Artinger Alembic Wolfie Doug Irwin Tribute

Condition: new

I've been working with Matt Artinger for 25 years, and in that time I've watched him take on just about every kind of build. This one still stopped me. A Wolf tribute is a hard thing to get right. There are plenty of guitars out there that borrow the outline, drop in a clever inlay, and call it done. Matt started at the other end, with the electronics.

That is the part that matters. This guitar carries a full OBEL system with a DGN buffer, wired to match Wolf version 3, the final configuration Garcia played. If you've never played through an on-board effects loop, the short version is that your effects sit ahead of the guitar's volume and tone controls rather than after them. Roll the volume back and the pedals don't change character. They keep doing exactly what you set them to do. Garcia built an entire approach around that, and it's the reason these instruments behave the way they do.

The pickup set follows the same logic. A DiMarzio SDS-1 in the neck with Super 2s in the middle and bridge is the actual recipe, not an approximation of it. Anyone who has chased this sound knows those three by heart and knows what happens when a builder substitutes.

Which brings me to how it sounds. Jerry wanted a guitar that was loud, bold, articulate, and clean through the entire register of the instrument. That was the goal from the beginning, and it's a demanding one. Plenty of guitars will give you two or three of those. This one checks all the boxes.

The rest is Artinger. Laminated maple and ebony construction, ebony board, 24 frets, 25.5" scale. Matt made the brass parts and accents by hand, and they're everywhere once you start looking: the leading edge on the scalloped bone nut, the accents, the small pieces most builders would have ordered from a catalog. The Kluson harmonica bridge and Hipshot tuners are period-correct choices. The rear cavity cover is smoked clear, so the wiring is there to see rather than hidden, which on a guitar built around its wiring feels like the right call. It ships with the knurled aluminum knobs installed and the original-spec gold set in the case.

Matt has more history with this material than I realized, and the story behind the build is his to tell.

IN MATT'S WORDS
"I was raised on the Dead and have had the incredible fortune of being in their general orbit throughout my career, so when I heard of Doug Irwin's passing, it was time to pay tribute to a man whom I admired greatly. I based my tribute to Wolf on the Alembic Wolf body shape, which has the same lower bout as the Irwin but sleeker horns. As for the wiring? It's true to tradition and based off of the final iteration of Garcia's Wolf, version 3, with SHH pickup configuration. It sounds and feels amazing and I wish I could keep it, but alas, he needs a good home.

"One final note. I took a few whimsical liberties with the Wolf body inlay. If you notice in my version, the wolf is grinning ear to ear and wearing a pair of Ray Bans down to the tip of his nose, in a nod to Jerry himself.

"I've also had the pleasure of maintaining Steve Kimock's Asher/Irwin Wolf, one of ten, since he acquired it around 2023, so I've been able to learn what really makes the originals tick."

BACK TO CRAIG
That last part is the whole thing in a sentence. Matt has had an original on his bench for three years. He knows how these guitars are put together from the inside, not from photographs, and it shows in every decision here.

As for the inlay, I laughed out loud when I saw it. Ray Bans down to the tip of the nose. Matt got the joke exactly right, and he cut it with the same care he gave the rest of the guitar.

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.

ABOUT ARTINGER GUITARS
Matt Artinger is one of those rare builders who pairs real engineering curiosity with genuine artistry, and it shows in every instrument that leaves his bench. What sets Matt apart is his range. He builds across the whole spectrum, acoustic and electric, solidbody and archtop, and does it all at a high level. His archtops with their unique designs, f-holes, and aesthetics are something special, and his use of rare woods and custom inlay turns each guitar into a work of art. He's forward-thinking, always pushing the design, but he stays rooted in the organic, earthy feel of the classics.