Dave Harrington Plays Jerry Garcia’s Alligator Guitar With Taper’s Choice

Dave Harrington has joined the ranks of guitarists who have played Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia’s famed Fender Stratocaster known as Alligator. Harrington utilized Garcia’s iconic instrument on Sunday at Taper’s Choice’s concert at The Ivy Room in the Bay Area.

Graham Nash gifted Alligator – named after a sticker placed on its pickguard – to Garcia as compensation for playing pedal steel guitar on the Crosby, Stills & Nash classic “Teach Your Children” and Nash’s first solo album, Songs For Beginners. Garcia played the 1955 maple-neck Fender Strat, which was modified at Alembic by Frank Fuller and Rick Turner, between 1971 and 1973.

Andy Logan, the founder and president of Grateful Guitars, obtained Alligator in 2019 and facilitated Harrington playing the guitar with Taper’s Choice. Harrington, also a member of Darkside, is joined in Taper’s Choice by Vampire Weekend drummer Chris Tomson, Real Estate bassist Alex Bleeker, and Arc Iris keyboardist Zach Tenorio Miller.

Hear Harrington utilizing Alligator via the audience recording posted below: