Version 1.0

(??/??/1970-3/1971)

1955 Fender Stratocaster

Serial# 7310

Graham Nash bought the 1955 Fender Stratocaster at a Pawn Shop in Phoenix and exchanged in leau of pay for his work on his album "Songs For Beginners".

The Pickguard, Pickup Covers and Knobs appeared to be non original Bakelite that would have been on an original stock 55 Strat. The Neck Pickup is seen upside down (magnet stagger is backwards), and its cavity was routed to accomodate the space needed.

These photos are from the Guitar Player April 1971 Article and Front Page. . No modifications and no stickers. The interview and photos from the Guitar Player magazine were taken backstage at The Matrix late 1970.

Alligator weighs 7.54lbs

 

 

 

Jerry seen using Alligator for the New Years Eve December 31, 1970 Show at Winterland,

 

Raytheon Knobs Added, NO wiring changes

 

 

 

The A String height shows the Neck Pickup was Reversed when Jerry received Alligator and its pocket in the cavity was routed/chipped out to accomodate the new position and Silver painted over. This was before Rick Turner swapped the Potentiometers out for Clarostat RV4's

 

 

 

 

 

 

Version 1.1

(03/??/1971-06/21/1971)

" I would have done the wiring and shielding. Frank blocked the trem cavity and installed the bridge and tailpiece, I made the scalloped brass nut (and the Alembic Brass Bridge). A lot of this "Alembicizing" work was handed back and forth." ~ Rick Turner

Stock Potentiometers swapped for Mil-Spec Conductive Plastic Rv4 Clarostats.

Shielded with Silver Conductive paint, to include the pickup covers.

 

Herouville, France - June 21, 1971

 

 

Version V1.2

(07/31/1971-01/02/1972)

Scalloped Brass Nut

Schaller Tuning Pegs/Gears

Footmans Loop Brass String Tree Bar on the Low E, A, D, G Strings, B and high E Strings have the Stock 55 Button String Tree

Stock Frets Removed and Tallest available added

Why was the control cavity portion of the pickguard modified?

"Right after i started doing guitars for the Garcia band. Jerry was playing an old Fender Stratocaster, and the plastic plate that holds the knobs broke while he was playing and they all fell off the guitar. We had to rig up a quick template on the spot. ~GP July 1988 -Steve Parish~

The first Control Cavity Cutout " Quick Template" turned out to be cut from a Masonite Clipboard and its color slowly changed to a darker brown with time.

 

 

Gaelic Park 08/26/71

 

Version 2.0

(03/5/1972)

Modded " Tune"o"Matic Bridge w/Thumbscrew Height Adjustment and new Tailpiece, Per Frank Fuller it's bottom was grinded down to shave off some height.

The Tune"o"Matic Bridge first appears sometime around March 5, 1972. Frank Fuller custom fabricated the Brass Tailpiece.

The Trem cavity was "Blocked" wih a Mahogany block and epoxied in place to fill the Tremolo cavity hole to accomodate for the installation of the Rick Turner fabricated Brass Sustain Block under the bridge.

"Keep on Truckin" Crumb Sticker added to the body

A Small Mahogany Shim was placed toward the neck pickup in the neck pocket

Stock Jackplate

 

 

Version 3.0

(03/21-23/1972)

The Harley Davidson sticker appears.

An Onboard Alembic Prototype Blaster( No Trimpot = Static 3db Gain) was installed and experimented/tested briefly between March 21 - 23, 1972. The Hand Hammered Brass Plate under the Stock Fender Jackplate was made for placement of the Blaster for the experiment per Frank Fuller. Except for the prototype experiment/test, Jerry NEVER used an Alembic Blaster. The Proto Blaster was removed by Dan Healy, and Gator was rewired, after the test and it was never used again.

The Production model of the Alembic Blaster as known today with the added Trimpot and Bypass switch was not produced to the public until 1975 by Alembic. Jerry NEVER endorsed it.

Steve Parish and Kidd Candelario both confirmed and stated " No Battery" was used in Alligator for Europe 72.

"Buffers with gain don’t make it." ~ Dan Healy

 

 

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MythBuster Note

Alligator Harness at Auction

 

Rick Turner's comment on Alligators original wiring harness at auction.

 

First of all the 3 way pickup selector switch is rare with a Ball and Socket type of switching mechanism that has NO modified notches for any between positions. You can see the worn tracks between the 3 positions where these notches should have been, there is none upon examination of the switch. That modification was done to Wolf's pickup switch because it had a middle pickup Phase switch when delivered in May of 1973. The Phase switch would only be effective with those 2 between positions, so they were added by modification. Second, and more importantly, Dan Healy confirmed the wiring harness seen in Alligator at auction was his work. He was the one who pulled out the Blaster, and rewired Alligator in March of 1972. Rick Turner confirms the year the work would have been done as noted in his email above. For the record, Healy departed the GD December of 1969 and did not return until January of 1972 and was asked to return by Jerry and Billy to help rescue them from the clutches of Alembic. To further add to the fact that the Blaster was removed, BOTH Parish and Kidd stated there was no Battery in Alligator for Europe 72. This information was only revealed within the past few years. I had also believed there was a Blaster in Alligator, but through diligent research and confirming with more than one source actually there, the story has since been corrected. Turner was not wrong that Alligator once had a Blaster, it did for approximately 3 days, but the truth is it was removed and the wiring was changed by Dan Healy.

Furthermore the current owner altered the string action setup Jerry had on Alligator. He had Alligator modified by tapping the bridge posts screw holes deeper to allow them to lower Jerry's action in an attempt to allow others, whom don't like a high action, to want to play it onstage. Alligator today is not setup how Jerry used it.

 

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Version 4.0

March/April 1972

At the Beat Club during Europe 72 Tour Jerry put another sticker on the guitar that came from a European Music Magazine called Musiek Express.

(Note: The Above Pillhuhn Drawing is a depiction of what it looked like and is not the Original Design.)

Kidd Candalerio stated the added Alligator Sticker was found in Europe 72.

 

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Other Guitars used on various dates from 8/27/72 thru 10/2/72 and Spring '73
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Version V4.1

(10/09/1972-08/01/1973)

Custom Alembic (Turner) Brass Bridge

Rosewood riser underneath the Tailpiece butted against the Sustainer Block

Rick Turner Hand Hammered Brass Control Plate replaces the first Masonite/Clipboard one used

A Pendleton Rodeo Sticker is placed on the upper horn.

 

 

 

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Gator is retired from stage use. Last used 8/1/73. Wolf V1.0 Appears 9/5/73
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Version 5.0

This final version of Alligator was not seen in any photo used onstage and was left with the Volume control removed.

Arrives at Auction on December 10, 2019

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25922/lot/323/

 

Policeman Helper was not on Gator when played with the GD.

 

 

 

 

Auction Photos

Wiring as seen at Auction.