George Harrison guitar sells for $485,000

A guitar George Harrison played during live performances of the Beatles during the summer of 1963 sold for $485,000 Friday at Julien’s Auctions. It was the highest bid at an auction from Julien’s, which focused on items from music history. The auction took place at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York and also included a tank top worn onstage by Madonna, Elvis Presley’s marriage certificate, and a sequined glove worn by Michael Jackson.

The auction house reports that the Maton Mastersound guitar was a stand-in for Harrison, who was lent the instrument by Barratt’s Music Store while his iconic Country Gentleman guitar – made by Gretsch – was under repair. It was during the months of July and August of 1963 that Harrison played the guitar at almost a dozen gigs, including one in the Beatles’ hometown of Liverpool.

Some time after Harrison returned the Maton to Barratt’s, it was sold to Roy Barber of Dave Berry and the Cruisers. It was sold at auction decades later by Barber’s widow after it sat for years in storage.

It was only a year ago that another of Harrison’s guitars, a 1962 Rickenbacker 425, was delivered to a lucky buyer for $657,000. That instrument is heard on the recording of “This Boy” and was seen on The Beatles’ very first television appearance on Ready Set Go! in October, 1963.

Hundreds of music-related items were sold at Julien’s event, from Britney Spears’ childhood leotard childhood to guitars played by Carlos Santana. Madonna’s tank top with an American flag on it, worn in 2001, sold for $25,600. Michael Jackson’s black glove went of $46,875.

The 1967 marriage license between Elvis and Priscilla Beaulieu sold for more than $41,000. The biggest piece sold, literally, was a 40-foot bus Elvis toured on, a 1976 MCI Crusader, with “Takin’ Care of Business” painted on it. It went for for $263,000.

 

Be social, please share!

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail