John Lennons rick.....fake?

roadrunners · Post by **roadrunners** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 3:51 pm

Hey, with some investigation.......I have been looking into the notion that the redone 1958 rick 325.......Isnt johns. My personanl conclusion, is that it is not.......

1. The guy who did the repair said that he was ABSOLUTLEY CERTAIN that the ONLY things he replaced were the pickplate, tuners, and strings......he said that he didnt replace anything else........

The nut is a different color the in 58'

The wood grain is COMPLETLEY DIFFERENT then that of the original

So he either butchered that guitar, or it was never the original

lawton · Post by **lawton** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:10 pm

So you're saying that the guitar pictured here isn't John's real Hamburg 325?

Wow.

spencer · Post by **spencer** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:14 am

Say what, man?

I've heard about this theory before, not sure I believe it.

lawton · Post by **lawton** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:19 am

Yep. And it would be appropriate to offer some thoughts as to what happened to the actual/original 325, where it is, etc.

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:45 am

It would be worth mentioning that the 1958 Model 325 Capri was serviced in Spetember 1963. Also, who can know for sure how many other times it was repaired over the years.

While this would make for a good story I do not think that there is sufficient evidence for this hypothesis.

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 6:07 am

...so THAT'S why G.C. had that "closeout" on the 325's!!! NOW I see the connection!! See! They're not so dumb AFTER all!! yuk yuk!!

;^)

jeff · Post by **jeff** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 7:36 am

Chris, you're sooo CHEEKY!

roadrunners · Post by **roadrunners** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 7:58 am

I dont know If i am really keen on my OWN hypothesis, but The wood grain did it for me....certainley the nut may have been changed during the many times the guitar was serviced
but look at the wood grain
.....u'll see

lawton · Post by **lawton** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:58 am

Post links to pics, or post the pics themselves.

I've always been struck by the color difference between the original mapleglo finish/appearance (from what pics I've seen) and the appearance of the refinished guitar as show in the link I gave above. I recall reading, though, that DeMarino actually refinished it with an amber colored lacquer, rather than the clearer lacquer more typical of the Rickenbacker Mapleglo (as seen in the mapleglo 325C58). I've not seen a close pic of the guitar in pre-black form that would be adequate for me to compare the wood grain.

emswife · Post by **emswife** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:30 pm

This sounds like another "Paul is dead" theory.

Unless you can inspect the actual instrument and do the comparisons, isn't it a little "out of real;ity" to base such a finding on photos. The grain can be distorted by the photo process...

Maybe if you call Yoko, she will let you see it. According to Andy Babiuk, she has the original 1958 325 Capri.

Then again, I might win the lottery and buy everyone here a guitar.

Good luck

apollo11 · Post by **apollo11** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:19 pm

I have no doubt this is Lennon's original. In the attached scan, compare the wood grain in the entire upper horn with the image in the 2nd post of this thread. It sure looks the same to me!

If you have better pictures which you are referring to, Alex, please let us see them.

Lennon with his 325, prior to the black paint job
http://images.andale.com/f2/119/111/2750503/1100416527845_Lennon_325.jpg

lawton · Post by **lawton** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 6:14 pm

Andrew, even more interesting than comparing the wood grain is comparing the dings on the upper edge of the body where the top and side come together. There are two rather obvious "dents" (or perhaps "significant scratches" into the wood is putting it better); the dents are visible and in obviously the same places in both pics (the pre-63 pic and the post '72 refin pic).

roadrunners · Post by **roadrunners** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:52 am

hmm, or did they make it look that way!

jk...I dont know, from pictures that Ive refered to and the current guitar...I dont think that they are the same. You should ask Hall what he thinks about this....

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:09 am

It is to be remembered that this instrument has been stripped and sanded. As it is constructed from Alder (a soft-hardwood, at least from my experience) that may lose its surface grain more readily that maple.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 11:13 am

Yes....stripped, painted, stripped, sanded, stained and who knows what else. Also we're looking at it straight-on vs. at an angle, where differences can be evidant, especially in the grain. Most of the pics that F.C. Hall took of the guitar while it still belonged to Rickenbacker were at an angle, and grain CAN look different.