Doug Irwin, an American luthier, died on March 26, 2026.
He was known for designing five custom guitars for Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, including Eagle, Wolf, Tiger, Wolf Jr. and Rosebud.
Irwin also built more than 50 other guitars and basses, including a bass for Pete Sears and a bass for Phil Lesh. Two other guitars documented as being built by Irwin were Rosewood and a Les Paul type guitar, both listed in the only D. Irwin Guitar Company sales brochure.
Doug Irwin (1949 or 1950 – March 27, 2026) was an American luthier who designed five custom guitars for Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. The guitars he built for Garcia included Eagle (Alembic), Wolf (modified Alembic), Tiger, Wolf Jr. (headless) and Rosebud.