Lennon's guitars

How beautiful they all are! You do know a lot! Are you a connoisseur of guitars? Which guitar do you yourself play?

well, I'm just a beginner so far. I really love playing with the guitar, but I don't have a much time to learn those chords. I have two guitars, one acoustic (Fender DG-5BLK) and one electric (black strat). my dream is gibson les paul with Jimmy Page's signature. I know it's impossible, it's hard to find and it costs some bucks (I mean many... MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY bucks, more than a bucks, by far more)

[Casbah]

Actually, the "White" Epiphone that is referred to here in this thread is actually the sunburst guitar that you see later on in the thread. John had the sunburst guitar sanded down to the bare wood,  since he had heard it would improve the tone. He then had a thin layer of lacquer sprayed on it. So it's actually a natural wood finish.


Another point is the 2nd picture of the 325 is a 12-string version of the 325 that John owned, but rarely played. You can hear it on the opening and lead of "Every Little Thing" Or so I've read.

This is a fantastic thread! Thanks for putting it together

[Bobber]

This book (Beatle Gear by Andy Babiuk) must be a treasure for you. It's discussed in here: http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/m-1130877014/

[Xose]

...Ramirez A-1
...

Sorry, but I'm afraid this is not a Ramirez.

This one is a Ramirez:

...Jose Ramirez Guitarra de Estudio

...

...and also is this one:

http://www.hofner.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=38

Best!!

Xose

Sorry, but I'm afraid this is not a Ramirez.

This one is a Ramirez:



...and also is this one:

http://www.hofner.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=38

Best!!

Xose

why you thought about, that this is not ramirez a-1 and jose ramirez de estudio? I google it and typed on each guitar how did they look, and they looks exactly the same as in those 3 photos with George and John

[Xose]

why you thought about, that this is not ramirez a-1 and jose ramirez de estudio? I google it and typed on each guitar how did they look, and they looks exactly the same as in those 3 photos with George and John

I'm afraid I can't agree.

Loo at the details:

1) Roseta (=the ornaments around the hole) are not the same in George's and John's guitars.

2) Purflings (=the edges around the top) are not the same in George's and John's guitars.

3) Bridges are also not the same (=more 'rounded' in the case of George's ramirez, more 'squared' in the case of John's guitar...)

Besides, Ramirez workshop in Madrid says that John's is not a Ramirez guitar (=as it is George's and mine...)

Best

Xose

[Deb]

Those are great photos!   I saw some of John's guitars at an RRHF special exhibit, including the Rickenbacker that he played on the Ed Sullivan Show.  

[raxo]

We all know that John used his stratocaster in the studio in, at least, 1965 ...












... and in 1967 (Sgt. Pepper's sessions) ...






... but how many had seen him playing it on a stage?





It's suposed to be a soundcHECK! ... for their concert at Astoria Finsbury Park (December 11, 1965) ...

[nimrod]

What Id like to know is when did John START to play the Casino ? was it Rain/Paperback Writer ?

I know he still used it on Imagine.

[Paul Petraitis]

Hi everybody! This my first post at the ripe old age of 61 I'm writing a history of the 60's Blues Boom. But the Beatles aren't a blues band you say. But they opened the door for groups like the Stones, Animals, Kinks, Yardbirds etc who were more blues-based and had the affect of turning us Yanks onto the blues and R&B that was already here in the US. As a guitar player (since 1964)I'm very much into the gear and the backline of the various groups in the different years. Some Beatles sites offer tantalizing bits of gear info but as a historian I want to know more. So imagine my delight when I came over to tour the UK with my band The Richard Black Project in 1994 (our 2nd tour)and I ran into the lads at the old Clissold arms in Swansea (Terry Williams et al) and Clive Johns said "Here Paul, wanna play one of Lennon's guitars?" and he hands me this 1960 Fender Musicmaster, kind of a cream color finish, going a little green with age. I said "I've read all the Beatle books and this isn't in any of 'em!" "Right" he says" this one wasn't in his hands too long, he sold it to a guy down the road shortly after he got it and now it belongs to a guy in Swansea here." As a Beatle fan I'm excited but as a historian I'm skeptical, this is unsubstantiated bar talk...after a few more John Smith Bitters I go up with my bass player Brian and Terry and we play the Pirates "Please Don't Touch" and, as they say, the crowd goes nuts and everyone wants to tell me their best Pirates story which is great. I love Mick Green but I'm still holding this Lennon guitar and it plays great. One pickup, pretty hot, like my old Strat that I've brought along to gig on. I give it back to the owner , remember to take a picture of it while Clive plays it and then back to chatting and drinking. Years pass, we return to the Clissold arms one more time in 1995, when I come back in '96 with my band Paul's Broken Radio we stay pretty much in and around London and don't make it up to Swansea to see my friends or ask about the "Lennon guitar". Fast forward to this year and I'm learning that John got himself a Fender Deluxe amp in October of 1960, but that's when the lads are in Hamburg according to every calendar that I've seen. So I'm wondering ; did John get this Fender (its a 3/4 sized instrument "ideal for students and adults with small hands" says the Fender catalog in 1959)in a "package deal" at Hessey's the week before going to Germany and sell it to get money to buy his first (again 3/4 scale) Rickenbacker? OR did John go to Hamburg and buy his Fender equipment there? There's only one picture that I've found that shows John holding what looks like a light colored Fender guitar and its in the Merseybeat article on  "A Beatle Named George" on the 3rd page. The boys are wearing leather jackets and jeans. Can anybody help me? Does Tony Bramwell remember the Fender?

[nimrod]

this is all news to me Paul sorry I cant help, welcome btw 

[Casbah]

Can you show us that picture?

[peterbell1]

[Hello Goodbye]

^

[peterbell1]

A SLIGHT improvement in the quality of that photo there (  ).

In my tiny, useless, grainy image, it still looked like it could be a Fender-type guitar.

In HG's photo it has clearly been "transposed and transmogrified" into a Ric 325!!!!

Back to the drawing board