george harrison

Gretsch To Release George Harrison Guitar

A replica of the guitar George Harrison used during his early days as a musician is being created by the master guitar makers at Gretsch, The new guitar is styled after the Duo Jet Harrison strummed during his early days as a Beatle, the one he described as his "first really decent guitar". He was pictured holding one on the cover of his 1987 album Cloud Nine. Only 60 tribute Duo Jets will be available to fans when they hit stores in May of this year and each will cost upwards of $20,000.

USA Today reports that Harrison bought the guitar from merchant sailor Ivan Hayward and a copy of the I.O.U. slip Harrison left Hayward after buying the guitar for less than the asking price is included with each new Duo Jet. Hayward paid $210 for the original at Manny's Music in New York City and kept it three years before selling it. He had wanted wanted 90 pounds (about $255 at the time) for the guitar, but Harrison had only 70. The guitar makers have re-created the guitar precisely, replicating the nicks and dings of a half-century's use, even using a CAT scan to determine the semi-hollow guitar's body-chambering style.

Tags: george harrison, gretsch, Gretsch Duo-Jet, GretschDuo-jet

Rock Gods' Guitars Star in Christie's Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

A killer collection of guitars owned by some of the great rock gods are the starring attraction in Christie's' Rock and Pop Memorabilia sale in London on June 24. While George Harrison's acoustic Yamaha guitar from 1994 signed by the Beatle is the priciest at an estimated $72,000 - $86,000, in aesthetic terms it's the least interesting lot. We much prefer the collection of instruments owned by members of The Who (above), in particular Pete Townshend and John Entwistle. The top pick is a custom made mahogany Gibson SG used by Townshend during the band's 1971 U.S. tour, estimated at $29,000 - $43,000. An newer acoustic guitar of his meanwhile is estimated at $8,500 - $11,500. Entwistle's Peter Cook Custom bass from the 1970s is estimated at $21,500 - $29,000, while his 1962 Fender Precision bass is estimated at $11,500 - $14,500. Eric Clapton's 1996 Fender Stratocaster 50th Anniversary edition with a gold-plated body is pricey at $29,000 - $43,000; much better deals are to be had with Marc Bolan of T.Rex's 1968 Fender Custom Telecaster and an early 1970s Gibson Les Paul owned by the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones, both estimated at $14,500 - $22,000.

Tags: Beatles, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, guitar, guitars, London, Memorabilia, Pete Townshend, rock and roll, The Beatles, The Who

Unused Beatles Album Art Goes Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The painting shown above, a 1968 watercolor by American artist Jim Dine, has an interesting story. The work was originally commissioned by Capitol Records for a Beatles album which was never made because the Beatles left Capitol and formed the Apple Records label. The graphite and watercolor on vellum lot of five works depict individual toothbrushes labeled for each member of the band The pieces, which are expected to bring $25,000-35,000, have been in the private collection of former president of Capital Records, Sal Iannucci, and his wife Aileen.

These unique pieces are part of the Bonhams & Butterfields fall auction of Modern, Contemporary and Latin American Art on November 17, 2009 in Los Angeles. The over 200-lot sale will include pieces by Alexander Calder, Paul Cézanne, Pedro Coronel, Emil Filla, George Grosz, Armand Guillaumin, Henri Lebasque, Fernand Léger, Maximilien Luce, Diego Rivera, Frank Stella, Maurice Utrillo, Andy Warhol and Francisco Zúñiga, as well as a selection of contemporary Asian art. The auction catalogue's cover lot, Study for a Blue Nude, 2000 by Tom Wesselmann is expected to bring $50,000-70,000.

Gallery: Four Beatles, Four Toothbrushes

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Tags: apple records, AppleRecords, art, beatles, capitol records, CapitolRecords, george harrison, GeorgeHarrison, jim dine, JimDine, john lennon, JohnLennon, music memorabilia, MusicMemorabilia, paul mccartney, PaulMccartney, ringo starr, RingoStarr

Handwritten Beatles' Lyrics For Sale

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Handwritten by George Harrison in "barely legible penmanship," a sheet of paper bearing the original lyrics to the Beatles song While My Guitar Gently Weeps will by auctioned off on Monday at the Barrett-Jackson & Cooper Auctions Rock 'n' Roll auction in Scottsdale. According to the auction houses, "it shows the work in progress" because it includes some lyrics that didn't make it into the final song, and is a "really significant and rare piece of memorabilia" that just about any Beatles fan would want to have. It is also one of the most highly valued items in the auction, with an estimated price of $500,000 to $800,000. Some of the lyrics to Hey Jude are on the back of the paper.

Other lots include memorabilia from the Doors, Elvis, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix and Britney Spears, as well as more Beatles items, such as an original John Lennon drawing ($40-50K).

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Tags: auction, Beatles, George Harrison, GeorgeHarrison, memorabelia, music, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps