Artifact of the Week: Roll Yer Own Garcia "Alligator" Strat!
This week at Dark Star Palace, we are going to use our Artifact of the Week to walk you through a little pet-project that we've been working on for the past many moons....building a replica of Jerry Garcia's Alligator guitar from scratch! We will show you a selection of photographs (nicely taken by our guitar techs!) of our guitar being built up... piece by piece... and match these with some vintage shots of Jerry in action with his 'ole Gator. We'll also give you Dark Star Palace's "How To Build Your Own Alligator in 10 Easy Steps" (a.k.a. Roll Yer Own)...so look out mama, don't fool your head, this alligator, will smoke you dead! For this week's Tape of the Week, we'll be linking to a stream of some prime Alligator mojo in action.... 4/17/72. This show is a dynamite set that was captured by Danish TV and available for those who are seekers. It is not officially out on DVD/Blu-Ray yet, but I believe that it is only a matter of time now. We'll also add some video clips from this show so you can see the Alligator in action! So onwards to some history on this swamp blues machine...
Jerry Garcia's guitar tone has always been one very slippery dragon...while always distinctly Jerry's (and gorgeous sounding) it just never seemed to stay the same over the years. Deadheads all have their own favorite eras of Grateful Dead music (Garage Rock (65-66), Primal (68-69), Folksy-Psychedelic (70), Rockin' (71), etc.) and a lot of that has to do with not just what / how the band played during those years, but what instruments they played WITH! While I personally love all eras of Grateful Dead music (up until around '91 or so...), there is a special place in my music-loving heart reserved for the Jazzy Era (72-73). And yes, the main axe for much of that time was Garcia's custom swamp-ash Stratocaster... Alligator. Jerry used this guitar as his main axe from 1971 - part of 1973.
Jerry first got Frankenstein ...er.... Alligator, as a gift from Graham Nash (of CSN fame) around late 1970. The way I have heard it is that the guitar arrived not as a stock Fender Strat, but as custom Strat with various components from different years. The body was from a 1957 Strat that was made from the swamp ash tree. The neck was from a (I believe) 1962 Stratocaster, and was cut from a maple tree. Over the next few months, Jerry got his ace Dead and Alembic crew to start to spice up the axe and tweak the hell out of it.
First up, off went the white Fender volume and tone knobs. Instead, he added the Alembic / Raytheon military-spec'd black top-hat knobs. Next up came a string of changes that radically altered the sound and look of the guitar: a brass nut, brass hardware to replace a broken pickguard, wood filling of the tremolo cavity, silver paint shielding for the electronics, a new tailpiece and bridge, brass string-tree, new super-tall frets, an Alembic preamp circuit, and Jerry being Jerry, stickers...lots of stickers!! You've got the Crumb-made "Keep on Truckin'" sticker. You've got a Harley-Davidson motorcycle sticker. You've got stickers on there that peeled off before a photograph could tell what they actually were! And most importantly, you have the sticker that gave the guitar it's name: the Alligator sticker where Gator has a knife and fork and is ready to dig in! A "Policeman's Helper" sticker was also added to the guitar, though since no known photo has surfaced of Jerry with the guitar having this sticker, it is believed that it was added after Jerry retired Alligator from active tour duty.
Lots of guitar techs got their paws dirty on this guitar for Jerry. It became the secret weapon where all the guitar wizards could try new things...and Jerry was very much up for this. Alembic was the driving force, so you have a Ron Wickersham-designed electronic preamp circuit installed that later became marketed as the Alembic Strat-o-blaster (sold in the 1970's and again very recently). Frank Fuller and Rick Turner put their mark on the custom brass bridge, tailpiece and wood fillings that filled the tremolo cavity. When I spoke with Rick about Alligator and his contributions he just laughed and is surprised anyone would care! His thinking was that Alligator was just a Frankenstein guitar made up of a variety of parts and was constantly changing and being updated while Jerry used it from '71-'73. When Dark Star Palace decided to have a replica built of Alligator, we opted to go for the final version as Jerry played it in 1973.
So, here you go...
Step 1. Visualize and Versionize! Figure out which version of Alligator you want to build! Because there were so many different versions (different bridges, tailpieces, stickers, etc.), you want to have your goal in mind from the beginning! A great resource on these variations is over at our good friend Waldo's site. Dig in!
Step 2. Play or Display? Once you know which version you want to build, you need to decide if you are going to be playing the hell out of this guitar, or if it just for show. I say this because I designed the Dark Star Palace Alligator as a players guitar! So that meant I made decisions along the way that were not the same decisions that Jerry and his guitar tech's made. I wanted this thing to play and sound like what I wanted.... For instance, I don't like super-high action like Jerry does. That meant no string-tree and no super-high frets. Etc....
Step 3. Pick a body. I decided to go with a Warmoth body, with a shimmed horn for easier playability. You will want a swamp ash body. Because I've seen a good quantity of Alligator replicas, one thing that always bugged me was the grain in the wood. Be detail-oriented and make sure the grain matches Jerry's original as best you can! Another thing to be aware of is the stain of the wood. I went with a vintage stain that matches the original as best as I could tell. A downside here is that Warmoth does not use nitro finishes... so you could find an alternate source that does.
Step 4. Pick a neck. Fender neck, baby! The DSP Alligator is equipped with a Fender custom-shop, Amercian grown/cut/made, 1950's reissue, maple neck. And man oh man does it fit my hand!! I opted for the nitro on this one, so I hunted down the neck and opted to pay more than I had originally planned. Granted, you can go with a generic neck, a Mexican/Korean/Japanese Fender neck, etc...but just make sure it plays how you like it to play.
Step 5. Find some Sweet Ass Brass. For this guitar, that meant a few things. First, I hunted down the brass jack plate, tailpiece and pickguard from an old Deadhead friend who did custom parts for a while. He no longer makes them, so you will have to check ebay, etc. There ARE sets out there! So be diligent. For the bridge, I tracked down both vintage 1970's Alembic and Stars Guitars versions and opted for the Stars Guitars version (Stars Guitars took over Alembic's old shop space in the mid-1970's and bought out Alembic's old stock...then started making their own custom parts. It is rumored that Doug Irwin sourced parts for Wolf and Tiger from Stars). Finally, I had my good buddy Geoff over at SF Guitarworks (who assembled and customized the guitar for me) cut me a nice brass nut.
Step 6. Pick your tronics and tonal tonics. I opted to get a new Alembic Strat-o-blaster after discussing the pros and cons of going with one of Alembic's vintage models. I had mine set up for about 60% and had it hard-wired into the electronics (i.e. no on/off). For pickups, you can go any number of routes. In the end, I opted to get 3 different boutique pickups that were based on different Strats from different years (late 50's, early 60's, etc). You can go stock Fender, you can go Alembic, you can go a 1,000 routes...so try before you buy and know what sound you are after!
Step 7. Part your parts. That means your tuners (Jerry apparently used Schallers, but I didn't like them when I tried them, so I picked up an alternate vintage-reissue brand), your knobs (I went with the Alembic knobs after finding the Raytheon knobs too high for my taste), and your switches and internal pots. And lord oh lord, this won't be Alligator if you don't get the sticker! The stickers are easy to find and they usually come with the Alligator, Harley-Davidson and Policeman's Helper sticker as these all are still on the guitar today. If you want to go nuts, you can get the Keep on Trucker sticker, and if you figure out what sticker he used on the upper horn and below the tailpiece (both came off quickly), be sure to write in and let me know what you found out!!
Step 8. Wood = good. If you go the final version route like I did, then you will need wood for both under the bridge/tailpiece as well as for filling the tremolo cavity. In talking with Geoff, Rosewood became the wood of choice for both... solid pieces. Again, I've heard Jerry used wood fillings mixed with poxy, but I thought the tone/sustain might be better using large chunks of Rosewood cut to fit the cavity. It ain't cheap wood, but you're not into this exercise to cut corners now are ya?
Step 9. Age the sucker. This means using the Dark Star Palace secret ingredient for brass aging: vinegar!! Over the course of several days (of which my wife was none-to-pleased), I aged every piece of brass on the guitar (and Geoff did the screws/nut while he was assembling). It goes a long way to make your guitar look wicked. Other aging tricks I used were UV therapy on the guitar after assembly and playing the guitar every second you can for as long as you can. Ha! That is the oldest trick in the book... and the best one to improve your playing too.
Step 10. Assemble the beast! If you are not one yourself, you will want a expert guitar tech to help you get your axe into fighting condition. This means putting it all together, getting your string height set, pleck the neck as needed, shield the electronics with special paint and voodoo techniques, get the nut cut and set, deal with electronic issues like humming/buzzing/RFI, and making the whole Gator come together.
So there you have it! I have to say it is a very fun adventure to try to find all the parts you want and need, and it is even more fun to see the guitar come together. The best part though is to take it home, plug it into your Fender Twin Reverb and start jamming along to a sick version of Dark Star from the Europe '72 tour. Bliss out!
So for this week's Tape of the Week, we will be linking to a stream of the smokin' Europe '72 show from Tivoli Gardens in Denmark: 4/17/72. This show was filmed by Danish TV and is circulating in master tape quality. I'll include a few tunes from that video, but the audio is fantastic as well... so check it out.
Set 1
Cold Rain And Snow
Me And Bobby McGee
Chinatown Shuffle
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Jack Straw
He's Gone
Next Time You See Me
Black Throated Wind
Set 2
Casey Jones
Playing In The Band
Sugaree
It Hurts Me Too
Ramble On Rose
El Paso
Big Railroad Blues
Truckin'
Set 3
Dark Star
Sugar Magnolia
Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)
Johnny B. Goode
Encore
One More Saturday Night
So, here you go...
Dark Star Palace's
How to Build Your Own Alligator in 10 Easy Steps!
Step 1. Visualize and Versionize! Figure out which version of Alligator you want to build! Because there were so many different versions (different bridges, tailpieces, stickers, etc.), you want to have your goal in mind from the beginning! A great resource on these variations is over at our good friend Waldo's site. Dig in!
Step 2. Play or Display? Once you know which version you want to build, you need to decide if you are going to be playing the hell out of this guitar, or if it just for show. I say this because I designed the Dark Star Palace Alligator as a players guitar! So that meant I made decisions along the way that were not the same decisions that Jerry and his guitar tech's made. I wanted this thing to play and sound like what I wanted.... For instance, I don't like super-high action like Jerry does. That meant no string-tree and no super-high frets. Etc....
Step 3. Pick a body. I decided to go with a Warmoth body, with a shimmed horn for easier playability. You will want a swamp ash body. Because I've seen a good quantity of Alligator replicas, one thing that always bugged me was the grain in the wood. Be detail-oriented and make sure the grain matches Jerry's original as best you can! Another thing to be aware of is the stain of the wood. I went with a vintage stain that matches the original as best as I could tell. A downside here is that Warmoth does not use nitro finishes... so you could find an alternate source that does.
Step 4. Pick a neck. Fender neck, baby! The DSP Alligator is equipped with a Fender custom-shop, Amercian grown/cut/made, 1950's reissue, maple neck. And man oh man does it fit my hand!! I opted for the nitro on this one, so I hunted down the neck and opted to pay more than I had originally planned. Granted, you can go with a generic neck, a Mexican/Korean/Japanese Fender neck, etc...but just make sure it plays how you like it to play.
Step 5. Find some Sweet Ass Brass. For this guitar, that meant a few things. First, I hunted down the brass jack plate, tailpiece and pickguard from an old Deadhead friend who did custom parts for a while. He no longer makes them, so you will have to check ebay, etc. There ARE sets out there! So be diligent. For the bridge, I tracked down both vintage 1970's Alembic and Stars Guitars versions and opted for the Stars Guitars version (Stars Guitars took over Alembic's old shop space in the mid-1970's and bought out Alembic's old stock...then started making their own custom parts. It is rumored that Doug Irwin sourced parts for Wolf and Tiger from Stars). Finally, I had my good buddy Geoff over at SF Guitarworks (who assembled and customized the guitar for me) cut me a nice brass nut.
Step 6. Pick your tronics and tonal tonics. I opted to get a new Alembic Strat-o-blaster after discussing the pros and cons of going with one of Alembic's vintage models. I had mine set up for about 60% and had it hard-wired into the electronics (i.e. no on/off). For pickups, you can go any number of routes. In the end, I opted to get 3 different boutique pickups that were based on different Strats from different years (late 50's, early 60's, etc). You can go stock Fender, you can go Alembic, you can go a 1,000 routes...so try before you buy and know what sound you are after!
Step 7. Part your parts. That means your tuners (Jerry apparently used Schallers, but I didn't like them when I tried them, so I picked up an alternate vintage-reissue brand), your knobs (I went with the Alembic knobs after finding the Raytheon knobs too high for my taste), and your switches and internal pots. And lord oh lord, this won't be Alligator if you don't get the sticker! The stickers are easy to find and they usually come with the Alligator, Harley-Davidson and Policeman's Helper sticker as these all are still on the guitar today. If you want to go nuts, you can get the Keep on Trucker sticker, and if you figure out what sticker he used on the upper horn and below the tailpiece (both came off quickly), be sure to write in and let me know what you found out!!
Step 8. Wood = good. If you go the final version route like I did, then you will need wood for both under the bridge/tailpiece as well as for filling the tremolo cavity. In talking with Geoff, Rosewood became the wood of choice for both... solid pieces. Again, I've heard Jerry used wood fillings mixed with poxy, but I thought the tone/sustain might be better using large chunks of Rosewood cut to fit the cavity. It ain't cheap wood, but you're not into this exercise to cut corners now are ya?
Step 9. Age the sucker. This means using the Dark Star Palace secret ingredient for brass aging: vinegar!! Over the course of several days (of which my wife was none-to-pleased), I aged every piece of brass on the guitar (and Geoff did the screws/nut while he was assembling). It goes a long way to make your guitar look wicked. Other aging tricks I used were UV therapy on the guitar after assembly and playing the guitar every second you can for as long as you can. Ha! That is the oldest trick in the book... and the best one to improve your playing too.
Step 10. Assemble the beast! If you are not one yourself, you will want a expert guitar tech to help you get your axe into fighting condition. This means putting it all together, getting your string height set, pleck the neck as needed, shield the electronics with special paint and voodoo techniques, get the nut cut and set, deal with electronic issues like humming/buzzing/RFI, and making the whole Gator come together.
So there you have it! I have to say it is a very fun adventure to try to find all the parts you want and need, and it is even more fun to see the guitar come together. The best part though is to take it home, plug it into your Fender Twin Reverb and start jamming along to a sick version of Dark Star from the Europe '72 tour. Bliss out!
So for this week's Tape of the Week, we will be linking to a stream of the smokin' Europe '72 show from Tivoli Gardens in Denmark: 4/17/72. This show was filmed by Danish TV and is circulating in master tape quality. I'll include a few tunes from that video, but the audio is fantastic as well... so check it out.
Cold Rain And Snow
Me And Bobby McGee
Chinatown Shuffle
China Cat Sunflower
I Know You Rider
Jack Straw
He's Gone
Next Time You See Me
Black Throated Wind
Set 2
Casey Jones
Playing In The Band
Sugaree
It Hurts Me Too
Ramble On Rose
El Paso
Big Railroad Blues
Truckin'
Set 3
Dark Star
Sugar Magnolia
Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)
Johnny B. Goode
Encore
One More Saturday Night
Until next time at Dark Star Palace....
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