The guitar played by Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia at iconic venues including the Egyptian pyramids has sold at auction for $1.9m (£1.47m).
The instrument, which Garcia called Wolf after its decoration, was first seen in his hands in 1973, and also appeared in the 1977 Grateful Dead movie.
It was auctioned in New York this week at a charity event for the Southern Property Law Center, which seeks to offer legal support for those dealing with bigotry issues in Alabama.
Wolf was offered for sale by then-owner Daniel Pritzker, who’d bought it in 2002 for $790,000 (£614,000). The movie-maker and philanthropist told Jam: “I’ve been a fan of the Dead since I was a kid. Playing this iconic guitar over the past 15 years has been a privilege. But the time is right for Wolf to do some good.”
Law Center president Richard Cohen thanked Pritzker for being “willing to part with this piece of musical history.”
In 2015 a gun owned by Garcia went to auction, along with a range of band memorabilia including original lyric sheets, artwork and furniture. A collection of his earliest recordings was also released that year, while a 50th anniversary Grateful Dead collection arrived in February 2017.
