I’m With The Band: Julien’s April 22, 2026 Treasures From The Golden Road: Featuring Property From “Big Steve,” “Ram Rod” & Trixie Garcia

The Grateful Dead, noted as #57 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, is considered to be one of most influential and prolific musical acts of the past half century. Their portfolio spans 30 years, 13 studio albums, and thousands of live concert performances. Julien’s is presenting its 325 lot Treasures From The Golden Road: Featuring Property From “Big Steve,” “Ram Rod” & Trixie Garcia sale in San Francisco on April 22, 2026. This event features rarities from the collections of band members, crew, and family, including Grateful Dead gear and instruments; passes, tickets, set lists and rehearsal materials; lyrics, artwork, and photos; and other category spanning collectibles. Here are some auction highlights destined to be music to the ears of Dead fans and collectors everywhere. 

Iconic musical instruments used by band members are among the top lots in this important event. Leading the pack here is lot #8, frontman Jerry Garcia’s (1942-1995) 1939 Gibson Super 400 archtop guitar, which is estimated at $80,000-120,000. This cased Gibson, with serial number 95924, was pictured in Garcia’s hands many times. It also appeared on camera being played by Garcia for the video Smoke Gets In Your Eyes from the soundtrack to Wayne Wang’s 1995 movie, Smoke. Its noteworthy detailing includes a 25-1/2″ scale length three piece flame maple neck, a spruce top body, figured book matched maple back and figured maple sides, an engraved gold Super 400 Y tailpiece, and a marbled pickguard. This well maintained guitar comes directly from the collection of Trixie Garcia, (b. 1974) the daughter of Jerry Garcia and his former wife Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Adams (b. 1946).  

Garcia was the lead guitarist for the Grateful Dead, complemented by colleague Bob Weir (1947-2026) on the rhythm guitar. Experts note that Garcia favored about 25 different guitars over the course of the band’s history. His go-to brands included Fender Stratocasters and Gibson guitars, as well as custom instruments made for him by luthier Doug Irwin (c. 1950-2026). His “Tiger” guitar, built by Irwin, sold for $11,560,000 at Christies’ Jim Irsay Collection sale in March, 2026.

Concert and studio used hardware is a key category in this April sale. Lot #87, a 1975 Mesa Boogie Mark I Combo Guitar Amplifier, is estimated at $30,000-50,000. It measures 19 x 17-1/2 x 10-1/2″ and appeared in a print ad for Mesa amplifiers –  a copy of which is included with this lot. It has a stained wood enclosure and basketweave grille and is equipped with multiple power tubes, a Mesa Black Shadow 12” speaker, numerous volume controls, and shared EQ for the three frequency ranges of the audible sound spectrum. According to Trixie Garcia, The amp’s post-tour days were spent set up in Jerry’s living room for quite some time, always at the ready.

The Grateful Dead were legendary for their stage sets and use of amplifiers, including their signature Wall of Sound audio system used at large concert venues. This set up, designed by the band’s sound engineer Owsley “Bear” Stanley (1935-2011) in 1973, was designed to carry the Dead’s concert music a quarter mile from the stage without significant sound distortion. 

Band related memorabilia and ephemera are also well represented in this sale. Lot #22, lyricist and songwriter Robert Hunter’s (1941-2019) Playing in the Band handwritten lyrics, is estimated at $20,000-40,000. The words are penned in brown and red ink on two lined pages of notebook paper. The work measures 18-1/2 x 27-1/2 x 4″ overall and is matted in a wooden frame and clear glass display so both sides can be viewed. 

Playing in the Band was written in 1971 and released in 1972. The song was often performed with musical improvisation and extended instrumental solos and quickly became a concert standard. According to Julien’s experts, the Grateful Dead played Playing in the Band over 600 times live. In May 1974 at the Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, the band played a version of this song for 46 minutes and 32 seconds, which is thought to be the longest uninterrupted performance of one tune in the Dead’s history. This item was purchased by the consignor from Guernsey’s Auction of Wolf, Tiger, And Other Joyous Artifacts of Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, held at Studio 54 in New York on May 8, 2002.

This event features a fine collection of Grateful Dead concert tickets and backstage passes. Lot #113, eight pictorial backstage passes, is estimated at $1,000-2,000. The collection is framed and matted and measures 16 x 12-1/4 x 1″. The passes include three from the 1983 Spring Tour, three from the 1982 Fall Tour, one for the 1983 Summer Tour, and one undated pass.  

These passes are from the collection of Grateful Dead roadcrew member “Big Steve” Parish (b. c. 1948) who personally saved his tour materials, and those from other members of the band and crew, over the years. According to Rolling Stone magazine, it is estimated that the band played around 2,300 in-person concerts from 1965 to 1995. Their final concert was on July 9, 1995, at Soldier Field in Chicago; this sold out show garnered 71,000 official ticket sales.

This sale rounds out with posters, accessories, photographs, personal effects, and artwork related to the band’s counterculture spirit. Lot #183, an original airbrush on paper artwork created by Jerry Garcia depicting an abstract peacock design, is estimated at $800-1200. This work is rendered primarily teal, blue, pink, orange, and green, measures 18 x 24″, and is unsigned. It comes directly from the collection of Garcia’s former wife Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Adams Garcia, who shared in part, Jerry was just beginning to use the airbrush in 1985. He spent a lot of time practicing with it and completed a series of marvelous, well-known pieces. The airbrush was fast, crisp, and exciting with strong smooth color and no messy blobs of paint to deal with. He was having fun with it and gave his paintings the same intense attention that he gave to learning new songs. This piece demonstrates Jerry’s versatility and humor.

For more information on Julien’s Treasures From The Golden Road: Featuring Property From “Big Steve,” “Ram Rod” & Trixie Garcia sale on April 22, 2026, please see https://www.juliensauctions.com/en/auctions/treasures-from-the-golden-road