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| The Beatles on Ed Sullivan |
On February 9th, 1964 the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, and changed the world of guitars forever. Each member played a distinctively different instrument.
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| The Beatles Guitars |
That is when both guitars, and the Beatles caught the attention of millions of guitars players, and want-to-be players throughout the United States.
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| The Dakota where John Lennon was killed |
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| John, Cynthia, and Julian Lennon |
When they first became successful, the Beatles manager played down the fact that John was married and had a son. Based on an interview with his son Julian, John was neither a good husband, nor father.
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| Lennon's first book |
Some of his songs, such as “Run for Your Life” and "Getting Better" express his angry nature during his younger days. Lennon published a couple of book that featured brief silly stories, poems, and his doodles. In today’s politically correct world, I doubt those books would make it past an editor. However, John was a prolific songwriter, and a decent guitar player.
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| 1958 Rickenbacker Capri 325 |
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| 1958 Rickenbacker Capri 325 |
Lennon’s original 1958 model was one of the first made and had a pre-production solid top. Although it appears to be a solid body guitar, it was actually hollow. John purchased this guitar during his Hamburg days. The guitar originally had a naturally finished body, three Rickenbacker toaster pickups, and a Rickenbacker/Kauffman vibrato tailpiece.
The guitar also had a single gold Lucite pickguard that housed the instruments two “stove top” volume, and two tone controls, along with a pickup selector switch.
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| F.C. Hall with a 1958 Rickenbacker Capri 325 - note only two knobs |
Rickenbacker owner Francis C. Hall stated that four 325’s were shipped to Hamburg. Walter Höfner purchased one at a trade show in 1959. The other three were shipped to the Framus Werke in West Germany (which became Framus Guitars and is now makes Warwick basses).
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| John Lennon's Rickenbacker |
There is some debate as to where John purchased the guitar. It was either the Steinway Musikhaus or Musikhaus Rotthoff in Hamburg.
John did not like the “stove top” style knobs, and replaced them several times. He eventually settled on Burns knobs.
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| Hessy's Music Center Liverpool |
John never liked the Kauffman vibrato that came with the guitar. When he returned to Liverpool he went to Hessy’s Music store and purchased a Bigbsy unit. The salesman, Jim Getty installed the vibrato.
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| Jim Burns - Burns Guitars London |
It is also reported that John wanted his guitar to be black to match George Harrison’s Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar. In 1963 he took his guitar to Jim Burns guitar shop to be refinished and undergo some repairs.
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| John with 1958 Ric 325 |
It is also rumored that John had the middle pickup disconnected since he did not like the clicking sound of his pick against that pickup. It seems that John did this modification himself.
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| 1958 Refinished Ric |
This guitar is owned by Lennon’s wife Yoko, and was loaned to the John Lennon Museum in Japan.
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| John with 1964 Ric 325 |
After the Beatles became famous, Lennon acquired three other Rickenbacker 325 models. He owned a 1964 model with the serial number DB122 that he nicknamed “Miami”. This was the guitar that he used in the movie “Help”.
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| John with a Rickenbacker 325-12 string |
John also owned a 12-string 325 model, that he seldom used.
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| John with Rose Morris 325 |
When John’s second 325 suffered some headstock damage, John purchased a Rose Morris model 1966 that had a Fireglo finish and the standard “F” hole. John seldom used this guitar, and eventually he gave it to Ringo. Ringo auctioned it off in December of 2015. It sold for $800.000.
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| John and George buying their J-160E's |
Liverpool. Since John and George did not have enough money to afford his guitar, he asked Brian Epstein,the Beatles manager, to co-sign for the purchase. In the end Epstein paid for both John and George's guitars.
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| Gibson J-160E |
While the Gibson J-160 had tradition "X" bracing, the J-160E was ladder braced. Gibson may have done this since they considered this to be more of an electric guitar, than an acoustic guitar.
These guitars were often used early in The Beatles career both on stage, in the studio and in the Beatles movies.
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| John with J-160E painted |
In 1967, Lennon decided to have an artist paint his J-160E with a psychedelic scene.
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| John with Natural finish on J-160E |
Then in 1969 for whatever reason, he decided to strip the paint on the guitar and give it a natural finish.
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| McCartney with his Epiphone Casino |
Photographs taken in December of ’64, during rehearsals for the Beatles’ Christmas performances at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, show Paul playing a new Epiphone Casino still strung right-handed. McCartney’s sunburst Casino has serial number 84075, and according to Gibson’s records shipped November 1, 1962.
McCartney altered it for playing left-handed, turning the guitar upside down, re-stringing it, and modifying the bridge for correct intonation. A strap button was added to now-inverted upper treble bout.
McCartney used his Casino extensively in the studio with The Beatles, including the memorable lead-guitar break on “Ticket To Ride.” He also used it throughout his solo career, and still owns the guitar.
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| Lennon and Harrison with Epiphone Casinos |
In the spring of ’66, John Lennon and George Harrison decided to purchase sunburst Epiphone Casinos. Both used these instruments while recording the Revolver album.
Harrison’s had a Bigsby vibrato, while Lennon’s had a trapeze tailpiece. Both guitars had the Epiphone “hour glass” style headstock, and gold-coloured volume and tone knobs.
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| John with Epiphone Casino |
Lennon spray painted a white/grey outline on the back of his guitars body and neck.
During 1968 The Beatles headed to India to study transcendental meditation. One of their friends that made the trip was Donovan Leitch, who had a few hit recordings, including Mellow Yellow, which featured some of the Beatles singing and making noise in the background. Donovan convinced George and John that a guitar sounds much better if the heavy finish is stripped away.
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| John - Epiphone Casino natural wood |
It was during recording sessions for the White Album, that both Lennon and Harrison sanded the finish off of the bodies of their Casinos leaving just the natural blonde wood.
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| Casino on roof top |
On January 30, 1969, filming climaxed with The Beatles’ very last performance as a group on the rooftop of their Apple Corps office building, in London. The last time Lennon used his 1966 Casino with The Beatles was during the recording session of The End, on the Abbey Road album.
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| 1961 Epiphone Casino |
The Epiphone Casino was built by Gibson Guitars after they had purchased the Epiphone company. It was essentially the same guitar as the Gibson ES-330 hollow body thinline and featured a double cutaway body, two “dog-ear” P-90 pickups, single ply binding on the back, top, and fingerboard.
Early 330 models had dot inlays and black plastic pickup covers, while the Casinos had block inlays, and chrome metal pickup covers. A trapeze tailpiece was standard.
The cost in 1963 was $290.00 USD, which was $15.00 less than the comparable Gibson ES-330 model.
Though the Epiphone Casino came with a white pickguard, both Harrison and Lennon removed the pickguards. We also know that Lennon also changed the standard Kluson tuners to gold plated Grover tuners.
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| Lennon with Framus Hootenanny |
A scene in The Beatle's second movie Help! shows Lennon playing a twelve-string Framus Hootenanny acoustic on the song Hide Your Love Away. He also used this same instrument on Rubber Soul recordings and on "Polythene Pam" from the Abbey Road album.
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| John with Framus Hootenanny 12 |
The body had a large unusual black pickguard. It was not an expensive guitar.
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| Les Paul Junior |
Perhaps Lennon's most interesting guitar was his modified Les Paul Jr. He purchased a stock single pickup sunburst Les Paul Jr. sometime in the early 1970's. The pickup was in the bridge position.
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| Ron DeMarino in the 1970's |
Once again he took the guitar to his favorite New York City luthier, Ron DeMarino who had restored his 1958 Rickenbacker 325. John asked him to install a "humberdinker" pickup on it, explaining that he was not a lead player, but a "rhythmer".
DeMarino left the P-90 pickup in place, and routed out a cavity for a neck pickup. But instead of installing a humbucker, he found a Gibson Charlie Christian pickup, which he though provided a much clearer sound.
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| Lennon with Les Paul Jr. on The MIke Douglas Show |
Shortly after the TV show, Lennon sanded off the sunburst finish to expose the bare mahogany wood. He then took the guitar back to DeMarino to have a new bridge/saddle installed.
He did not like the original wrap-around bridge. DeMarino installed a tune-o-matic bridge with a stop tailpiece and plugged up the holes left by the original bridge.
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| Lennon with Les Paul Jr. |
In July of 2007, Gibson offered a limited run of 300 John Lennon Les Paul Jr. guitars. These guitars were distressed to resemble John's instrument, which included cigarette burns, and wear to the chrome parts.
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| John with his Höfner Club 40 |
Prior to going to Hamburg, the first electric guitar that John purchased was a Höfner Club 40 126/B, from Hessy's Music Shop in Liverpool. He had possibly owned another Höfner guitar, a 1950's Senator. This was an archtop acoustic model, but the Club 40 was his first electric. He gave this guitar to Mel Evans, who was The Beatles roadie and friend.
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| John with his Club 40 |
This model had a blonde natural finished body. The back of the neck was painted black, and had an ebony fretboard, and featured a zero fret. The headstock was also black, with plastic buttons on the tuning pegs.
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| 1959 Höfner Club 40 |
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| George Harrison with his Club 40 |
George Harrison owned a similar Club 40 guitar, but his had a round control plate with one volume and one tone control.
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| John with his Ramirez classical guitar |
In 1964 Lennon purchase a Ramirez classical guitar that was similar to the 1950 Ramirez George Harrison used on And I Lover Her, and Till There Was You.
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| John with a 1961 Sonic Blue Stratocaster |
John played a number of Fender Stratocasters. We know for certain that he owned a 1961 Sonic Blue Stratocaster which he played from 1965 to 1968.
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| John with a 1964 Black Stratocaster |
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| John with 1980 Red Stratocaster |
ohn owned a 1963 black Fender Telecaster that had a maple neck and a humbucking pickup in the bridge position. John might have replaced the neck pickup. on this guitar.
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| John Vox Organ Guitar |
He was given a 1966 Phantom VI Vox Organ Guitar prototype by the company in hopes that he would endorse their instrument. This guitar was given to road manager Mel Evans.
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| John with his Ovation acoustic |
Ovation guitars were very popular during the 1970's. John owned an Ovation 1651-7 Legend acoustic guitar that he used on a few recording sessions.
He had also owned a Martin D-28 that he purchased in 1967 when The Beatles went to India to learn Transcendental Meditation. McCartney owned a similar Martin instrument that he also purchased to take on the trip.
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| John receiving a 12 string Guild |
Guild Guitars then president, Mark Dronge, presented John with a 1966 Guild Starfire 12 string electric guitar. It is doubtful that he used this guitar. Yoko gave it to her ex-husband. As you can see George was not happy.
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| John with Gretsch Nashville |
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| Vox Kingston prototype |
Without a doubt, one of the more unusual guitars that Lennon ever played was a handmade Vox Kingston prototype. It was the only prototype that Vox created of this model and was made by Mike Bennett. Vox never offered it for sale. It was built for their NAMM trade show.
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| Vox Kingson prototype |
The adjustable bridge and tailpiece were each mounted on matching mahogany sections. The top was adorned with a large dark mahogany pickguard. The original trade show model had one volume and one tone knob, and a 3-way blade pickup selector switch.
Prior to being given to The Beatles, two other knobs were added. We can assume one was a master volume control, as it was placed just below the neck pickup. The guitar also had six push buttons to control special effects. Lennon used this guitar on a rehearsal for Magical Mystery Tour, when he did the song, I Am The Walrus. The Beatles gave the guitar to their friend, Magic Alex Mardas, who was an electrical engineer that worked with The Beatles.
John owned a few other guitars that he seldom played, including a Fender Bass VI, a Yamaha acoustic, a National Tri-cone resonator guitar, and a Höfner lap steel that he used on Blues For You.
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| Sardonyx Guitar |
This guitars body bore a slight resemblance to a Steinberger guitar/bass. It had twin Bill Lawrence blade humbucking pickups, an adjustable tune-o-matic style bridge and stop tail piece. The master volume was located on the instruments side, as was the pickup selector switch.
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| Sardonyx Guitar |
At the base of the guitar, below the tailpiece were four black knobs, ostensibly for volume and tone for each pickup. Then four switches were below the knobs.
Two switches were for phase reversal, while the other two were for series/parallel pickup arrangement. Below the switches were two more red knobs. These controlled the stereo output. The guitar could be played in monaural or stereo modes.
The neck had an ebony fretboard with dot position markers on its upper side, and a pointed headstock with six-on-a-side Schaller tuners. All the hardware was made by Schaller. Only 15 or 20 of these guitars were ever built. Lennon used this guitar on his Double Fantasy album.
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| John Lennon Memorial |
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