How to Sound Like Jerry Garcia: DIY Grateful Dead Guitar Rig

I think it’s super cool he plugged the Jerry tone store that kid has really put in the work and he deserves a lot of recognition

Jerry was such a unique player with unique tone. He does things the opposite of most rock guitarists. I hear a lot of bluegrass guitar and jazz in his playing. Such an informative video.

This was an enjoyable conversation and more importantly, my introduction to Packy.

Stoked to see a modeler in this convo. I’m a Headrush guy going after Trey tones, but the pursuit of tones like either Trey or Jerry is one of impossible scale, investment, and context. Again, these guys are playing huge venues. Jerry was working in an era of early/bad FOH PA systems. And we, as fans, are referencing back to old live recordings of also poor quality. Point being, a modeler is such a brilliant tool for fans to poke around these legendary tones with little investment. And from there, you can have as many versions as you want. Rigs to cover different eras and uses. Like, a live rig is not going to sound the same as your bedroom practice rig, and that’s no big deal on a modeler. I got live rigs for going direct, into a back line, into FRFR, etc. So, I hope more folks move past the cork-sniffing, purist, analog-or-bust mentality and go have fun making noise. 🤘😎🤘

One thing I believe people miss when trying to achieve Jerry’s tone. Beyond the guitar itself, the JBLs, twin reverb with a Mac. Beyond all that. Have something in your rig like an overdrive to emulate playing at loud volumes. Jerry’s rig might have been set clean but the signal is anything but due to the volumes he was pushing. Get yourself a transparent overdrive! I will be reposting a couple example on my channel. To achieve that late 70s into 80s “Dirty Jerry” tone.

Video is as long as one Grateful Dead song. Awesome

Great shoutout to Jay at Jerry Tone Store. Super great guy spreading the knowledge, he helped me with the wiring of a Jerry Guitar I built and hosted a soldering class with Waldo that was fantastic! He can rip Jerry licks over ABBA too 😂

What a lovely and knowledgeable bloke Packy was. Great video and thanks for sharing it.

Saw Packy play with Theo Katzman. He’s the real deal. Great player. Even texted on instagram with him about rubber jazzmaster bridges. Cool dude. Very delighted to see him getting some love!

Great video and wealth of knowledge for those chasing the tone. It demonstrations the uniqueness and intellect of Jerry and the Grateful Dead. Seriously, the Wall Of Sound? They were ahead of their time when it came to understanding all this stuff. Given all the bell and whistles that make up the Tone (sound), there was an era and time when Jerry had a guitar and amp. And yet, (wait for it), somehow, he as able to achieve the tone, like the discussion and equipment in this video. Point being, it does start with the guitar and amp settings that also include Mid and Prescence. Take heart for those that cannot afford all this fancy awesome equipment. While I own a Mutron, hands down my little 50-dollar Mooer Envelope mini pedal is what I use because it’s responsive and has simple adjustments. Crazy how I stumbled upon it after purchasing 3 others well know filters for hundreds more. The technology has changed since Jerry’s passing. Though, I think he would have stuck with his favs, unlike Bob who was always swapping pedals and guitars. Finally, as a Roland GR-55 owner, using the amp parameters, I was able to dial in the Jerry tone. It was an OMG moment because I know john Kadlecik had one and it made me curios to sit for a couple of hours going through the different amp models, pushing the drive up a bit and bingo – instant Jerry. Not just for flutes and horns, but as a very clean guitar. Thousands of dollars are spent on Jerry clone equipment, but remember too, his touch and technique were representative of his tone which he has inspired us to learn from. I’m thankful to be inspired by such a passionate and smart musician. Take care of your health everyone, it’s why we have the remaining members to continue the experience with. They are taking care of themselves. Be well, be Kind!

That is actually the coolest guitar I’ve ever seen

Excellent video. So nice to see well rounded, non-deadhead musicians taking Jerry seriously. He was a phenomenal player

i’d love to grab a beer with Packy and just listen to him play guitar. great masterclass! thx

I'm like 90% sure I saw Packy play guitar for Theo Katzman from Vulfpeck.

Awesome, I've been waiting for a new one of these! And great choice with Jerry

One of the best Jerry rig run downs on the interwebs

Excellent program! Thank you

I wish I could like this twice! Thank you! 😊

My favorite Reverb video by far. Thanks❤

Great video. My son is really into the Dead and we've been listening to them a lot lately. I've been enamored with his tone and this is a great explanation.