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Lieber Guitars

@lieberguitars

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It was June of 1974. My wife and I were 20 years old when we jumped in our VW van and headed West. Seven years had passed since the fabled “Summer of Love.” The musicians who laid the foundation for our generation’s counter culture had now become young entrepreneurs. Their hands and money fused within the art, creative process, and business with many eclectic ventures. Alembic Guitars was one such venture. It drew my attention as an aspiring musician, the son of a mortician, who would fatefully cross paths with The Dead.

After safely arriving in San Francisco, I approached Alembic regarding a possible apprenticeship but, unfortunately, was denied. They had all the hands they needed at the time. Luckily, one of the staff mentioned there was a builder who recently left Alembic to go off on his own. Jerry Garcia took a liking to that particular builder’s approach and style, which gave him the confidence to leave Alembic and start his own thing. My wife and I had come a long way and this lead was our best bet.

I found Doug Irwin living in an old farm house with his wife and two young children. The shop was a chicken shack maybe 10x10 in size. He had no need or even the inclination to take on an apprentice. However, he was obviously in need of a helping hand, so I told Doug I was here to learn the art of guitar-making and I wasn’t going anywhere. I remained there for three years, and for the first two, I worked without pay, embracing the opportunity to learn. And it was with grace that my wife supported us both during this period. Early 1975, in the living room of the old farm house, Doug and I drafted several new ornamental guitar body designs. One of them, which we coined, “Our generation’s Les Paul” was “The Garcia” later known as Tiger. Over 40 years later, she’s a legend.

I find many parallels between Bobby and Jerry’s dynamic and that of Doug and I. Jerry and Doug’s style were both very laid back. Meanwhile, they had these young gnats constantly buzzing around their heads, prodding them to stay in motion. I cannot speak for Bobby but I believe we understood that these artists needed that number two guy. And although most of the art created was a by @lieberguitars

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https://reverb.com/item/36496828-lieber-stanley-clarke-spellcaster-bass-2026 by @lieberguitars

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by @lieberguitars

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https://reverb.com/item/92108196-lieber-stanley-clarke-personal-spellbinder-sibling-bass-2008-catalyzed-varnish by @lieberguitars

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https://reverb.com/item/99434545-lieber-stanley-clarke-spellcaster-gto-bass-2026-blue by @lieberguitars

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Roger and his 50th GD Tiger by @lieberguitars

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#'s 72 and 73 just complete and available by @lieberguitars

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