Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Pirate's Ball, 1973

  1. #1
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Ever heard of José Carioca?
    Posts
    4,651

    Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Pirate's Ball, 1973

    This is an interesting footage, Jerry playing at a Hell's Angels' wedding party, aboart the S.S. Bay Belle just outside NY harbor, this gig is allegedly his first public performance with his Doug Irwin "Wolf".


  2. #2
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    New York Finger Lakes Area
    Posts
    8,462

    Re: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Pirate's Ball, 1973

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post
    This is an interesting footage, Jerry playing at a Hell's Angels' wedding party, aboart the S.S. Bay Belle just outside NY harbor, this gig is allegedly his first public performance with his Doug Irwin "Wolf".

    Kreutzmann on the kit too. That was cool, Thanks!
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  3. #3
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Northern Virginia, USA
    Posts
    3,928

    Re: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Pirate's Ball, 1973

    I don't think that's the Wolf. The pickups are wrong. Here' a photo of the guitar.

    Striving to be ordinary

    Proud to be a TFF Dumbass!

  4. #4
    Forum Member vinyl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Posts
    212

    Re: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Pirate's Ball, 1973

    Thanks for the link, Sergio.

    Have to agree with OS, maybe a precursor to Wolf, or an iteration of a Travis Bean guitar.

    Cheers,

  5. #5
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Ever heard of José Carioca?
    Posts
    4,651

    Re: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Pirate's Ball, 1973

    One of the unique features in this guitar is that it has a detachable plate on which the pickups are mounted, so you can switch the entire set, just like you do with a strat pickguard. At first it had a set of Fender single coils, with a spare plate loaded with himbuckers.

    Jerry tried lots of different pickup combinations on this one.

  6. #6
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    New York Finger Lakes Area
    Posts
    8,462

    Re: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Pirate's Ball, 1973

    If you email Steve Parish he can tell you for sure which guitar it is.
    Last edited by Offshore Angler; 12-08-2020 at 10:29 AM.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  7. #7
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Ever heard of José Carioca?
    Posts
    4,651

    Re: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Pirate's Ball, 1973

    I'm pretty sure it's Wolf, all right. This guitar went through a handful minor mods throughout Garcia's career. The logo was originally a Peacock, the pickup tray was altered many times for different pickups, and later Jerry put on the bad wolf sticker.

  8. #8
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    New York Finger Lakes Area
    Posts
    8,462

    Re: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Pirate's Ball, 1973

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post
    I'm pretty sure it's Wolf, all right. This guitar went through a handful minor mods throughout Garcia's career. The logo was originally a Peacock, the pickup tray was altered many times for different pickups, and later Jerry put on the bad wolf sticker.
    I'll reach out to Steve and see which guitar that is.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  9. #9
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Ever heard of José Carioca?
    Posts
    4,651

    Re: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Pirate's Ball, 1973

    Quote Originally Posted by Offshore Angler View Post
    I'll reach out to Steve and see which guitar that is.

    That will be very cool and interesting! Let us know what he replied!

  10. #10
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    New York Finger Lakes Area
    Posts
    8,462

    Re: Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Pirate's Ball, 1973

    Well, Sergio gets the Eagle Eye award.

    Not only is that Wolf, it was the first time Jerry performed with it. It looks different because as mentioned, it went through a lot of changes over it's career. The logo was changed too which throws some people off on very early pictures of it.

    Well done Sergio!
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •