Stolen Beatles guitars

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Fri May 05, 2006 6:00 am

I believe they made sonic blue strats pre '59. I think Rick Neilsen has one with a maple board.

Pickguard screws could be misleading as to date of guitars manufacture. George's white strat had 50s parts but a 60s guard.

We'd like some truth...about the guitar!

kennyhowes · Post by **kennyhowes** » Fri May 05, 2006 7:53 am

If I had a Stratocaster, it'd look like this one. Maple board, three-ply guard. I'd probably rather have Daphne Blue, but who cares.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri May 05, 2006 8:07 am

Oh, gosh. Pickguard screw placement. To us older guys is was just a nice, blue guitar that someday we might own.

Now, it's a ridiculously overpriced relic that we wished we'd have kept.

A couple dozen of.

In a time capsule.

Since new.

Speakin' of which, it's rumored that JFK, anticipating the Cuban trade embargo, had his operatives smuggle an entire container of H Upmann Petít Coronas (his favorites) out of Habana a couple of days before he himself signed the embargo.

He then put them into climate-controlled storage.

Personally, I would've gone for Montecristo #4s.

alanz · Post by **alanz** » Fri May 05, 2006 8:09 am

I'd just fly to Cancun and then do a day trip to Havana, myself.

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Fri May 05, 2006 8:19 am

Lennon with a Strat:

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Fri May 05, 2006 8:27 am

and, as far as I can see, no sticker.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Fri May 05, 2006 8:29 am

But Wolfgang...do you have any pictures of George playing a Gibson?

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Fri May 05, 2006 8:41 am

ha,ha. There is no Gibson on Day Tripper!
this picture is from "Mojo Special Edition The Beatles Classic, Rare & Unseen" pp.78
"[picture]By Bob Whitaker London 1964
Rehearsals for the second Beatles Christmas Show in December 1964. These shots are taken at the Donmar Warehouse, then usually reserved as a rehearsal space for the London Festival Ballet".

But, with no doubt, it is made in Dec 1965
-Wolfgang

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Fri May 05, 2006 11:54 am

That is a cool photo. Too bad it's so film noir.

Somewhere I saw a photo of Lennon at the Starr Club playing a B.C. Rich but I suspect it might be a photoshop job, on account of he was backing Elvis (and a 70s era Elvis to boot.)

There is more footage out of George with the white strat...on the Dick Cavette show, circa '71.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Fri May 05, 2006 12:10 pm

And on the Concert For Bangladesh.

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Sun May 07, 2006 1:05 am

Glen, the Dec 1965 photo is bigger than the posted one, with Paul and his Hofner, George with the Gibson 345 and John with the Strat and his VOX Python strap.

It would be nice to have a picture of the Dec.65
Beatles' Christmas show, probably with a Gretsch and the 325 Miami.
But again, what happend to John's sonic blue Strat?

btw: no problem for me to hear 2 guitars playing on the solo of Nowhere man.

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Sun May 07, 2006 2:45 am

John's guitar...who knows. If he gave or traded it away, maybe the story will emerge some day. Wolfgang, did you read the interview in Guitar Player where George talks about the recording of Nowhere Man? He goes in depth, telling the story of how they added compressor after compressor to get the sound they wanted, much to the chagrin of EMI studios. He mentions one strat. I've played my strat through very high compression and gotten the same sound with one pass.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Mon May 08, 2006 2:21 pm

My head hurts after reading this thread.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Mon May 08, 2006 4:41 pm

Try a cold compress on top of a cold compress......

grinch · Post by **grinch** » Mon May 08, 2006 5:06 pm

George did play a Gibson, quite often. It's very likely it was on Day Tripper.

He had an ES-345. He played it all through the '65 Christmas shows, and on all the Intertel promos, including the one for Day Tripper.

Seen here, at Sheffield, December '65: