Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

The Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston is running an exhibit entitled "Dangerous Curves: The Art of the Guitar" from October 30, 2000 to February 25, 2001.

The knockout for many viewers will be the simplest guitar of them all - John Lennon's 1950s Gallotone Champion acoustic guitar (£155,000)that John Lennon purchased by mail order for $28. He was playing it when he met Paul McCartney in 1957. Lennon left it in the care of his Aunt Mimi, who added a small plaque at the top of the neck that repeats her earlier warning to him: "Remember - you'll never earn your living by it."

What was $28 in British pounds in 1957 ? Mo Foster's "Seventeen Watts" p66 reproduces a number of adverts for the Gallotone, which appeared in all sorts of papers and magazines (I remember them in childrens' comics) in the late 50's and 60's. Price was advertised at 19gns (19 pounds and 19 shillings cash, or more by installments) in 1957, but it had dropped to 4gns by 1958, presumably because the skiffle boom was drying up, or there were more guitars on the market.

I hope whoever paid $155K wasn't expecting sound like a vintage Martin ! The Gallotones were very basic cheap guitars, little more than toys really (despite being described as "Real Professional Guitars" in the advert). Typically a kid would get one for a Xmas or birthday present, and if he persevered and guitar playing was more than a passing fad his parents would get him a better one.