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Althea — Grateful Dead1 / 2
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Althea Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead · 1970s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Doug Irwin 'Tiger' (custom electric guitar)
Pickups
DiMarzio Super II humbuckers (bridge and middle), DiMarzio SDS-1 single coil (neck)
Amp
Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s)
Pickup Position
Position 2 (bridge + middle, both humbuckers, possibly coil-split)

Studio recording, 1979; 'Althea' riff section. Tiger guitar with onboard effects loop. Amp is Fender Twin Reverb, likely into McIntosh MC2300 power amp for live, but studio likely just Twin Reverb. Effects loop used for envelope filter. Pickup coil-split toggles available. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and typical Garcia setup for this song.

Amp Settings

Mids
7
Bass
5.5
Gain
3.5
Reverb
4.5
Treble
7
Presence
5.5

Effects Chain

  • Mu-Tron III Envelope Filter · modulation

Doug Irwin Tiger guitar → Mu-Tron III Envelope Filter → Fender Twin Reverb (with spring reverb)

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Tone Character

  • throaty-bordering-on-nasal sweet spot
  • clean and articulate
  • dynamic and touch-sensitive
  • bright but not harsh
  • percussive attack
  • subtle warmth
  • distinct envelope filter quack
  • slightly compressed
  • clear note separation
  • funky, expressive phrasing

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No primary sources provide exact amp knob settings for the studio recording; settings estimated based on typical Garcia Twin Reverb setup and genre/era.
  • ⚠️Pickup position inferred from MusicRadar's description of 'selector switch between two pickups' and Tiger's wiring; likely bridge+middle or coil-split for nasal tone.
  • ⚠️Envelope filter (Mu-Tron III) is audibly present and cited by MusicRadar, but exact pedal settings are not available.
  • ⚠️Amp reverb level estimated based on typical Garcia tones; no direct source for studio reverb setting.
  • ⚠️No evidence of delay, chorus, flanger, or other modulation effects in the riff section; only envelope filter and amp reverb are present.
  • ⚠️Studio vs live gear may differ; this profile is for the studio version as released on 'Go to Heaven' (1979).
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Jerry Garcia's 'Althea' tone is clean but warm, with a touch of edge-of-breakup and pronounced mids, typical of his late '70s/early '80s setup (Twin Reverb or modded Fender amps, moderate reverb, and bright single-coil pickups). The sound is articulate, not overly bright or scooped, with a subtle room ambience.

Sources