“Ocean” Guitar w/ Jerry Garcia “Fish” Etching Inlay Luthier: Thomas Lieber * Photo credits: Milo Stewart Jr. Staff Photographer National Baseball Hall of Fame (PRNewsfoto/The Jerry Garcia Foundation)
In honor of Jerry Garcia’s75th Birthday, the Jerry Garcia Foundation has commissioned luthier and artist Tom Lieber to create an eco-friendly, plastic-free electric guitar. The new guitar named “Ocean” is made from sustainable maple and features a fingerboard inlay image of Jerry Garcia’s etching titled “Fish.” The instrument will be played at benefit events to support causes that were meaningful to Jerry such as coral reef preservation.
After searching to locate a guitar maker who had the expertise to create a plastic-free instrument, Jerry’s daughter Keelin and his wife Manasha were delighted to meet luthier Tom Lieber at a foundation benefit event.
“This guitar, Ocean, has been conceived with love and intent to serve as a symbolic vehicle for the Jerry Garcia Foundation to utilize in its continuing effort of expanding the positive world impact of Jerry Garcia’s creative legacy,” said Tom Lieber of Lieber Instruments, Inc.
Doug Irwin and Tom Lieber were the designers and builders of Jerry Garcia’s two most famous guitars, “Tiger” and “Wolf.” In June, the “Wolf” guitar sold at auction for $1.9 million and raised over $3 million for charitable causes.
The new eco-friendly guitar’s journey will begin this month as the Jerry Garcia Foundation invites artists to play the instrument at benefit events in support of ocean conservation in addition to other worthy causes.
In his lifetime, Jerry was an active advocate for coral reef preservation. Coral reefs are vital to the ecosystem and known as the “rainforests of the sea.”
For more information, please visit www.jerrygarciafoundation.org.
The Jerry Garcia Foundation
Established in 2015 by Manasha and Keelin Garcia, the Jerry Garcia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which supports artistic, environmental, and humanitarian causes through the beauty of art and music. The Foundation provides grants to vetted 501(c)(3) nonprofits, engaging artists who wish to share their gifts for the greater good.