Jerry Garcia's "Tiger" Guitar Sells for $11.56 Million

Jerry Garcia's custom-made guitar, "Tiger," was sold for $11.56 million at Christie's in New York City on March 12, 2026. The instrument was part of the Jim Irsay Collection auction.

"Tiger" was sold for $11.56 million, joining other significant items from the Jim Irsay Collection.

The Iconic "Tiger" Guitar

"Tiger" was created by Alembic Guitars luthier Doug Irwin. Garcia first played the guitar on August 4, 1979, at the Oakland City Auditorium, marking the debut of the song “Althea.”

The guitar is constructed from layers of cocobolo, maple, and padauk, and features a mother-of-pearl tiger inlay. Garcia used "Tiger" as his primary instrument for the next decade.

Previous Ownership: The Jim Irsay Collection

Jim Irsay, the late Indianapolis Colts owner, acquired "Tiger" in 2002 for $850,000. He occasionally loaned the guitar for performances, including to Warren Haynes for the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration tour in 2016.

New Custodian: Family Guitars

Bobby Tseitlin, 44, a co-founder of Family Guitars, purchased "Tiger."

Family Guitars collects historic instruments, aiming to keep them in use rather than displayed behind glass.

Tseitlin also owns Garcia's Travis Bean TB500 and Modulus Blackknife guitars, as well as a 1973 McIntosh MC2300 amplifier.

Post-Auction Performance

Following its sale, musician Derek Trucks performed with "Tiger" at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. Trucks, nephew of Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks, had previously joined Phil Lesh and Friends.

A Record-Setting Auction

During the same auction, David Gilmour’s "Black Strat" guitar sold for $14.55 million, setting a new record for the most expensive guitar sold at auction.

The Jim Irsay Collection auction included over 400 items, such as Cassius Clay's first fight robe as Muhammad Ali and the original scroll for Jack Kerouac's On the Road.