George Harrison Played This Futurama Guitar in the Early Days of the Beatles. Now It Can Be Yours.
- George Harrison's vintage Futurama electric guitar, purchased in 1959 and used in the early days of the Beatles, is set to be auctioned off by Julien's Auctions in Nashville this November.
The electric guitar that helped George Harrison ascend to stardom is ready for another musician.
The vintage Futurama, which the late Beatle favored during his band's formative days, will go under the gavel at Julien's Auctions this fall. Labeled a "holy grail" by the auction house, the instrument is expected to eclipse the already high pre-sale estimate of $600,000 to $800,000 at a sale in Nashville in November.
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Harrison purchased the guitar at Hessy's music store in his hometown of Liverpool, England, in 1959. The British musician reportedly wanted a popular Fender Stratocaster like Buddy Holly, but the American-made guitars were impossible to get in the U.K. at that time, according to Julien's. The Futurama was the next best thing. Harrison later admitted in a 1987 issue of Guitar Player magazine that the guitar was "a dog" to play, but "it had a great sound" and "a real good way of switching in the three pickups and all the combinations." He also liked that it looked kind of "futuristic," with a sunburst finish covering the solid body.
A close-up of the Futurama.
The Futurama was Harrison's most-played guitar in the early days of the Beatles, the auction house says. He used it for over 324 of the band's performances, including their audition for manager Larry Parnes, their legendary Hamburg tour in 1960 and '61, and their subsequent shows at the Cavern Club. He also played the Futurama on the band's first official recordings for Polydor from '59 to '61, with the guitar featured on songs such as "Ain't She Sweet" and "Cry For A Shadow." In 1964, Harrison donated the Futurama to Beat Instrumental magazine for a competition, but nobody claimed it so it stayed with editor Sean O'Mahony.
The guitar in its case.
"George Harrison's Futurama guitar was the Beatles' north star and one of his most loved instruments in his collection of legendary and prized guitars," Martin Nolan, executive director and cofounder of Julien's, said in a statement. "This mythic guitar aptly named Futurama was played during the early Beatles' countless groundbreaking performances from their halcyon nights at the Cavern Club in Liverpool to their famous Hamburg Days where they honed their sound and style and the future of Beatlemania literally took off."
The photograph that was taken by Astrid Kirchherr in November 1960.
The Futurama will likely fetch a pretty penny, with Beatles memorabilia a hot commodity. John Lennon's long-lost Hootenanny recently hammered for a record $2.9 million at Julien's, making it the most expensive Beatles guitar ever sold at auction. The Futurama could very well take that title next month, though. The guitar will be on show at the Beatles Story in Liverpool until October 17. It will then be exhibited across Europe, before arriving in Nashville for a three-day auction running November 20 to 22. Julien's is also auctioning off a photographic print by photographer Astrid Kirchherr that shows Harrison with the guitar (estimate: $300 to $500)—a good option if you don't have a spare million.
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