000s counterparts. Shared aesthetic details include a green abalone three-ring rosette, ebony bridge pins with green abalone dots, a faux-tortoiseshell pickguard and Taylor gold tuning machines.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 815e | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 514ce
The Legacy 514ce features solid mahogany back and sides paired with a Western Red cedar top, yielding a punchy midrange and dry, woody sonic personality that pairs beautifully with cedar’s soft-touch sensitivity and warmth. It’s a standout choice for fingerstyle players and light strummers who crave nuance and depth. Distinct visual details include faux-tortoise body and fretboard binding, black-and-white top trim, and mother-of-pearl small diamond fretboard inlays.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 514ce | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 714ce
The Legacy 714ce also features a cedar top, this time matched with solid Indian rosewood back and sides. The result is a richly textured sound with deep lows, clear trebles and a warm, mellow response. Inspiring as it is, this specific wood pairing isn’t currently offered in any other standard Taylor model. Additional aesthetic details include green abalone dot fretboard inlays, black body and fretboard binding, and black-and-white “pinstripe” body purfling.
While the Legacy Collection spotlights Taylor’s past, newer models from the Gold Label, Builder’s Edition and Somos Collections show the company’s legacy is always evolving. Explore the Legacy Collection at taylorguitars.com or visit your local authorized Taylor dealer.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 714ce | Playthrough Demo
“Earthwood Bell Bronze strings are a giant leap forward in tone, playability, and durability. They’re great in any musical setting but really shine when played solo. There’s an orchestral quality to them.” -John Mayer
Product Features:
- Developed in collaboration with John Mayer
- Big, bold sound
- Inspired by alloys used for bells and cymbals
- Increased resonance with improved projection and sustain
- Patent-pending alloy unique to Ernie Ball stringsHow is Bell Bronze different?
- Richer and fuller sound than 80/20 and Phosphor Bronze without sounding dark
- Similar top end to 80/20 Bronze with richer low end than Phosphor Bronze
We caught up with guitarists Carlos O’Connell and Conor Curley from red-hot Dublin indie rock outfit Fontaines D.C. for a Rig Rundown in 2023, but we felt bad missing bassist Conor “Deego” Deegan III, so we’ve been waiting for the lads to make their way back.
This time, riding the success of their fourth LP, 2024’s Romance, we caught up with all three of them at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works ahead of their April 30 gig to see what they brought across the pond.
Brought to you by D’Addario
All’s Fairlane
Curley’s go-to is this Fairlane Zephyr, loaded with Monty’s P-90s and a Mastery bridge. It mostly stays in standard tuning and, like his other axes, has Ernie Ball Burly Slinky strings.
Blue Boy
Fender sent Curley this Jazzmaster a couple of years ago, and since then, he’s turned to it for heavier, more driven sounds. It’s tuned to E flat, but Curley also tunes it to a unique shoegaze-y tuning for their tune “Sundowner.”
You can also catch Curley playing a Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar.
Twin Win
Fender Twin Reverbs are where Conor Curley feels most comfortable, so they’re his go-to backline. The amps are EQ’d fairly flat to operate as pedal platforms.
Conor Curley’s Pedalboard
Curley’s pedalboard for this tour includes a TC Electronic PolyTune3 Noir, Strymon Timeline, Boss RV-6, Boss PN-2, Boss BF-3, Keeley Loomer, Death by Audio Echo Dream, Fairfield Circuitry Hors d'Ouevre?, Strymon Sunset, Strymon Deco, DigiTech Hardwire RV-7, Electro-Harmonix Nano POG, and Lehle Little Dual.
Fake Out
Connor Deegan didn’t own a bass when Fontaines D.C. began, and his first purchase was the black Fender Jazz bass (right)—or so he thought. He later discovered it was a total knock-off, with a China-made body, Mexico-made neck, and a serial number that belongs to a Jaguar. But he fell in love with it, and its sound—nasal on the high strings, with cheap high-output pickups—is all over the band’s first record, Dogrel. Deego plays with orange Dunlop .60 mm picks, and uses Rotosound Swing Bass 66 strings.
Deegan picked up the Squier Bass VI (left) for its “surfy vibes,” and upgraded the pickups and bridge.
Also in his arsenal is this 1972 Fender P-bass (middle). (He’s a bit nervous to check the serial number.)
V-4 You Go
Deego plays through an Ampeg V-4B head into a Fender 6x10 cabinet.
Conor Deegan’s Pedalboard
Deegan’s board includes a Boss TU-3, Electro-Harmonix Hum Debugger, Boss TR-2, modded Ibanez Analog Delay, Death by Audio Reverberation Machine, Boss CE-2w, Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI, Darkglass Electronics Alpha Omega Ultra, and Dunlop Volume (X) Mini pedal. A GigRig QuarterMaster helps him switch sounds.
Mustang Muscle
Carlos O’Connell favors this 1964 Fender Mustang, which has been upgraded with a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickup since Romance. It’s set up so that the single-coil pickup is always on, and he’ll add in the Hot Rails signal for particular moments.
Ghost of Gallagher
Mustang MuscleAfter getting to play a number of Rory Gallagher’s guitars thanks to a private invitation from the guitarist’s estate, O’Connell picked up this Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher Signature Stratocaster. The jangly, direct tone of this one is all over tunes like “Boys in the Better Land.”
More Fender Friends
O’Connell runs his guitars, including a vintage Martin acoustic which he picked up in Nashville, through a Fender Twin Reverb and Deluxe Reverb.
Carlos O’Connell’s Pedalboard
The gem of O’Connell’s board is this Soundgas 636p, an imitation of the infamous Grampian 636 mic preamp’s breakup. Alongside it are a TC Electronic PolyTune, Ceriatone Centura, Strymon Volante, Eventide H9, Orchid Electronics Audio 1:1 Isolator, Vein-Tap Murder One, MXR Micro Amp, Moog MF Flange, MXR Smart Gate, and Freqscene Koldwave Analog Chorus. A Radial BigShot ABY navigates between the Twin and Deluxe Reverb.
Milkman’s Jerry Garcia-style JG-40 combo.
Entire books about the Grateful Dead’s gear have been written, so we can’t cover it all here. Garcia tinkered with all facets of his sound from about 1971 until 1978, when his signal path reached stability. By then, his On-Board Effects Loop—an innovation he developed to control how much signal reached his effects—was dialed in, his backline firm, and his choice of effects pedals solidified. Even then, adjustments were made, especially when MIDI arrived or when technology like in-ear monitoring was used. Here are some basics.
Scarlet Fire’s recreation of Garcia’s Wolf, originally built by Doug Irwin.
It starts with guitars. For players wanting to get their Jerry on, there’s a wide range of Garcia-esque instruments—with just as wide a range of prices—out there. Recreations of the Doug Irwin guitars and the Fender Alligator Strat abound. China-built models from companies likePhred Instruments can go for as little as $700 or so. Luthier Thomas Lieber apprenticed with Irwin long ago, and his Lieber Guitars will deliver a copy of a variety of Garcia models. Leo Elliott’sScarlet Fire Guitars out of Dallas, Texas, takes things in another direction. Elliott builds Doug Irwin replicas that start at $20,000 and go up from there, with a current wait time of about 18 months for an instrument. He’s outfitted many of the top Garcia guitarists today, including Tom Hamilton Jr. and Jeff Mattson. Elliott says, “I’m a self-taught luthier; I didn’t really build my first guitar until 2010. I understood a little bit about woodworking before I got started, but I learned by reading books and through trial and error. I started building replicas of Doug Irwin’s Wolf guitar right away, which is sort of like building a car and starting with a Ferrari. I didn’t know any better. Then, eventually I got to know Doug Irwin and collaborated with him. So, I got to hold Garcia’s Tiger guitar and get to know it really well, and by 2015, I had built replicas of that guitar. There’s one guy who helps me around the shop, but otherwise, I am building these guitars on my own. I’m collaborating with Doug Irwin on a new series of Tiger guitars, which will retail for 50 grand each.” That’s one way to get your Jerry going.
The JBL-inspired Milkman K-120.
Garcia’s choice of amplifiers is another matter. He preferred Fender Twin Reverbs loaded with JBL Alnico speakers, which were popular amongst many rock bands in the 1970s. The details get complicated; Garcia’s amps were heavily modified, and the Fender Twin served as a preamp that ran to a McIntosh MC-3500 power amp.
It’s hard to find vintage JBL speakers today—at least ones in good shape. San Francisco’s Milkman Sound, founded by Tim Marcus, has created a faithful reproduction of those classic JBLsthey call the K-120. They’re coupling those speakers with a Garcia-style recreation of his Fender Twin that Marcus named the JG-40. “I think 75 percent of Jerry’s tone is in the JBL speakers,” Milkman’s founder says. “But when you start to analyze the other 25 percent, you kind of have to start withDon Rich. [Editor’s Note: Rich was the guitar player in Buck Owens’ band, pioneers of the Bakersfield Sound.] That’s Jerry’s tone, too, but the difference is Garcia’s midrange was a bit throatier. It sounds clean, but really, it’s not clean at the same time. Especially his tone in the late ’70s. There is something about running that Fender Twin Reverb through the McIntosh that would just completely blow out the tone in a really interesting way.”
Garcia colored his tone with off-the-shelf effects. This was, after all, long before the days of boutique pedals. By 1978 and beyond, you’d hear him playing through an MXR Distortion+, an MXR Analog Delay, and an MXR Phase 100. He often used auto wahs, preferring the Musitronics Mu-Tron envelope filter as well as a Mu-Tron Octave Divider and a Mu-Tron combination volume and wah pedal.
When I asked Jeff Mattson, Bella Rayne, and Tom Hamilton Jr. exactly how orthodox they are about using the kind of gear that Garcia did, I got three different answers.
Mattson tells me that because Dark Star Orchestra is doing something very specific, he really has to tailor his sound as carefully to Garcia’s as he can. “Some folks get too hung up on small things, like what kind of cable to use and things like that, and I don’t go that far. But it’s important for Dark Star Orchestra to get Jerry’s sound right because we are covering different eras and different shows. In 2022, for example, we went to Europe and recreated shows from the Dead’s famous Europe ’72 tour, so you have to pay close attention to what kind of gear they were using to do that right.”
Hamilton works differently. He’s always preferred a higher-gain signal than Garcia ever did, landing in more of a British or heavy metal tone. (Randy Rhoads was a big influence.) “I’ve always approached it like, ‘What’s the new information we can put into this thing?’” he says. “Not just recreate but pushing in a forward direction. And anytime I’ve played with the guys who played with Garcia back in the day, they always said to me, ‘You’re here because you’re here. Don’t try and do what we did back in 1978 or do it because Garcia did it that way.’ They’ve always encouraged me to be myself.”
Bella Rayne is just wrapping her head around what it really means to try to sound like Garcia. “Besides Jerry, I’m influenced by guitarists like Dickey Betts and Derek Trucks, so my tone tends to be a bit heavier and bluesy,” she explains. “I’m generally running a Stratocaster through a Fender Twin Reverb. But recently, I was doing a show, and a buddy of mine set up a Jerry rig for me, and that was so cool: JBL speakers, McIntosh head, the whole setup. I had never played through one. I didn’t know what the hype was all about. I plugged in, and it was just amazing; there was such a snap, and I was really commanding the band. I can see myself keeping my current rig but adding a Dead-rig to experiment. But honestly, anything is fine; I am not picky. I just want to play the best that I can.”
