Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia used Dunlop Adamas 2.0mm Graphite Guitar Picks, as noted in the Reverb listing highlighting these rare items associated with him.

Jerry Garcia played a Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Deluxe in 1971, as documented by Dozin.

"Jerry sporting a Yamaha guitar, the only times he played it during these two shows at a hash bar in Amsterdam. (Omission) The first thing I noticed was that Jerry and Bob weren't playing their usual guitars. Since most of the band's equipment was on the way to the next scheduled show in Paris, they acquired a sunburst Yamaha SC 1000 for Jerry and a white Telecaster for Bob."

"Jerry Garcia is pictured using a Steinberger GL2 electric guitar in a photo available on Getty Images."

Sotheby's auction listing for Jerry Garcia's Farfisa Professional Piano. Road manager Big Steve Parrish said of the keyboard, “In November, 1971, Jerry and I did a tour called Hooteroll with Howard Wales. At that time, we rehearsed at our Grateful Dead studio on Anderson Street in San Rafael. We brought Howard’s B3 organ, his Lexington tack piano, and this Farfisa organ there. We only took the B3 on the road, and Howard gave the tack piano and the Farfisa to Jerry. He loved messing around on it at our studio, where we hung out every day.”

According to roadie Steve Parrish, Jerry Garcia played this Yamaha YC-45D organ on his first solo album, Garcia. The organ was up for auction by Sotheby's in 2021.

Garcia’s Bi-Phase, preserved by Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band roadie Steve Parish, was sold on October 14, 2021 as Lot #98 of Sotheby’s “From the Vault: Property from the Grateful Dead and Friends” auction. The listing quotes Parish saying that Garcia used the Bi-Phase for a couple of Jerry Garcia Band shows in the early 70s, while the listing itself claims that the Bi-Phase was used in the studio for drums.

Property of Steve Parish

Mu-Tron

Bi-Phase pedal, ca. 1970s

Effects board (4 x 13.75 x 10.25’’) with panels 2 phasor panels, 2 sweep generator panels, A and B inputs. [With]: Foot pedal (1.5 x 5 x 3.5’’) with 2 switches.

One of the rarest and most unique of 70’s effects pedals

“The Mu-Tron Bi-Phase consists of two independent 6-stage phasor circuits, two sweep generators (oscillators), and a number of unique additional controls to allow maximum flexibility in generating a variety of phasing effects. The Mu-Tron Bi-Phase also offers several convenience features including LED indicators on each phasor, mike stand socket on bottom of housing for above-the-floor mounting, and AC cord storage on back panel. The unit is furnished with a dual foot switch and has an optical photoelectric foot pedal and provision for synthesizer interface for external control of sweep. And, like all Mu-Tron products, the Mu-Tron Bi-Phase and its accessories are solidly constructed to withstand the most severe professional use” (from an original Bi-Phase advertisement, ca. 1970s).

Throughout the 1970s, Mu-Tron products were of the highest quality and innovative in their designs. Jerry had them in his racks and they became a part of his signature sound on songs such as “Fire on the Mountain” and “Estimated Profit.” The Bi-Phase was also of great use in the recording studio for a “Dub” effect on drums.

“Big” Steve Parish: “Jerry loved his Mu-Tron pedals. We bought this one together and he tried it in a couple of shows with the JGB in the early ‘70s. He eventually replaced it with the Mu-Tron Octave Divider.”

According to an auction listing, Jerry Garcia used a Yamaha G-5 practice amplifier, serial number 19252, throughout the 1970s both backstage and in the studio.

As detailed in an article by Ryan on The Tone Geek, published on June 7, 2023, Jerry Garcia experimented with an Alembic Strat-O-Blaster as a modification to his iconic 'alligator' guitar.

In the early 1970s, Garcia began using an Alembic Stratoblaster in his guitar. The Stratoblaster is a preamp that boosts the signal from the guitar, giving it more output and sustain. Garcia used the Stratoblaster to create a brighter, more aggressive sound, which he used to have a significant effect on songs like 'Fire on the Mountain' and 'Truckin'.

In this photo taken at the Festival Express Your, Jerry Garcia famously played George Harrison's Rosewood Telecaster briefly, which Harrison had gifted to Delaney Bramlett. Garcia used it at the Festival Express tour after Bramlett lent it to him.