Jerry GarciaPedalboard, 1978
Jerry Garcia's guitar Wolf sent a full-level pickup signal out to six effects in 1978 — a Mu-Tron Octave Divider, a Mu-Tron III envelope filter, an MXR Distortion+, an MXR Phase 100, a Mu-Tron C-200 volume-wah and an MXR Analog Delay — then back to the guitar.
Wolf onboard-loop effects chain
Order evidence: A source states the sequence
Inside the rig · 6 units
Pedal roles & evidence
How each unit fits Jerry Garcia's 1978 setup. Board-specific roles and the evidence behind each identification and position.
Source-described orderIdentity and position are evidenced separately. Reconstructed positions are not observed connections.
Pitch & Synth
Mu-Tron Octave Divider
External loop
Role in this rig
Opens Garcia's effects loop with a sub-octave voice before the envelope-sensitive filter.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Filter & EQ
Mu-Tron III Envelope Filter
External loop
Role in this rig
Creates Garcia's touch-responsive vowel sweep for "Dancin' in the Streets," "Estimated Prophet" and "Fire on the Mountain."
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Gain
MXR Distortion+
External loop
Role in this rig
Adds Garcia's clipped lead voice and could be combined with the Mu-Tron III for "Estimated Prophet."
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Modulation
MXR Phase 100
External loop
Role in this rig
Adds multi-stage phase movement after distortion in Garcia's 1978 loop.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Filter & EQ
Mu-Tron C-200 Volume-Wah
External loop
Role in this rig
Provides manual filter sweeps after the phaser; Garcia said he used the separate volume function only rarely.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Delay & Echo
MXR Analog Delay
External loop
Role in this rig
Finishes the pedal chain with warm repeats before the OBEL network box returns the signal to Wolf.
- Identity
- Documented
- Position
- Documented
Documented equipment · Documented order · Serial path
In Jon Sievert's June 1978 recording, Garcia and Ram Rod name every stage and talk through the order from the Octave Divider to the analog delay and network-box return. Garcia also explains why Wolf's onboard effects loop sits before the guitar volume: voltage-sensitive devices, especially the Mu-Tron III, always receive the same input level while final loudness remains under his hand. Premier Guitar independently corroborates the complete six-effect inventory and identifies the Phase 100 and combined Mu-Tron volume/wah family. The network box and stereo send/return cable are routing infrastructure and are described here rather than drawn as effects.
Cited sources
MethodologyQuestions about Jerry Garcia's 1978 pedalboard
- What pedals did Jerry Garcia use in 1978?
- This dated entry lists 6 units: Mu-Tron Octave Divider, Mu-Tron III Envelope Filter, MXR Distortion+, MXR Phase 100, Mu-Tron C-200 Volume-Wah, MXR Analog Delay. This is the recorded inventory, not a claim that every connection or model identification is confirmed; see the evidence and routing notes.
- What order were Jerry Garcia's pedals in?
- A cited source states the order. See the diagram and routing notes for the separate paths and any unconfirmed connections.
- Is this Jerry Garcia's full guitar rig?
- No. This dated entry covers 6 units in the effects path, not every piece of gear Jerry Garcia owned or used. Floor pedals, rack units and routing devices are included only where recorded; omitted equipment and uncertain connections are explained in the notes. It is not a complete or current rig inventory.
- When and where was this pedalboard used?
- Grateful Dead tour, June 1978. Grateful Dead touring rig. This is one dated setup as documented, not a career-wide gear list.
- How does the archive know what was on this pedalboard?
- 3 cited sources, listed above with the date each was read, including Grateful Dead / Dead.net, Premier Guitar, Jerry Garcia Official Archive. Among them an interview, a written article and an official listing. The units are recorded as documented equipment, and the page was last audited on 2026-07-18.