Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

That white pickguard on Lennons 325 is a disgrace!

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.

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

>>>>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.

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??

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....

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

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!

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...

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

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.

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

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!

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

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.