Jerry Garcia's Travis Bean TB500 electric guitar, serial number 12. The guitar, designed and built by Travis Bean Inc., was played by Garcia on stage and in recording sessions. Featuring an aluminum neck - a design pioneered by Travis Bean, three single coil pick up configuration and Garcia's Onboard Effects Loop. This guitar was the first to employ the Onboard Effects Loop, which was then incorporated into all of Garcia's electric guitars.
The guitar was debuted at the Grateful Dead concert on December 31, 1976 at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California. It is accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Steve Parish, Garcia's guitar tech and the Grateful Dead's Equipment Manager from 1969 to 1995, who states that this guitar was the third most played by Garcia - behind “Tiger” and “Wolf." It was Garcia's primary guitar beginning in 1976 through much of 1977 and a smattering of times beyond. A sticker affixed to the body of the guitar reads "Ass, Grass or Gas/ Nobody Rides for free" which was placed over an earlier sticker that read "The Enemy is Listening." Garcia was photographed playing with both stickers on the guitar. A link to online images of Garcia with the guitar and the "Ass Grass or Gas" sticker is available upon request.
Garcia played this TB500 at approximately 69 concerts in the late 1977 alone, including: The Grateful Dead's three night stint at the Winterland Ballroom in 1977, approximately 35 Grateful Dead concerts, a benefit for Greenpeace, and as he toured around the country with the Jerry Garcia Band. During this time the Dead also recorded the album Terrapin Station with Garcia playing this guitar. “Terrapin Station” and “Estimated Prophet” were both played in concert for the first time on this guitar. “Terrapin Transit” (often incorrectly called “Alahambra”) is said to have only been played live once by the Dead with Garcia playing this guitar.
