Today, the Grateful Guitars Foundation (GGF) announces that they will present Oteil Burbridge with a Doug-Irwin Certified “Dire Wolf” bass by luthier Bill Asher at the AEG + 97.3 KBCO Present Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration with the Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 6. In addition to Burbridge, the event will feature appearances from Melvin Seals, Jacklyn LaBranch, Tom Hamilton, Duane Trucks and Lady Chi. GGF will also present a $5,000 financial gift to Can’dAid at Red Rocks in honor of the gift — specifically earmarked for their arts & music education program.

Find more information and buy tickets for the event here: https://www.axs.com/events/904269/jerry-garcia-symphonic-celebration-ti…;

The bass will be based off of the legendary Doug Irwin “Wolf” guitars, and it will mark the first-ever bass in the Wolf style. Originally built in 1973, the Wolf guitar was revolutionary in its design, incorporating features that were highly innovative at the time. It became a key part of Garcia’s sound during the Grateful Dead’s heyday in the 1970s, and it was frequently used during some of the band’s most important performances.

“As a Grateful Dead fan, I fell in love with Doug Irwin’s Wolf watching Jerry Garcia play it in The Grateful Dead Movie as a teen and was blown away when I got to see Jerry playing it live many times in 1989,” shares GGF Founder Andy Logan. “The wonderful rich tones and sustain come from the innovative ‘hippie sandwich’ and through-neck design, and we are so thrilled that master luthier Bill Asher has created a custom six string bass version called Dire Wolf for our hero Oteil Burbridge. All of us at Grateful Guitars cannot wait for all the fans to be moved by similar sweet tones with the additional thundering bottom end from the new Dire Wolf bass in Oteil’s skilled hands.” 

Oteil Burbridge is a two-time GRAMMY-winning bassist, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. First gaining national recognition in 1991 as a founding member of the cult classic band Aquarium Rescue Unit, led by Col. Bruce Hampton, he then joined the Allman Brothers Band in 1997 before their retirement in 2014. Since 2017, he has played with Dead & Company. 

Earlier this year, GGF lent Burbridge a replica of Phil Lesh’s Mission Control #2 Bass to play at the Sphere with Dead & Co. The signed bass is the marquee item in the Annual Grateful Guitars Foundation Benefit Auction, which will run through the Dark Star Orchestra Grateful Guitars Foundation Benefit at Pier 17 NYC on August 15. Interested bidders can find the auction here.

About Grateful Guitars Foundation
Grateful Guitars Foundation is a 501-c3 nonprofit that obtains world-class musical instruments for talented players who seek to carry on the tradition of jam band music into the 21st century and beyond. We identify musicians who thrive in live settings and we secure the gear they need to reach their fullest musical potential. Through the powerful connection between the skilled player and the highest quality instrument, our aim is to ensure that jam band music thrives for generations of live music fans. Additionally, Grateful Guitars Foundation board members share actual and replica Grateful Dead instruments and gear from their personal collections with players in the community. We are also rolling out a program seeking to support music instruction in schools to seed the next generations of talented players in the Bay Area and beyond.