Regarding Blair Jackson’s new book, Grateful Dead Gear: The Band’s Instruments, Sound Systems, and Recording Sessions from 1965 to 1995, Steve Silberman posted this on the WELL:
Well Jesus Christ, this book is frickin’ amazing, and I’m the opposite of a knob-twiddling gearhead pedal fetishist. I don’t know what ANY of this shit is, and have never played an instrument, but this book is so full of the INSIDE SCOOP, with interviews from everyone from the bandmembers to Bear to every luthier and gadgetologist who ever lusted in his heart to see a piece of his gear on the Big Stage, that it’s one of the best, most intimate books ever written on the band. It’s a tad pricey, but the printing job is deluxe, and mark my words: it’s a fantastic gift idea for any Deadhead you love, and will probably fly under the radar of most stoner-enthusiasts because of the off-putting premise of being all about the hardware. It’s really more about the software — the passion for discovery and exploration that drove the evolution of this music and this sound, and made the Grateful Dead the new best band on Earth nearly every time they went out on tour.