This was posted on the rukind site as part of a discussion about the Grateful Dead archives at U.C. Santa Cruz. It's a list of each player's equipment, dated 1973. Notice Garcia's equipment includes "Alembic custom". Given the year, I would assume the reference was most likely to Wolf.
Bill, tgo
IMG_2517.png
Seems like I remember reading somewhere in here that he had #72-13 as well, at least for a time. As you say, given the 1973 date, 25/Wolf-to-be should have been done. (?)
That's a cool archive.
It might also be referencing this one...although this one is known as the Doug Irwin "Eagle"
https://www.irwin-guitars.com/the-guitars/jerry-garcias-guitars/eagle/
Quote from: edwardofhuncote on July 27, 2026, 11:00:15 AMSeems like I remember reading somewhere in here that he had #72-13 as well, at least for a time. As you say, given the 1973 date, 25/Wolf-to-be should have been done. (?)
That's a cool archive.
I seem to recall reading here some time back they made 6 for him.
Peter
Quote from: rv_bass on July 27, 2026, 05:56:36 PMIt might also be referencing this one...although this one is known as the Doug Irwin "Eagle"
https://www.irwin-guitars.com/the-guitars/jerry-garcias-guitars/eagle/
I'd never seen a pic of Eagle before; thanks!
Peter
And does anyone know whether Wolf is 72-25 or 73-25?
Peter
Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on July 28, 2026, 07:56:35 AMAnd does anyone know whether Wolf is 72-25 or 73-25?
Peter
Looking at Gregory.... ;)
72-17, the 32" scale Bass VI-style one with the adjustable mute made for Jack Cassidy, is the last definitive 1972 I have in the list I've been putting together. McVie's Short Scale 73-27 is the earliest 1973 I've recorded.
I guess it could go either way.
I wonder whether #25 even has the serial number left on the headstock after Irwin changed things up.
Quote from: pauldo on July 28, 2026, 05:15:06 PMQuote from: cozmik_cowboy on July 28, 2026, 07:56:35 AMAnd does anyone know whether Wolf is 72-25 or 73-25?
Peter
Looking at Gregory.... ;)
I'd actually like to know too. Also never seen a #24 or #26 surface to know their year.
Just knowing what I do about instrument building and small shops in general, I'm guessing things didn't necessarily always get completed in the order in which they got started.
For example, extreme case but Phil's bass #00008 is stamped 1974 production. Took a couple years to finish that crazy thing. It evidently wasn't ready yet when this archive note was prepared as the 'Alembic Custom Quadraphonic Guild-bodied bass' is listed. (now that's mouthful...)
One of my former coworkers forwarded me this video the other day and I just got around to watching this morning. It's evidently part of a series mostly about Jerry's Irwin guitars. There's mention of Doug's employment and association with Alembic here too.
https://youtu.be/4tvUPfQlF-I?is=zwIavVTamuvmPY0u
I don't know enough to say what is or isn't so, no idea where this person gets their information from, but at risk of overstating the obvious, Eagle looks a lot more like an Alembic than Wolf does to me. I could also believe it began as #25, especially given that it bears that number in part. Why else would it? Seems like a weird number to pick for your first guitar.
*This is purely my observation; the birdseye maple in Eagle is very close to #31, and #32.
Interesting video.
Eagle definitely looks like a bog-standard Alembic with a small-sized body of that era (it even has the logo), but I wouldn't be shocked if Wolf started out as an Alembic, too. It's always looked to me like Irwin took a long scale Alembic guitar from '72 (something like the Neil Young guitar), and traced a strat outline over the lower half to cut down on the weight.
The story Irwin told about roadies swapping the serial numbers on the two guitars always seemed suspect to me.
.
I noticed the video contains none of the earlier images of Wolf sporting an Alembic logo. In all the discussion of Wolf's origins over the years, I've never heard a reasonable explanation of why Irwin would have put an Alembic logo on the guitar if it was all his.
Bill, tgo
If nothing else, it was a decent montage of pictures. There are two (maybe three?) more videos about Tiger and Rosebud, and mentions of Tiger Jr and one of Lightning Bolt that was not an Irwin build.
I just don't know these things, so... as I said, take the narrative with grain of salt. I'd trust the word of this board quicker. So much on YT is BS. And particularly with the Dead, it's hard to tell truth from lore. Whoever Zoowicky is, they seem to have spent some time putting this together.
Quote from: edwardofhuncote on Today at 10:04:05 AMIf nothing else, it was a decent montage of pictures. There are two (maybe three?) more videos about Tiger and Rosebud, and mentions of Tiger Jr and one of Lightning Bolt that was not an Irwin build.
I just don't know these things, so... as I said, take the narrative with grain of salt. I'd trust the word of this board quicker. So much on YT is BS. And particularly with the Dead, it's hard to tell truth from lore. Whoever Zoowicky is, they seem to have spent some time putting this together.
I fairly convinced that Irwin started (and maybe finished) both Eagle and Wolf as Alembics. It's like the Joker guitar - I suspect that a bunch of things made as Alembics walked out the back door and got rebranded.