Derek Trucks Performs on Jerry Garcia’s Legendary ‘Tiger’ Guitar Worth $11.5 Million

Published Mar 16, 2026 By John Lerit

via sgibson818 / YouTube

Historic Guitar Sold and Played

One day after Jerry Garcia’s famous guitar known as Tiger sold for $11,560,000 at Christie’s in New York, Derek Trucks brought the instrument to life on stage. Bobby Tseitlin of Family Guitars bought Tiger at the auction, and Trucks used it during the third night of the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s residency at the Beacon Theatre in New York.

Videos from the auction showed Trucks sitting next to Tseitlin when the final bid was made, leading some fans to think Trucks had bought the guitar himself. He did not, but his performance made clear that Tiger’s new owners do not plan to keep it locked away. Instead, they intend to let it be played and heard.

The band first played at the Beacon on Tuesday and Wednesday (March 10 and 11) before a one‑day break, which Trucks spent attending the auction. When Tiger appeared on stage Thursday night, fans in the audience cheered as Trucks picked up an instrument with deep musical history.

Opening Set Honors the Past

For the show’s opener, Trucks played Tiger on “Statesboro Blues,” a song originally by Blind Willie McTell. The choice was meaningful for another reason. Exactly 55 years earlier, that same song had opened The Allman Brothers Band’s famous performance at the Fillmore East, just a short distance from the Beacon. That Fillmore show later became the classic live album At Fillmore East.

The history in the room was clear as the notes rang out. Trucks’s use of Tiger linked the present performance to decades of rock and jam tradition, honoring both Garcia’s music and the broader roots of American guitar culture.

During the set, the band also debuted a version of Frank Zappa’s “Willie the Pimp.” For that song, Trucks played Zappa’s 1974 Baby Snakes SG, another instrument from the Family Guitars collection. Each instrument brought its own story and sound to the performance, making the night feel like a celebration of guitar history.

Nods to Garcia’s Legacy

The first set closed with “Idle Wind,” which ended with a tease of Grateful Dead’s “Dark Star.” That brief musical nod was subtle but clear to fans familiar with Garcia’s work. The second set brought an even more direct tribute.

The band transitioned from John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” into “Sugaree,” one of Garcia’s beloved songs. Trucks played Tiger throughout, giving the audience a rare chance to hear the instrument sounding live again so soon after its sale.

For longtime members of the Grateful Dead community, this was a moment many had hoped for. Instead of disappearing into a display case, Tiger was onstage and in use. Family Guitars has described its collection as a “living collection” of instruments that are meant to be played, heard, and shared.

One night after Tiger was sold at auction, that promise was already being kept. The performance showed how important it can be to bring historic instruments into the hands of musicians who will let them sing again.