While my bank account gently weeps? A guitar owned by George Harrison just sold for an eye-popping $1.27 million at auction. It’s the highest-ever auction price for a guitar owned by the former Beatle.
George Harrison’s guitar fetches impressive price at auction
The early, Beatles-era Futurama guitar once owned by Harrison was the showpiece item in Julien’s Auction’s “Played, Worn & Torn II” sale. Heading into the auction, it was expected that the instrument might fetch upwards of $600,000, but the final hammer price was more than twice that.
The Futurama guitar was one of two guitars Harrison used most frequently while in the Beatles. He played it in more than 324 of the band’s performances, including those at the legendary Cavern Club, and also used it on early recordings for Polydor.
“George Harrison’s iconic Futurama guitar, one of the most important guitars in rock and roll history and formative to The Beatles’ sound, has made history at today’s auction,” said Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien’s Auctions. “We’re beyond thrilled to add this Harrison guitar to the Julien’s Auctions’ million-dollar club, which already includes guitars from John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Kurt Cobain.”
The Beatles guitarist would have rather had a Stratocaster
Harrison bought the guitar when he was a teenager for about £58, according to RTE. He paid for it in 44 installments. Although the guitar played an important role in the Beatles’ early history, Harrison was not entirely satisfied with the purchase. He would have rather had a Fender Stratocaster.
“If I’d had my way, the Strat would have been my first guitar. I’d seen Buddy Holly’s Strat … on The “Chirping” Crickets album cover, and tried to find one,” Harrison recalled, according to Guitar Player. “But in Liverpool in those days, the only thing I could find resembling a Strat was a Futurama that had strings about a half an inch off the fingerboard.”
Eric Clapton, Dolly Parton, and Everly Brothers guitars also sold at auction
The auction of music memorabilia in Nashville also included items from iconic artists such as Eric Clapton and the Everly Brothers.
Clapton’s stage-played and signed Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster sold for $65,000, while Ike Everly’s 1950 Gibson ES5 Electric Archtop Guitar went for $25,400. A 1939 Gibson L5 Archtop guitar owned by Sister Rosetta Tharpe sold for more than $76,000, while the pieces of a smashed Dolly Parton guitar fetched $5,200.
The proceeds from the sale of several notable instruments went to charity. Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett’s Epiphone ‘79 Flying V sold for $26,000 to benefit Gibson Gives. And a Fender Malibu acoustic guitar signed by Parton sold for nearly $20,000 (19 times the estimate) to benefit Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Guitars owned by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, Steve Vai, and Keith Richards also sold to benefit the non-profit that supports musicians and music industry workers facing physical and mental health issues.
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