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Riff Tone
Althea (Live)
Grateful Dead
Guitarrock1980s
Original Gear
GuitarDoug Irwin 'Tiger' (Jerry Garcia's custom guitar)
AmpFender Twin Reverb (late 1970s/early 1980s Silverface, likely modified with JBL speakers)
Amp Settings
gain3
bass5.5
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Notes
Live performance, 1980-1981 era. Gear confirmed for Nassau Coliseum 1980 and Rockpalast 1981 live versions. Tiger guitar with custom wiring and coil-split options. Amp is a clean Fender Twin Reverb, typical for Garcia's live rig in this period.
Tone Character(10)
bright and brittlethroaty-bordering-on-nasalclean and articulateglassy highstouch-sensitivedynamic responseparallel sixths shimmerslightly rolled-off tone knobno audible distortionidiosyncratic, signature Garcia clarity
Difficulty
The riff requires intermediate skill due to its syncopated phrasing, use of parallel intervals, and the need for dynamic, touch-sensitive playing to match Garcia's clean, articulate tone.
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock1980s
Original Gear
GuitarDoug Irwin 'Tiger' (Jerry Garcia's custom guitar)
AmpFender Twin Reverb (late 1970s/early 1980s Silverface, likely modified with JBL speakers)
Amp Settings
gain3
bass5.5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Live performance, 1980-1981 era. Gear confirmed for Nassau Coliseum 1980 and Rockpalast 1981 live versions. Tiger guitar with custom wiring and coil-split options. Amp is a clean Fender Twin Reverb, typical for Garcia's live rig in this period.
Tone Character(10)
bright and brittlethroaty-bordering-on-nasalclean and articulateglassy highstouch-sensitivedynamic responseparallel sixths shimmerslightly rolled-off tone knobno audible distortionidiosyncratic, signature Garcia clarity
Difficulty
The riff requires intermediate skill due to its syncopated phrasing, use of parallel intervals, and the need for dynamic, touch-sensitive playing to match Garcia's clean, articulate tone.