Oteil Burbridge’s Signed Dire Wolf Bass #2 Heads to Auction

Last year, Oteil Burbridge received the Dire Wolf Bass by Asher Guitars, a six-string that pays homage to Doug Irwin’s “Wolf” guitar made famous by the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia. He used the unique bass during the Grateful Dead 60 performances, and has since become his main axe. Now, a second Dire Wolf Bass is up for auction.

The Dire Wolf Bass Guitar #2 was crafted by Asher and donated, played and signed by Burbridge during the Unbroken Chain weekend at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium in March 2026. Irwin Guitars shared the auction on Facebook and talked about its beneficiary.

“After Oteil received his Dire Wolf, a second instrument was commissioned to give back in its honor,” they wrote. “Dire Wolf 2 is being offered to benefit the Grateful Guitars Foundation, which supports music education for underserved youth while placing world-class instruments in the hands of exceptional players, and Music Heals International, founded by Sara Wasserman, which brings music programs to children in Haiti, India, and Venezuela. Former students are now leading classrooms, indigenous youth are reclaiming their cultural identity through music, girls are forming the first all-female bands their communities have ever seen, and the work will carry on beyond a generation.”

As with the original, the Dire Wolf 2 is built with a laminate body of purpleheart and quilted maple with partial hollowing to reduce weight. Its neck is a laminate of purpleheart and curly maple with an ebony fingerboard. Other features include custom DiMarzio Bass 6 Dual Sounds and SDSI pickups, a Waldo buffer, a Dire Wolf Medallion inlay, and more. (Check out our deep dive of the first Dire Wolf for the full story.)

The Dire Wolf 2 is up for auction through June 26th at 9pm Pacific. At the time of this posting, the current bid is $75,000. For more info, visit the Grateful Guitars Foundation auction site.

Asher Guitars Dire Wolf Bass #1 Photos:

Asher Guitars “Dire Wolf Bass” Specs: