the TIGER BADGE

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the TIGER BADGE is modeled off of the inlay design from Jerry's main guitar, TIGER, which he played from 1979 to 1989. It was designed and built by Sonoma County luthier, Doug Irwin. The instrument was commissioned by Garcia in 1973 following delivery of Wolf, his first major Irwin-built guitar. Upon commissioning the instrument, Garcia enjoined Irwin to "make it the way he thought was best, and DON'T HOLD BACK."

Throughout the design and construction process, it was provisionally designated "the Garcia". The final name came from the tiger inlaid on the preamp cover. The body features several layers of wood laminated together face-to-face in a configuration referred to as a "hippie sandwich" by employees of Alembic, where Irwin worked for a brief period in the early 1970s. The combination of several heavy varieties of wood, plus solid brass binding and hardware resulted in an unusually heavy instrument, weighing 13+1/2 pounds (6.1 kg). After Garcia began using a new Irwin guitar (known as Rosebud) in December 1989, Tiger became his backup guitar.

During the Grateful Dead's final concert on July 9, 1995, a mechanical problem arose with Rosebud. Tiger was brought out and thus became the last guitar Garcia played in public.

• Available in CHROME & MATTE BLACK
  
• 2.25” X 3.3”
  
• Durable, weatherproof, chrome-plated ABS plastic
• Ships directly from USA