George Harrison’s Guitars

August 14, 2018 George Harrison 1 Comment 4,586 Views

1956: Egmond

George Harrison bought this “Beginner’s Guitar,” made in Holland by Egmond and distributed by Rosetti, from a schoolmate with £3 he’d gotten from Mum

1958: Hofner President

Hofner President f-hole acoustic (vintage unknown): In a quantum leap from his first instrument, and with a little help from Mum, Harrison purchased this handsome Hofner, a top-of-the-line, single-cutaway “cello style” model with a sunburst finish and a “Compensator” tailpiece, for £30

1959: Hofner Club 40

Hofner Club 40 model 244 (vintage unknown): “A little Hofner that looked like a solid guitar but was actually hollow inside, with no soundholes,” as Harrison described it.

1959: Resonet Futurama

Resonet Futurama solidbody electric, red sunburst, vintage c. 1958: When Harrison went to Hessy’s Music in Liverpool on 20 November looking for a new guitar, he was thinking “Stratocaster,” but the closest Frank Hessy could come was this sleek three-pickup Futurama (originally called a Grazioso Resonet, manufactured by the Delicia company in Czechoslovakia, and renamed by Selmer, who imported them into the U.K.).

1961: 1957 Gretsch 6128 Duo Jet

1957 Gretsch 6128 Duo Jet semi-solid mahogany body, black finish, silver pickguard: Harrison found this one through a member of a band called the Delacardoes, who got a tip from a taxi driver

1962: 1962 Gibson J-160E:

This is really a tale of two guitars. Harrison bought an electrified “jumbo” acoustic on 10 September 1962, the same day Lennon bought one, at Rushworth and Dreaper’s Music in Liverpool. (In photo at left, assistant manager James Rushworth poses with the lads.)

1963: Gretsch 6131 Jet Fire Bird

Harrison probably borrowed this guitar — essentially another version of the Duo Jet — and used it briefly early in the year. It’s seen in photos from a Cavern Club rehearsal, but precious little after that.

1963: 1962 Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman

In May Harrison upgraded to this more deluxe Gretsch he found at Sound City London, and after removing the mutes — and later the bass-side screw-up knob — used it extensively for touring and recording (first on “She Loves You” and then With The Beatles).

1963: Maton Mastersound MS-500

Before Harrison’s first Gent went into the Sound City shop, it needed repairs during a May visit to Manchester, where he borrowed this Australian solidbody from Barratt’s of Manchester and used it for a few performances. It shows up in photos from shows at the Grafton Rooms, Liverpool, on 12 June and the Winter Gardens, Margate, in early July.

1963: 1963 Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman

In November, Harrison picked up another Gent at Sound City, identical to his first except for the mutes, which were flip-up rather than dial-up, and Harrison came to prefer it. Seen on the Sullivan shows and used on the ’64 and ’65 U.S. tours, this was the guitar for the Beatles’ first flush of worldwide success.

1963: Gretsch 6119 Tennessean

Harrison found the perfect country-rock twang he’d been looking for when he got this double-pickup, single-cutaway “Type 2” model — with painted-on f-holes — late in the year, and before long it edged out the second Gent as his go-to guitar. It’s first spotted at the ’63 Christmas shows, later at Carnegie Hall, and used on the For Sale sessions and for tours, concerts and TV appearances well into ’65 — most notably in the opening sequence of the film “Help!” and at the triumphant first Shea Stadium concert that August

1963: Jose Ramirez Guitarra de Estudio

One of the first specialty items added to Harrison’s collection; this Spanish nylon-string guitar was miked and used for his delicate lead work on “Til There Was You” and “And I Love Her.” This mid-priced model features an extended fingerboard on the first three strings. I’m guessing that Harrison still has it.

1963: 1962 Rickenbacker 425

Harrison picked this up for $400 in September ’63 at Fenton’s Music Store in Mount Vernon, Illinois, during a two-week trip with his brother Peter to visit their sister Louise, who was living a few miles away in Benton.

1964: 1963 Rickenbacker 360-12

1965: 1965 Rickenbacker 360-12

Radio station WDGY finally got its chance to give Harrison a guitar on 21 August 1965, when the Beatles came to Minneapolis. At a press conference (below) this “new style” 360-12 was hand-delivered from that city’s B-Sharp Music.

1965: 1961 Fender Stratocaster

1965:Gibson ES-345-TD

It’s been reported that one of the Moody Blues loaned this guitar to Harrison after his Country Gent was smashed on a roadway on 2 December ’65, but photos from the “Daytripper” and “We Can Work It Out” video session of 23 November show Harrison playing this guitar, so another myth bites the dust

1966: Epiphone E230TD(V) Casino

1966: Gibson SG Standard

This guitar, equipped with a Gibson Maestro Vibrola w/ lyre-style cover, was first used during the Revolver sessions, and was featured on the promo film for “Lady Madonna” and the recently reconstructed “Hey Bulldog” video.

1968: Gibson J-200

Harrison got this jumbo in America in time for the “White Album” sessions and afterwards used it for Let It Be.

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