Lennon's Guitar

gregga41 · Post by **gregga41** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:05 pm

That white pickguard on Lennons 325 is a disgrace!

larrywassgren · Post by **larrywassgren** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 4:42 pm

That interview is in the November of 1987 Guitar Player magazine. Some cool photos in there that George took of his guitars in Friar Park.

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:20 pm

Some of them were re-printed in a special George memorial issue of Guitar Player, when he died.

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:48 am

>>>>That white pickguard on Lennons 325 is a disgrace!

Absolutely... a total disgrace. They should put a gold pickguard on and also the old style knobs as seen in the background pix.

tennis_nick · Post by **tennis_nick** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:53 am

In that picture in the background, John's guitar has the kauffman vibrola as well... did he keep it on long enough to be photographed live with it??

cowboy_joe · Post by **cowboy_joe** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:13 am

The Kauffman stayed on for awhile--he didn't get the Bigsby until they got back to England. Looks like he's missing one of those orignal knobs, too....

larrywassgren · Post by **larrywassgren** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:21 pm

The Kauffman was on John's guitar for the first two long tours in Germany. The Bigsby went on in August of 1961.

gregga41 · Post by **gregga41** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 4:43 pm

Kent, upon reflection, could it be that the "Disgracefull" white pickguard is on there still, because it was on, as it is , the last time John played it? I'd nearly forgive them if that is the case in point!
I'd still prefer they put the gold one back on!

geschwader · Post by **geschwader** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:54 am

Problem is, "they" don't have the gold PG anymore. It was given by Lennon to Ron DeMarino as a gift after he refinished it back to natural. DeMarino reportedly says he put a new (the original was cracked) gold one on, but apparently Lennon last played it with the white PG. Thus the reluctance by Yoko to change anything on the guitar. But we may never know the exact chronology and rationale for what happened back then...

geschwader · Post by **geschwader** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:57 am

And I forgot to mention that DeMarino also installed new tuners and kept the original ones.

deaconblues · Post by **deaconblues** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:23 am

I'm actually in favor of keeping it how it is. Lennon was apparently very pleased with how it turned out, white PG and all.

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:34 am

...anyway, these modifications are part of the guitar's history, too.

gregga41 · Post by **gregga41** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:56 pm

That has become my point of view as well! Having firstly been horrified by the white PG, i now agree that it is part of that guitars' folklore!

lennonon · Post by **lennonon** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:51 am

Yeah. John was very outspoken about loving the way it looked. So... Wonder how it plays....?

larrywassgren · Post by **larrywassgren** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:41 pm

I checked it out really well in Japan and the neck was straight as an arrow with low action and plenty of room to lower that bow-tie bridge. The frets looked new as it hadn't been played nearly as much after the refret by Burns in '63.