Jerry Garcia was ranked 13th by Rolling Stone magazine in its "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" feature and Garcia's band The Grateful Dead was ranked 55th by Rolling Stone in its "Greatest Artists of all Time."
Now Garcia's "Lucky 13" custom Alembic guitar, custom made for him by master guitar craftsmen Ron Wickersham, Rick Turner, Frank Fuller and Doug Irwin, is to be auctioned for charity on eBay on June 5.
The guitar comes to auction with Garcia's blonde Fender Harvard guitar amp (one 10" speaker) from the early 1950's and a letter of authentication from Grateful Dead's Bob Weir.
The recipient charity, Amicus Foundation, is run by sometime Grateful Dead member Matt Kelly who now works full-time for charity in Thailand. All proceeds will provide educational opportunities and assistance to hill tribe refugees along the Thai/Burmese border and to underprivileged Thai communities.
I am personally familiar with Matt Kelly's work via the Amicus Foundation in Bhutan and Thailand and can vouch that it's an authentic, thoroughly deserving cause. Indeed, the centrepeice of this auction was donated from Matthew's own collection.
Go to it deadheads – a piece of GD history and a good cause!
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