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pace
Advanced Member
Username: pace

Post Number: 238
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 8:37 pm:   Edit Post

Just thought I'd share this w/ you guys.....

Pretty interesting guitar!!!

http://www.steelguitarblackbox.com/page12/page17/page17.html
bigideas
Member
Username: bigideas

Post Number: 81
Registered: 1-2004
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 9:18 am:   Edit Post

I don't think that is an Irwin, that logo looks like Michael Dolans old logo. Mind you, I'd assume this gentleman knows what kind of guitar he has.
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 1380
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 9:42 am:   Edit Post

That's definitely a Dolan logo. I'm currently looking at one of his in a store in San Rafael that the owner thought was an Alembic. Just out of curiousity, other than Jerry's guitars, has anyone here actually seen another Irwin guitar? I haven't.

Bill, tgo
jalevinemd
Senior Member
Username: jalevinemd

Post Number: 454
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 10:23 am:   Edit Post

Bill,

I have often wondered the same thing. I have NEVER seen another Iriwn guitar (other than Jerry's) nor have I seen or heard of any other musician who has one. Would love to catch a glimpse of one if it exists...though I suspect there are no more.
staemius
Member
Username: staemius

Post Number: 62
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 10:35 am:   Edit Post

I've seen another Irwin electric on another board (but couldn't find the link). Also, interestingly, my bass player swears he witnessed Doug's wife give an Irwin acoustic (!) to his former guitarist (who is currently in jail).
dela217
Senior Member
Username: dela217

Post Number: 673
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 10:40 am:   Edit Post

There was one here in New Orleans a while back. So I know that they are out there. But that one probably floated away with the flood.
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 1381
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 11:00 am:   Edit Post

I emailed Brad Sarno with links to Michael Dolan's site and a picture of Dolan's logo. Brad just e-mailed me back that he's thought it was an Irwin for 25 years! He was very appreciative and said he'll be contacting Dolan about it. I wonder how many other "Irwin" guitar sightings are also innaccurate? Did this guy ever make another guitar? Heck, those of us around here know there's some question even about the origin of the Jerry guitars, especially the construction of Wolf and the design of Tiger and Rosebud. You'd think with the Garcia connection, an Irwin guitar would be of such value that one would turn up on the market every once in a while. I even seen a Cripe guitar on eBay, and Steve was involved in guitar building for many years less than Duog allegedly was.

Bill, tgo
pace
Advanced Member
Username: pace

Post Number: 239
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 2:01 pm:   Edit Post

oooppps :-)

A friend in Berkeley said he had the chance to buy an Irwin a while back...... but that's the only other account of "another" that I know of.

Im not familiar with Dolan~ thanks for clearing that all up Bill!!!!

-Mike
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 3367
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 4:13 pm:   Edit Post

People send me all sorts of pictures. Here's some of one Irwin guitar:

ir_1.jpg
It's pretty!


ir_2.jpg

ir_3.jpg

ir_4.jpg

ir_5.jpg
Without a peghead, I'd say it looks very nearly like a 1970's Alembic Small Standard body.


There are other pics somewhere, I'll post them when I run across them.

I've seen quite a few Irwin instruments, both basses and guitars. I'm pretty sure that Michael Dolan has repaired at least one Irwin bass recently.
bigredbass
Senior Member
Username: bigredbass

Post Number: 838
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 6:40 pm:   Edit Post

Is it just me, or do those frets look huge?

J o e y
dela217
Senior Member
Username: dela217

Post Number: 675
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 8:06 pm:   Edit Post

Thank you Mica, I just love seeing that sort of stuff.

Too bad that is just a lowly guitar. A body style like that should be a bass. Just kidding.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 3975
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 8:20 pm:   Edit Post

Joey, they look big to me too!
jalevinemd
Senior Member
Username: jalevinemd

Post Number: 456
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 8:56 pm:   Edit Post

My Big Bear has a bound fretboard and the frets look big. I think there's something about that white binding that gives the illusion of larger frets, though these look especially huge!
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 1385
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 11:55 pm:   Edit Post

Looks like sitar frets to me!

I got an email back from Brad Sarno. He spoke with Michael Dolan and we helped him clear up a ten year mystery. The website has already been changed to ID this as a Dolan.

This forum has such great Karma!

Bill, tgo
grateful
Intermediate Member
Username: grateful

Post Number: 141
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 3:48 am:   Edit Post

He get's a mention here for fitting a "Jerry Garcia Effects Loop" to Arthur Lee's Telecaster.

http://www.arthurleemusic.com/html/gear2.html

Mark
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 1391
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 8:08 am:   Edit Post

I don't get it. According to the site, the guitar is a 1955 Tele. The site goes on to describe the "Garcia" effects loop, stating that the effects loop was "built by Doug Irwin with wiring done by Bob Georges".

So if Bob Georges did the wiring for the effects loop, what was left to do, drill the hole and mount the second jack?

Bill, tgo
paulman
Junior
Username: paulman

Post Number: 33
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Saturday, June 17, 2006 - 9:53 am:   Edit Post

In Skeleton Key, a dictionary for Deadheads, there is an entry for "Play Like Jerry". Apparently this guy David Fontaine convinced Doug Irwin to build a second Tiger guitar. Just wanted to throw that in. These guitars are, like the Alembics, works of art.
zappahead
Intermediate Member
Username: zappahead

Post Number: 128
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Sunday, June 18, 2006 - 7:00 pm:   Edit Post

Irwin built a guitar for Bob Weir and a bass for Phil. Ive seen pics of both, the bass here and the guitar was actually on ebay a long time ago. The guitar was real nice but far more "usual" than the work he did for Jerry. It was a tame, nicely made quilted maple top guitar that almost looked like a Charvel or something like that. Phil's bass looks like a Tribute. Im sure Doug has built guitars here and there for people, the guy had to eat. You dont see them though so I wonder what happened to them?
dadabass2001
Senior Member
Username: dadabass2001

Post Number: 608
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Monday, June 19, 2006 - 5:28 am:   Edit Post

and Mica's photo contributions to this thread from 6-15 have disappeared ...

Don't we all love softwear with random bugs? (jk)
Mike
grateful
Intermediate Member
Username: grateful

Post Number: 142
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Monday, June 19, 2006 - 6:33 am:   Edit Post

This company claim to have worked with Doug Irwin on the tiger and Phil's tiger-style bass. He does a good looking replica of the tiger.

Mark
zappahead
Intermediate Member
Username: zappahead

Post Number: 129
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Monday, June 19, 2006 - 7:19 pm:   Edit Post

Does anyone have any pics of the headless guitar that Irwin made for Jerry? I recall seeing pics of hit before but I couldnt find any anywhere. I remember thinking that was a cool but bizarre guitar project. I also read somewhere that Jerry had a guitar called Wolf Jr that was stolen, not sure if thats true or not.
jalevinemd
Senior Member
Username: jalevinemd

Post Number: 458
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Monday, June 19, 2006 - 9:50 pm:   Edit Post

It was actually Stephen Cripe, not Doug Irwin, who made the headless guitar for Jerry.
paulman
Junior
Username: paulman

Post Number: 35
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 8:44 am:   Edit Post

Actually Doug did make the Headless guitar for Jerry. I have a Guitar Player from 95 with "Garcia's Guitars" that had some comments on it. Here's a pic to boot. "Headless"
jalevinemd
Senior Member
Username: jalevinemd

Post Number: 459
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 12:12 pm:   Edit Post

I see, said the blind man. So they both made a headless for Jerry.
zappahead
Intermediate Member
Username: zappahead

Post Number: 130
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 2:37 pm:   Edit Post

Ah, thanks for the pic. I knew I had seen that before, it must be on display with the other guitars the Dead swiped from Irwin after Jerry died. I think thats actually a cool looking guitar. Irwin does do some incredible work.
paulman
Junior
Username: paulman

Post Number: 37
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 9:03 am:   Edit Post

Steve made one too? I would LOVE to see a pic of that. A hunting I go.

And the blind man didn't see until he picked up his hammer and saw. Haha.
jalevinemd
Senior Member
Username: jalevinemd

Post Number: 461
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 11:45 am:   Edit Post

I thought that Resurrection Guitars had a photo of Stephen Cripe's headless guitar on their old website. Their new site is very stripped down, however. No classic photos to be found.
zappahead
Intermediate Member
Username: zappahead

Post Number: 131
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 6:41 pm:   Edit Post

Ive seen pics of Cripes, it was a lot different. It had tuners on the bottom of the guitar so it was not made the same way as Irwins. Its hard to tell from that pic but I think Irwin put a Steinberger tremolo on that guitar. Supposedly Jerry did not take to the one Irwin made for him, never heard either way if he had a headless one from Cripe.

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