D’Angelico Guitars announces an all-new collection of officially licensed Grateful Dead guitars celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the legendary band and ten years of partnership between the two brands. D’Angelico’s beloved Red, White, and Blue Lightning Bolt custom finish is back and now available on three distinct models.
D’Angelico Guitars began working with the Grateful Dead in 2015 through longtime mutual charity partner, HeadCount.org, when the brand donated hand-painted guitars to raise money at auction at the band’s “Fare thee Well” shows. The collection raised over half a million dollars at auction for Dead Family Charities.
The success of the hand-painted models donated for this event sparked the design inspiration for D’Angelico’s first licensing project with Warner Music Group. The Premier DC “Steal Your Face” guitar was released in 2017 and was the brand’s first foray into the world of the Grateful Dead. From there, D’Angelico Guitars began its long-standing partnership with HeadCount, Dead and Company, and Bobby Weir. From 2017 to 2025, the brand released two more licensed Grateful Dead models, five signature model variations with Bobby Weir, and has provided instruments to HeadCount for customization to follow Dead and Company’s tours and residencies, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Grateful Dead Family Charities along the way.
Based on D’Angelico’s most popular model, the double-cutaway Premier Grateful Dead DC pays homage to the original co-branded model released in 2017, while the new single-cutaway Premier Grateful Dead SS offers a refined elegance and celebrates the jazz-inspired side of the Grateful Dead. With a highly playable slim C-shape neck, rosewood fingerboard and medium jumbo frets, players can easily glide through all of their favorite Grateful Dead runs and licks with plenty of room for improvisation via versatile D’Angelico humbuckers. Both models also feature gold hardware, ebony knobs, and Stairstep tuners.
The Premier Grateful Dead Tammany offers both players and collectors access to an easy-playing orchestra model featuring an expertly crafted tri-color top and a custom headplate featuring a matching Steal Your Face decal. Boasting a solid spruce top with layered sapele back and sides, the Grateful Dead Tammany offers pristine and balanced tone, while a Fishman Presys VT preamp system offers true-to-tone amplification for easy on-stage use.
Each guitar features a Steal Your Face headstock inlay and comes with a custom red, white and blue co-branded gig bag.
Now available for pre-order at select dealers in the United States. Each model sold separately.
One of each of these guitars will be hand painted featuring commemorative artwork in honor of Dead & Company’s San Francisco Golden Gate Park shows this summer. The guitars will be on display at the shows and available for auction, supporting longtime charity partner, HeadCount.
