(Alleged) Bits of John Lennon's V81 Hit the Auction Block!

The short-scale model that changed history

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sixtwentytwelve
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(Alleged) Bits of John Lennon's V81 Hit the Auction Block!

Post by sixtwentytwelve »

ChadCraddock
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Re: (Alleged) Bits of John Lennon's V81 Hit the Auction Bloc

Post by ChadCraddock »

This is genuine, the items came from one of his guitar technicians Ron DeMarino and includes documentation confirming the work he did on the Rickenbacker.

Online bidding opens at 4pm (GMT) today!
rictite
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Re: (Alleged) Bits of John Lennon's V81 Hit the Auction Bloc

Post by rictite »

Awfully cool. Nice to see that these original parts still exist. A little sad to think that they will continue to be separated from V81. By that I am not advocating swapping the original parts for the replacements--whatever we think of the 1972 repairs, John approved them at the time. But posterity would appreciate the old pickguard and tuners returning into V81's case, or vault, or closet, or wherever it lives today.

Obsessive-compulsive 325c58 owners may be disappointed to see the original tuners stamped "Grover" and not "Ric-Tite." Future Lennonizers of yet-un-Lennonized c58s will need to add "Grover"-stamped tuners to their shopping lists along with Bigsbys and bowtie bridges :)
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8mileshigh
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Re: (Alleged) Bits of John Lennon's V81 Hit the Auction Bloc

Post by 8mileshigh »

But this isn't the original guard?
rictite
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Re: (Alleged) Bits of John Lennon's V81 Hit the Auction Bloc

Post by rictite »

The one at auction is the original guard.
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8mileshigh
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Re: (Alleged) Bits of John Lennon's V81 Hit the Auction Bloc

Post by 8mileshigh »

The "original" guard was cracked.
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sloop_john_b
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Re: (Alleged) Bits of John Lennon's V81 Hit the Auction Bloc

Post by sloop_john_b »

Right, this is likely a new guard made when the guitar was refinished black.
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leftybass
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Re: (Alleged) Bits of John Lennon's V81 Hit the Auction Bloc

Post by leftybass »

It's the same guard that was on the guitar when The Beatles did the Sullivan Show(s) in Feb. '64.
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glen_l
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Re: (Alleged) Bits of John Lennon's V81 Hit the Auction Bloc

Post by glen_l »

It is an original guard, and is the one that was on the instrument during the beatlemania years. The original '58 factory guard was probably replaced when the work was done to the guitar and wiring loom by Burns.
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