Earlier this summer, Oteil Burbridge revealed his new Bill Asher-built bass, the “Dire Wolf,” inspired the “Wolf” guitar Doug Irwin famously designed for Jerry Garcia. Now, Asher is offering the new bass design to the masses.
Crafted by Asher, a master luthier in his own right, with full approval from Irwin, Oteil’s “Dire Wolf” bass was fashioned from the same batch of wood as the original Wolf and built to the same exacting specifications, with exotic tonewoods, custom electronics, and ornate inlays. Last month, it was presented by the Grateful Guitars Foundation to Oteil Burbridge, who played it on stage at Red Rocks Amphitheatre during a special Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration where he jammed with Phish‘s Mike Gordon. Apparently, he took a liking to the instrument because he also used it with Dead & Company for the Grateful Dead‘s 60th anniversary celebration at Golden Gate Park earlier this month.
Mike sit-in on an absolutely sick bass duel with Oteil 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/FJkvZm6v7f
— Ryan Storm (@ry_storm) July 7, 2025
As Oteil continues to get acquainted with his Dire Wolf, Bill Asher is offering up the new design to the public. Asher Guitars is now taking orders for replica and custom versions of the Dire Wolf bass design. Replica versions of the Doug Irwin-certified Dire Wolf bass by Asher Guitars are now available to order for a total cost of $35,000 with an initial deposit of $1,200. Purchasers can also make bespoke adjustments to the designs specifications, from hardware and other functional elements to custom inlays (in case you want something besides Oteil’s Ankh symbol on the back of your Dire Wolf).
[Photo via Asher Guitars & Lap Steels – Bill Asher shows Oteil Burbridge his Dire Wolf bass]
“There’s never been anything like this bass before,” said Asher. “To take Doug Irwin’s visionary design and reinterpret it as a bass—with his involvement and Oteil’s trust—was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is about legacy, but it’s also about pushing the boundaries forward.”
“Wolf has some unique properties,” Oteil explained when he first unveiled his Dire Wolf. “You can hear it on the tapes. Of course a lot of that is Jerry but it’s distinct.”
[Photo via Asher Guitars & Lap Steels – Bill Asher working on Oteil’s Dire Wolf bass]
He went on to describe the deep connection he felt to the project and its creators: “The first piece of wood for this guitar was cut from the same batch of wood that Jerry’s Wolf was made with. I almost cried when Bill sent me the video of Doug Irwin up out of his wheelchair cutting it himself. I’ve learned so much from Bill about Doug and all the associated history of the instruments Jerry and [late Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh] played. Doug is one of a kind and you realize how much magic, skill, love and devotion goes into these instruments when you plug them in and let them out of their cages. These things are alive and ready to roam!”
The Dire Wolf bass design is now available to order via Asher Guitars & Lap Steels here. Scroll down to view a list of the instrument’s features and specifications.
[Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Oteil Burbridge’s personal Dire Wolf bass was going up for sale. That is not the case. The product listing on the Asher Guitars & Lap Steels website referred to replica and custom versions of the Dire Wolf design, not the original Dire Wolf. We regret the error.]