Fender to reproduce Jerry Garcia’s ‘Alligator’ Stratocaster guitar
A while back, we compiled a list of some of the most iconic guitars ever used by Grateful Dead leading man Jerry Garcia. Although collectors would likely scramble for reproductions of Garcia’s custom instruments like ‘Wolf’ or ‘Rosebud’, there’s one guitar that true Heads would want. That is Garcia’s heavily modified natural wood finish 1955 (or 1957, depending on sources) Fender Stratocaster, better known as ‘Alligator’ thanks to its prominent animal sticker.
Garcia used a smattering of guitars throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, including Guilds, Gibsons, and Martin acoustics. Still, when Graham Nash gifted Garcia the Strat as a thank you for playing on Songs for Beginners, Garcia finally had his first true love when it came to guitars. Garcia continued using the guitar as his primary axe until 1973, when ‘Wolf’ became his new number one.
Still, ‘Aligator’ has a formidable reputation among Deadheads: if your favourite songs from the Dead include ‘Ramble On Rose’, ‘Tennessee Jed’, ‘Mr. Charlie’, or ‘Jack Straw’, you likely first heard them played through the unique tones of ‘Alligator’. The axe wasn’t just any old Stratocaster either: the guitar saw extensive modifications through the luthiers and electronics team that became better known as Alembic Inc.
To celebrate Garcia’s 80th birthday, Fender’s custom shop has announced a limited reproduction run of the ‘Alligator’ guitar based on the original design as Garcia last used it. Helmed by master builder Austin MacNutt, the ‘Alligator’ reproduction will be limited to just 100 models built to order.
“To honour Garcia’s lifelong devotion to pushing the limits of creativity and this legendary instrument, Fender Custom Shop has recreated the Alligator Strat with staggering accuracy,” Garcia’s website boasts. “Starting with the headstock, the attention to detail is immediately noticeable. This Fender Custom Shop™ Stratocaster comes with Schaller M6 tuning heads and a disc string tree, some of the Alligator’s first modifications. The one-piece rift-sawn maple neck was fabricated from a digital scan of the original guitar’s neck. Per Garcia’s preference, the neck is a 7.25” radius and outfitted with medium vintage frets”.
Everything in the reproduction is meant to simulate the original guitar’s state back when Garcia played it for the final time. That was at the Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey, on August 1st, 1973. After the final encore of ‘One More Saturday Night’, Garcia retired ‘Alligator’ from public performances for good. Now, almost exactly 49 years later, ‘Alligator’ is roaring to life again.
“The body of this guitar is where Garcia’s influence shines through the most,” Garcia’s website continues. “All three iconic stickers, the ‘police helper’ and Harley-Davidson logo on the upper horn and the infamous grinning Alligator in between the neck and middle pickup, have been faithfully recreated”.
Adding: “The infamous brass control plate can be found housing the volume pots and 5-way toggle switch. The bridge is also made from custom brass and is reinforced with a rosewood base plate. As far as pickups are concerned, the Alligator Strat comes equipped with custom wound ’55 style single-coils, providing classic Stratocaster bell-like tones with singing mid-range and cutting highs”.
“This guitar is a piece of American history,” said MacNutt. “There is so much history behind each alteration and modification made to the guitar; to have the opportunity to have the original for a day, take it apart, look inside and replicate it has been an honour”.
Check out the introduction of the reproduction, complete with commentary from Garcia’s guitar tech Steve Parrish, down below.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.