Jerry Garcia's "Budman" McIntosh MC2300 Amplifier
Musician
Jerry Garcia
(American, 1942 - 1995)
Musician
Grateful Dead
(American, 1965 - 1995)
Maker
McIntosh
(American, founded 1949)
Datec. 1973
ClassificationsMusic
DimensionsAmplifier: 10 1/2 x 19 x 17 in. (26.7 x 48.3 x 43.2 cm)
Road Case: 26 x 22 x 14 in. (66 x 55.9 x 35.6 cm)
DescriptionJerry Garcia's McIntosh MC2300 Amplifier, "Budman," serial number 1Y460. It is a solid-state power amplifier, 300 watts per channel or 600 watts per monoblock, with anodized gold and black panel. A Budman sticker has been affixed to the front panel. With original "Grateful Dead" black rolling road case with stickers and "Steal Your Face" stencil.Road Case: 26 x 22 x 14 in. (66 x 55.9 x 35.6 cm)
This amplifer was used by Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia as part of the band's "Wall of Sound," the then-largest concert sound system to have been built. The Wall of Sound was designed to produce the least amoutn of distortion, and required high-end audio equipment such as McIntosh amplifiers. Garcia began using a specific McIntosh MC 2300 in 1973, eventually christened with a Budweiser Budman sticker placed on the front in 1974 and making it a unique way of identifying Garcia's specific MC2300 out of the many that powered the Wall of Sound. "Budman" was one of the only components from the Wall to continue traveling with Garcia until 1993 when it was replaced with a cab simulation system.
According to the Grateful Dead's road manager, "Big" Steve Parish: "Jerry played through Fender Twins and they were loud, but everyone always wanted to be louder for the big gig, especially outdoors. Dan Healy figured out how to take a line out from Jerry's guitar amp, first into a McIntosh 350 tube amp during the early Wall of Sound set up. When the 2300 power amp came out we bought 70 of them, and put them throughout the system, but this is the one that Jerry liked the best and he played through it for years. It really made that Twin sound huge and became part of his signature tone at the time. At some point, Ram Rod [Grateful Dead equipment manager Laurence Shurtliff] stuck that Budweiser Budman sticker on it one day and it's instantly recognizable as Jerry's."
